Laken Riley case: Suspect found guilty of all counts in campus killing

The fishy accused of murdering Laken Riley connected the University of Georgia's field was recovered blameworthy connected each charges Wednesday, including malice execution and felony murder.

Prosecutors called the grounds against the fishy "overwhelming," portion the defence raised the mentation that the suspect could beryllium an accomplice but not the slayer during closing arguments successful his trial.

Jose Ibarra, 26, was accused of sidesplitting the 22-year-old nursing pupil portion she was retired for a tally aft prosecutors said she "refused to beryllium his rape victim." Jose Ibarra, an undocumented migrant, was charged with malice execution and felony execution successful transportation with her death, which became a rallying outcry for migration betterment from galore conservatives, including President-elect Donald Trump.

Jose Ibarra looks down arsenic helium listens done an interpreter during his proceedings astatine the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court connected Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, successful Athens, Ga.

Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool

Jose Ibarra waived his close to a assemblage proceedings and the lawsuit was presented implicit 4 days successful the Athens-Clarke County courtroom to Judge H. Patrick Haggard, who rendered the verdict connected Wednesday.

Sobbing could beryllium heard successful the courtroom arsenic helium work his verdict.

Prosecutors called 28 witnesses portion laying retired what they said was grounds beyond a tenable uncertainty that Jose Ibarra killed Riley, who died by blunt unit caput trauma and asphyxia.

Special authoritative Sheila Ross told the tribunal Jose Ibarra encountered Riley portion she was connected her greeting jog connected Feb. 22 portion helium was retired "hunting" for women connected the Athens campus.

Ross said Riley "fought for her life" successful a conflict that caused Jose Ibarra to permission forensic grounds behind. Digital and video grounds besides pointed to him arsenic the lone killer, she said.

"The grounds successful this lawsuit has been overwhelming, and the grounds successful this lawsuit has spoken large and wide -- that helium is Laken Riley's killer, and that helium killed her due to the fact that she would not fto him rape her," Ross said during her closing statement connected Wednesday.

A forensics adept testified that Jose Ibarra's DNA was recovered nether Riley's close fingernails, and that his 2 brothers, who lived with him successful an flat adjacent the campus, were excluded arsenic matches.

When Jose Ibarra was questioned by constabulary a time aft the murder, helium had disposable scratches connected his arms, officers said. He besides had scratches connected his cervix and back, which Ross said could person lone been near by Riley.

"In bid to not find him guilty, you would person to disbelieve your ain eyes," Ross said.

"She marked him. She marked him for everyone to see. She marked him for you to see," Ross told the judge.

Prosecutors argued Jose Ibarra hindered Riley from making a 911 call, and said his thumbprint was near connected her phone. Data from his Samsung telephone and the Garmin ticker Riley was wearing connected her tally showed the devices overlapped and were successful adjacent proximity successful the wood wherever she was recovered dead, an FBI expert testified.

Jose Ibarra was captured connected Ring footage discarding a bloodied overgarment and disposable gloves adjacent his flat astir 15 minutes aft Riley died, prosecutors said. The individual's look can't beryllium seen successful the video, but Jose Ibarra's roommate testified that it was him. The defendant's brother, Diego Ibarra, besides identified him arsenic the idiosyncratic successful the video portion being questioned by constabulary a time aft the murder.

Riley's DNA was recovered connected the overgarment and gloves, the forensics adept said. Jose Ibarra's DNA was besides recovered connected the jacket, portion his 2 brothers were excluded arsenic matches, the adept said.

"That is what we telephone consciousness of guilt successful our concern -- helium threw distant those items due to the fact that helium knew helium had killed her, and helium threw them distant due to the fact that helium didn't privation anyone to find him," Ross said.