Convicted Killer of Georgia Nursing Student Requests New Trial

Jose Ibarra, sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Laken Riley, argues the verdict was contrary to law and evidence.

Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national, has filed a motion for a new trial after being convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley in February 2024.
Ibarra was found guilty of 10 charges, including malice murder, felony murder, and kidnapping with bodily injury, during a bench trial decided by Judge H. Patrick Haggard on November 20, 2024.
Prosecutors presented evidence linking Ibarra to the crime, including his DNA under Riley’s fingernails and his fingerprint on her phone, while the defense questioned the reliability of the evidence and suggested another suspect.
The murder of Riley, who was jogging near the University of Georgia campus, has become a focal point in the national debate over immigration, as Ibarra entered the U.S. illegally in 2022.
Filing for a new trial extends the deadline for Ibarra’s legal team to appeal the conviction, though the motion does not yet include new evidence supporting their claims.