Laken Riley murder suspect Jose Ibarra appeared in court for trial

Jose Ibarra, the suspect accused of killing Augusta University student Laken Riley during her morning run in February, will return to court Monday for the second day of his trial.

Prosecutors said Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, attacked and killed Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, who was jogging on trails near Lake Herrick. University of Georgia campus In Athens on the morning of February 22.

The suspect is charged with a total of 10 crimes, including one premeditated murder, three counts of felony murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of aggravated assault with intent to rape, one count of aggravated battery, and one count of obstructing a 911 call. , one count of tampering with evidence and one count of being a “voyeur Tom.” Ibarra has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“On February 22, Jose Ibarra wore a black hat, hoodie-style jacket, and black kitchen-style disposable gloves and went hunting for women on the University of Georgia campus,” prosecutor Sheila Ross said in her opening. Statement on Friday.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER CASE: PROSECUTORS PUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT ON STAGE IN OPENING STATEMENTS

Georgia prosecutors showed a photo of Laken Riley running before the murder during the trial of defendant Jose Ibarra. (Fox News)

Ross said Ibarra then encountered Riley during his typical morning run and attacked him.

“When Laken Riley refused to be the rape victim, he repeatedly hit her in the head with a rock,” Ross said.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED IN LAKEN RILEY MURDER

Jose Ibarra, accused of murdering a Georgia nursing student earlier this year, listens through an interpreter during his hearing in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Magazine-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Ibarra and his brothers also illegally in the United States From Venezuela, he lived in an apartment less than a half-mile from the campus park where Riley ran.

The defendant’s attorney, Dustin Kirby, argued in his opening statement that the evidence could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ibarra killed Riley. He said it would take “gymnastics” for the prosecution to argue that Ibarra killed Riley with what he described as “circumstantial evidence.”

LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT IN GEORGIA COLLEGE STUDENT MASSACRE, WANTS CERTAIN EVIDENCE WITHDRAWAL

Allyson Phillips, the mother of Laken Riley, the Georgia nursing student who was killed earlier this year, reacts as Riley’s stepfather, John Phillips, comforts her during Jose Ibarra’s arraignment Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court. . (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Magazine-Constitution via AP, Pool)

“Despite the nature of this evidence, we have waived a jury trial in this case in the hope and confidence that it is not only a way to alleviate the pain of this family, but also that you can reach a verdict on an impartial and honest basis. The evidence in this case needs to be evaluated,” he said.

“If this occurs and the presumption of innocence is respected, there should be insufficient evidence to convince you beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Ibarra is guilty of the crimes charged.”

Prosecutor Sheila Ross speaks before Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard during the hearing of Jose Ibarra, who is accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Repository)

On Friday, the court heard from nine prosecution witnesses, including Riley’s roommates and several law enforcement officials from different agencies.

The evidence included screenshots of roommates’ phones using the Find My Friends app to find Riley, who had not returned from a run; the AirPod they found on the ground when they went looking for it along their usual running route; police body camera footage; security camera footage; Riley’s phone with a man’s fingerprint on the bottom; and the athletic clothing Riley was wearing when she was attacked.

Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Zachary Davis shows a jacket he collected from a dumpster on a photo while testifying on the witness stand in the Athens-Clarke County trial of Jose Ibarra, who is accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year Superior Court, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 day in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Repository)

UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark previously described the murder as a “crime of opportunity” at a press conference in February.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER LEFT VISIBLE SECURITY CUTS ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY BLUE LIGHTS.

Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard hears the trial of Jose Ibarra, accused of murdering a Georgia nursing student earlier this year, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Repository)

Ibarra crossed into the United States illegally El Paso, Texas, He was released to the United States on parole in September 2022, ICE and DHS sources previously told Fox News.

His older brother, Diego Ibarra, who briefly worked at the UGA cafeteria before his arrest in February, is accused of green card fraud and had ties to a known Venezuelan gang in the U.S. called Tren de Aragua, according to federal court documents.

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted on Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)

On Friday afternoon, the defense subpoenaed Diego Ibarra and their younger brother, Argenis Ibarra, to testify at Jose’s trial on Wednesday.

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ICE previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jose Ibarra was arrested by police. New York Police Department A year after entering the U.S. in August 2023, he was “charged with conduct in a manner likely to injure a child under the age of 17 and violation of motor vehicle registration.”

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.