The man accused of killing Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, at the University of Georgia in February has been found guilty on all counts.
Jose Antonio Ibarra waived his right to a trial by jury. Instead, Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard rendered a verdict and found Ibarra guilty on all 10 counts in the murder of Riley.
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How we got here
Riley, a nursing student at Georgia's Augusta University was reported missing by her friends on Feb. 22 after she never returned from a morning run. A police search ensued, and her body was later found in the woods near a jogging trail on the UGA campus. Authorities determined Riley died from blunt force trauma.
Ibarra, the 26-year-old murder suspect, is a Venezuelan citizen who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in 2022. He was released by border officials while his immigration case was awaiting review, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ibarra's status as an undocumented immigrant has become a flashpoint in the heated debate over border security. President-elect Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have pointed to Riley's murder as proof that President Biden hasn't done enough to prevent potentially dangerous individuals from crossing the southern border.