Everything we know about the suspect in death of UGA student Laken Hope Riley as he’s pictured following arrest
Everything we know about the suspect in death of UGA student Laken Hope Riley as he’s pictured following arrest
Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Athens resident, has been arrested for the ‘opportunistic’ killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley on the University of Georgia campus
Image: Clarke County Sheriff’s Office)
The suspect accused of murdering a nursing student in Georgia didn’t know his alleged victim and had no relationship with her up until what police described as a “crime of opportunity,” police have said.
Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested for the killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley, whose body was discovered on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return home after leaving for a jog.
University of Georgia Police Chief, Jeff Clark told reporters in a press conference: “This was a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual, and bad things happened.”
Laken graduated in 2020 from River Ridge High School in Woodstock, a suburb northwest of Atlanta. She was active in her sorority and an “outstanding” scholar-athlete who transferred from the University of Georgia to Augusta University’s College of Nursing.
READ MORE: UGA victim Laken Hope Riley’s mom’s tragic post hours before daughter was found as suspect arrested
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Image:
Today)
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Today)
Laken had gone out jogging and failed to return. The police received a call from a concerned friend who told them Riley hadn’t returned that evening. Authorities set out to follow her tracks, and eventually found her body around 12:38 p.m. in an area behind a nearby lake, said University of Georgia Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark.
Her sister, Lauren Phillips, paid tribute to her Friday in an Instagram post, calling her “the best sister and my built in best friend from the very first second.”
She wrote: “This isn’t fair and I will never understand it but I know you are in heaven with the man you loved most right now. I’m not sure how I’m going to do this but it’s all going to be for you from now on. I cannot wait to give you the biggest hug someday. I will miss and love you forever Laken.”
The area where Laken was found is near the campus’ intramural fields, and only a little farther from a large dormitory complex occupied mostly by first-year students. Officials had advised students to travel in groups and avoid the area.
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The incident also sparked fear and caution among students, with some reevaluating their safety measures and feeling shaken by the unexpected violence on campus. However, authorities stated there’s no connection between her death and other recent incidents on campus.
Who is Jose Antonio Ibarra?
Ibarra, a 26-year-old resident of Athens, Georgia, was arrested based on evidence gathered from campus security footage which led authorities to his apartment within an apartment complex south of the location where Riley’s body was found.
It’s indicated that he acted alone, without any known relationship to the victim, suggesting the crime was opportunistic. The evidence against Ibarra is described as robust, and authorities believe he acted alone in the incident.
Charges against Ibarra include malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.
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Police said Ibarra doesn’t have an extensive criminal history. According to records, he is originally from Venezuela and crossed the border into El Paso, Texas in September 2022, when he was detained and later released due to a lack of detention space.
Laken’s killing drew comparisons to a similar case in Tennessee, where a 34-year-old woman, Eliza Fletcher, was abducted and murdered while she was out on a run near the University of Memphis on September 2, 2022. Her body was found days later.
The 39-year-old Cleotha Abston has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping. A week after the murder, thousands of people across the country “finished” Fletcher’s run in events honouring the mother of two and kindergarten teacher.