Laken Riley
Laken Riley, was born on January 10, 2002, in Marietta, Georgia, to Jason Riley and Allyson Phillips. She had three siblings. In 2020, she graduated from River Ridge High School in Woodstock, Georgia, where she was a member of the cross-country team.
Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University in Athens, Georgia, who had previously attended the University of Georgia as an undergraduate. She was an active member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
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| Laken Riley | |
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| Location | University of Georgia—Oconee Forest Park, Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33.9279°N 83.3728°W |
| Date | February 22, 2024 9 a.m.—1 p.m (EST) |
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Attack type
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Homicide by blunt trauma and asphyxiation |
| Victim | Laken Riley |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Accused | José Antonio Ibarra |
| Charges |
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Killing of Laken Riley
On February 22, 2024, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student, was killed while she was jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Her body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick; her death was caused by blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.
The suspect, José Antonio Ibarra, is a 26-year-old Venezuelan who had entered the United States illegally. He was arrested by UGA police and has been charged with 10 charges, including felony murder, malice murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and kidnapping. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial is expected to take place on November 18, 2024.
The killing of Riley made international news, generating extensive media attention. It sparked a debate over immigration in the United States after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and was caught crossing the border but was released into the United States. On March 7, 2024, the House of Representatives passed an immigration bill named the Laken Riley Act, requiring federal detention of migrants who commit burglary or theft.
Killing
On February 22, 2024, Riley went for a morning run at University of Georgia (UGA). During her attack, Riley’s phone called 911. Riley was attacked and killed between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to the warrants.
At 12:07 p.m., Riley’s roommate reported her disappearance to the UGA police after she did not return. At 12:38 p.m., Riley’s body was discovered by UGA police in Oconee Forest Park behind Lake Herrick. Her death was caused by blunt force trauma and asphyxiation, according to Athens-Clarke County Coroner. UGA police described Riley’s killing as a “crime of opportunity” and reported that the killer appeared to have acted alone. There had not been a murder in the university since 1983.
Suspect
The suspect is 26-year-old Venezuelan, José Antonio Ibarra, who had entered the United States illegally in September 2022, crossing the US’s southern border with Mexico near El Paso, Texas. According to Jeffrey Clark, the chief of UGA police, he lived in an apartment complex about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the wooded area where Riley’s body was found. He had been previously arrested by both federal and state officials in multiple jurisdictions. He had a bench warrant issued for his arrest in December 2023 after failing to appear in court in a shoplifting case in Georgia.
In October 2023, the suspect and his brother, who was reported by authorities to be a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who temporarily worked at UGA, were arrested by Athens police on theft charges; both were released after reportedly possessing stolen merchandise from a local Walmart.
Criminal proceedings
On May 8, 2024, the grand jury of Clarke County indicted the suspect with ten charges: three charges of felony murder, malice murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping, aggravated assault with intent to rape, hindering a 911 call, concealing the death of another and peeping Tom. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Bail was denied. The district attorney is seeking the sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the suspect. In a court filing, the defense attorneys submitted a motion to move the trial to another county due to the media attention surrounding the case.
The jury selection is to begin on November 13, 2024. The trial is expected to take place on November 18, 2024.
Reactions
Tributes and media attention
Riley’s funeral was held on March 1, 2024, at the Woodstock City Church. Riley was buried at Enon Cemetery in Woodstock, Georgia. Riley’s killing became a “national political case” during what Forbes‘ Sara Dorn called a “historic surge in border crossings during Biden’s tenure”. The Laken Riley case drew widespread public interest and international media attention, especially in the United States. A memorial was made for Riley at Lake Herrick. Her family says they plan to establish a foundation in her honor. Her stepfather said: “She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way”. Riley’s family started an online fund to raise money for the foundation, called the “Laken Hope Riley Foundation”.
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Riley’s parents, Jason Riley and Allyson Phillips, were invited to the State of the Union by Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, but they turned down his invitation. Donald Trump mentioned Riley during his speech for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. President Joe Biden mentioned the killing of Riley during the 2024 State of the Union address, after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted Riley’s name at the president. Biden was criticized by Democratic members of Congress for referring to Riley’s suspected killer as “an illegal” instead of “undocumented”, for which he later expressed regret.
Laken Riley Act
On March 7, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act in a 251–170 vote, with 37 Democratic members joining all Republican members in voting for the bill. If enacted, the Laken Riley Act would mandate federal detention of migrants who commit burglary or theft and would allow states to file suit against the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws.
