Suspect waives right to jury trial in murder of AU student Laken Riley
ATHENS, Ga. - The man accused of killing Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley waived his right to a jury trial on Tuesday – a surprising move that happened the day before jury selection was supposed to start.
Moments after the request, the judge granted the bench trial and decided will begin Friday morning.
Ibarra is charged in the Feb. 22 killing of Laken Hope Riley, whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus. A 10-count indictment accused Ibarra of hitting Riley in the head, asphyxiating her and intending to sexually assault her.
Ibarra is charged with one count of malice murder, three counts of felony murder and one count each of kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, hindering an emergency telephone call, tampering with evidence and peeping Tom.
A judge last week denied a motion by Ibarra to suppress certain evidence in the case.
Ibarra’s motion claimed two cellphones, social media information, location data and “genetic and physical information” were seized without probable cause.
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The case quickly became a major talking point in the debate over immigration after investigators found that Ibarra entered the country illegally in 2022. Republicans latched onto the murder, leading to a tense exchange during President Biden’s State of the Union address.
Criminal defense and civil rights attorney Joshua Schiffer said, “This case became quite political during the last election cycle. We all heard major candidates talking about the issue of illegal immigration.”
Schiffer expects the trial to move quickly.
“The Jose Ibarra prosecution has moved very efficiently especially when we look in comparison at other cases across the nation,” said Schiffer. “[Special prosecutor] Sheila Ross appears very ready for this case, she prepared it in a relatively short period of time, but it’s also not the most complex murder case.”
“In a case where life without parole is on the table, you want to make sure you’ve done all your due diligence,” said Schiffer. “I don’t expect a particularly long trial. It is a very serious case. They will be taking their time, but I don’t see this trial lasting more than a couple of weeks at most.”
Ibarra’s counsel filed a motion to suppress evidence in the case, but the motion was denied on Friday.
The prosecution is seeking life without parole for Ibarra. His brother, Diego, pleaded guilty to charges he possessed a fake immigration document and was set to be sentenced in October, but that sentencing was postponed.
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