Non-US resident arrested in Laken Riley's UGA campus death, no prior connection established
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA: Police have charged a 26-year-old man with the murder of nursing student Laken Riley, who was found dead in a wooded area on the UGA campus after going for a run.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was taken into custody on Friday after it was claimed that he killed and abducted the 22-year-old junior at Augusta University.
Jose Ibarra and Laken Riley were not in a relationship
During a press conference on Friday night, February 23, Jeffrey Clark, the chief of UGA Police, informed reporters. According to Clark, Ibarra is neither a US citizen nor was he a student at UGA. Additionally, Riley and he had never been in a relationship before.
“He did not know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened,” Clark stated, according to the New York Post.
Around 12:38 pm on Thursday, Riley, a sorority member and student on the dean's list, was discovered dead in a wooded area close to Lake Herrick with "visible injuries."
Clark stated on Friday that "blunt force trauma" was the cause of her death.
While Clark was speaking, police were conducting a search of Ibarra's Athens apartment. However, before the search warrant was executed, he stated that there was enough evidence to bring charges against him.
“The evidence is robust. It is supported by key input from the community, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security cameras network,” Clark said.
After questioning three or four people of interest, only Ibaira was brought to justice.
Clark said there’s “No indication of a continuing threat to the community related to the case at this time.”
Charges against Jose Antonio Ibarra
Ibara is accused of kidnapping, obstructing a 911 call, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, malicious murder, and concealing the death of another.
As per Clark, it remains unclear where Ibarra is from or what his legal standing is in the nation. Riley went for a run around the Intramural Fields on UGA's East Campus, and a friend reported him missing, according to the police.
Following the spring 2023 semester, Riley transferred from the nearby University of Georgia to Augusta University's nursing program, a spokesman for the university, Greg Trevor, told The Red & Black, the student newspaper.
“She was still active in her sorority [Alpha Chi Omega at UGA]. She was active in the community and well known and from all accounts very well-liked,” Trevor said.
On the campus of UGA, the horrifying death was the second in as many hours.
On Wednesday, February 21, a second student was found dead in a dorm room; authorities stated that this discovery was unrelated to Riley's death but provided no further information.
On February 23, classes were suspended at Augusta University College of Nursing and at UGA. Chief Clark advised students to "travel in groups" and to maintain an open mindset.
