Laken Riley death: Georgia authorities reveal harrowing details about the murder of nursing student

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Georgia authorities have revealed harrowing details regarding the brutal murder of nursing student Laken Riley. According to an arrest affidavit, Jose Ibarra, who has been charged in connection with Riley’s death, allegedly brutalized the victim, WSB-TV reports. 

Ibarra, 26, is accused of murdering Riley, a 22-year-old student at Augusta University's campus in Athens while she was out on a jog on the University of Georgia campus on Thursday, February 22.

Jose Ibarra used 'an object' to harm Laken Riley during the incident 

According to the affidavit, Ibarra is also accused of using “an object” to harm Riley during the incident, though authorities did not provide further details. Ibarra allegedly “physically” hindered the victim from making a 911 call, the affidavit claimed, adding that he also allegedly dragged her body to a secluded area. 

When was Laken Riley reported missing?

Riley's friend reported her missing on Thursday, February 22, after she failed to return from her morning jog, UGA officials said last week. She was found later that day “unconscious, not breathing and had visible injuries,” UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark said at a press conference streamed by Fox 5 Atlanta. Riley died from blunt force trauma, investigators said, as reported by WSB-TV, Fox 5 Atlanta and ABC 30.

When was Jose Ibarra arrested?

Ibarra was arrested the following day and has been charged with several offenses including murder, kidnapping and assault, online court records show. UGA police said Ibarra is not a student at the university. He did not know Riley and police believe he acted alone, they said.

Ibarra is a Venezuelan citizen who entered the US unlawfully in 2022, according to immigration authorities, CBS reported. He is being held without bail in Clarke County, online records show.

Jose Ibarra's brother has also been arrested 

Ibarra's brother has also been arrested for possessing a fake Green Card. Diego Ibarra, 29, was slapped with charges after he was stopped by police in connection with the ongoing murder investigation, according to the US Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. He is now in state custody, as per jail records. 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of Diego Ibarra’s undocumented status when an Athens-Clarke County police officer approached him, the sworn affidavit revealed. At the time, local authorities believed that he matched the description of the suspect sought for Riley’s killing.

Diego Ibarra gave the officer a green card which was then determined to be fraudulent, the document explained. Further investigation revealed that he was met by the US Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, on April 30, 2023. 

He was processed for immediate deportation, but was released to New York City pending asylum after he claimed reasonable fear of returning to his home country, the affidavit explained. Several months later, in late September, he was arrested by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for driving under the influence and driving without a license.

Diego Ibarra was subsequently arrested in the popular college area two more times, once in October for shoplifting, and once in December for failing to appear for a fingerprintable offense, according to the official document.

Diego Ibarra’s initial court appearance remains undetermined, the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia noted. He faces a maximum of 10 years behind bars, if convicted.