ATHENS, Ga. — Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was killed while going for a run on the University of Georgia campus in late February, has become a focal point of national political conversations since her death.
Riley was found dead in a wooded area behind a lake near UGA's intramural fields on Feb. 22 by campus police. A day later, a 26-year-old suspect named Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested and charged with her murder.
In the weeks since, questions over Ibarra's immigration status have become a political flashpoint on border security, as likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the GOP party have used her death to rebuke President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
Here's an exhaustive look at everything you need to know about this case.
Who is Laken Riley?
Laken Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University who was killed Thursday, Feb. 22, while out on a run near the intramural fields on UGA's campus.
UGA Police received a call just around noon from a concerned friend of Riley who had gone for a run at the intramural fields. Officers then responded to the area at 12:38 p.m. and immediately began searching for her 20 minutes after they received the call.
UGA Police then found Riley dead with "visible injuries" behind Lake Herrick in the forested area on campus, which is not too far from the intramural fields.
Riley, a Woodstock native, attended River Ridge High School in Cherokee County, where she ran on the cross-country team.
According to officials, Riley was a UGA student through the Spring Semester 2023 before she transferred to the Augusta University College of Nursing program at Athens, where she was currently enrolled as a junior and on the Dean's List.
Augusta University said they are in a partnership with UGA, allowing students to participate in UGA campus activities.
Riley joined a sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, in the fall of 2020.
Statements from those who knew Riley described her as a beloved person in the community.
An online fundraiser was launched for her memorial. As of March 7, it had raised more than $239,000 from more than 4,800 donations. You can find it here.
Who is Jose Antonio Ibarra?
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested and charged with Laken Riley's killing. Ibarra is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, concealing the death of another and hindering a 911 call.
Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23, a day after Riley's body was found. Records show that Ibarra, a Venezuelan man, entered the United States illegally and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ibarra and his wife entered the United States near El Paso, Texas, in September 2022. After being arrested and released, his wife told the New York Post they were put on a bus and sent to New York.
At that time, immigration attorney Pamela Peynado said Venezuelans had special protective status in the U.S.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that Ibarra was first arrested in Sept. 2022 "after unlawfully entering the United States near El Paso, Texas."
You can read more about Ibarra's immigration background in 11Alive's investigative story here.
Much remains unknown of the specific details about how exactly Ibarra came to allegedly attack Riley and what, if any, motive may have existed.
But the warrants accuse Ibarra of some specific acts. Those include:
- His aggravated assault charge alleges "causing great bodily harm with an object." The object is not specified.
- His aggravated battery charge alleges bodily harm caused to Riley's skull.
- His charge of concealing the death of another alleges he "did conceal the death of another person, and/or hinder discovery by dragging the victim to a secluded area."
Additionally, police have previously said the call from the concerned friend came in around noon on Feb. 22 and that officers were in the area by about 12:38 p.m. The arrest warrants allege the killing happened sometime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Ibarra made his first appearance in front of a judge on Feb. 24 in the first legal step in a Georgia criminal case. He was not eligible for bond at this stage due to the murder charges he faces.
What is the Laken Riley Act?
The U.S. House passed a resolution Thursday centering on the death of Laken Riley.
It was introduced as H.R.7511, stating it would "require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody" undocumented immigrants who have been charged with theft.
An afternoon vote in the House saw the resolution pass 251-170, with 11 members not voting. The vote for the Republican-sponsored resolution included support from 37 Democrats.
The resolution was introduced by Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, whose district includes Athens.
The bill aims to toughen penalties for undocumented individuals accused of criminal activities after Riley's accused killer, Jose Ibarra, had been cited, but not arrested, for shoplifting in December.
"While we can't bring Laken back, we must now turn our focus to doing everything we can to prevent this from happening to another American," Rep. Collins said in a statement.
The resolution also gives state attorney generals the authority to litigate against the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security if they allege a "violation of the detention and removal requirements" of the resolution.
The resolution must now go to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where its prospects are unclear.