Suspect Charged in Tragic Murder of Student Laken Riley at University of Georgia
On Thursday, February 22nd, 22-year old college student Laken Riley was found dead. Officials said Riley, who attended a nursing college at another institution in Athens, had “gone for a jog and was later found dead with visible injuries in a forested area behind Lake Herrick on Thursday.” Police said foul play was suspected, and on Friday, the case was called a homicide investigation. The next day, Riley’s cause of death was found to be blunt force trauma.
According to the NBC News Investigation Report, around noon Thursday, someone reported that their friend had gone for a run at the Intramural Fields that morning and did not return. The Police were on the scene at the Oconee Forest Park area of the Intramural Fields on campus Friday morning, and Laken’s body was found behind Lake Herrick at 12:38 p.m. Police announced Friday that they had arrested a suspect in connection with Riley’s death.
Jose Ibarra, who faces multiple murder and assault charges, is also accused of dragging 22-year-old Laken Riley to a secluded area on Thursday, according to one of the affidavits obtained by CBS News. The allegation that he dragged Riley’s body was filed to support the charge of concealing the death of another person.
Ibarra entered the US illegally in El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 8, 2022, with his wife and her son seeking asylum, and was later released “for further processing,” ICE said.
Police were executing a search warrant on Ibarra’s apartment Friday to continue to collect evidence, Clark said. Despite the warrant, he said police didn’t need any further evidence beyond what they had already gathered to arrest the suspect.
He said the arrest has been “supported by key input from the community, physical evidence and expert police work.” Video footage from the campus security system network was also vital in the investigation and eventual arrest, he said.
John Phillips, Laken’s stepfather, said on a GoFundMe page that Riley “was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general.”
He also said they plan to use part of the money from the fundraiser to establish a scholarship in her name and promote “homicide awareness and safety for women.”
“She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way.”
As of Monday afternoon, the GoFundMe page had raised more than $124,000. Riley is scheduled to be mourned at funeral services on Friday.
By: Chloe MigutSources:
https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/02/26/laken-riley-slain-student-remembered-at-vigil
