UGA students pray during a vigil for Augusta University College of Nursing and Alpha Chi Omega sorority member Laken Riley who was murdered on campus on Feb. 22, and Wyatt Banks, a UGA freshman who died by suicide on campus on Feb. 21., at the UGA Tate plaza on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. © Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
Syndication: Online Athens
(Athens, GA) — The suspect in last month’s fatal beating of a Georgia nursing student is asking for a jury trial. Court officials in Athens say 26-year-old Jose Ibarra is in custody for the death of 22-year-old Laken Riley, and is facing a slew of charges, including murder, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. A court date in the case is pending.
Riley was found dead February 22nd on the campus of the University of Georgia after she failed to return from a jog. A Venezuelan migrant who was in the country illegally is accused of her murder. Her murder has re-ignited political focus on the growing immigration crisis in the U.S. Riley’s family says they plan to establish a foundation in her memory that will focus on issues of homicide awareness and safety for women.
