Laken Riley homicide suspect Jose Ibarra returns to court docket for trial

ATHENS, Ga. – Jose Ibarra, the suspect accused of murdering Augusta College scholar Laken Riley in February whilst she was once on a morning run, returned to court docket Monday for the second one day of his trial.

Safety guards escorted Ibarra, who was once dressed in a striped blouse and black pants with handcuffs round his wrists, into Awesome Courtroom Pass judgement on Patrick Haggard’s court docket on the Athens-Clarke County courthouse round 7:15 a.m.

Prosecutors say Ibarra, a 26-year-old unlawful immigrant from Venezuela, attacked and killed Riley, a 22-year-old nursing scholar, whilst she was once jogging alongside trails close to Lake Herrick at the College of Georgia campus in Athens the morning of Feb. 22.

The suspect is charged with 10 counts overall, together with one depend of malice homicide, 3 counts of criminal homicide, one depend of kidnapping, one depend of annoyed attack with intent to rape, one depend of annoyed battery, one depend of hindering a 911 name, one depend of tampering with proof and one depend of being a “peeping Tom.” Ibarra pleaded no longer accountable to all counts.

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“On Feb. 22, Jose Ibarra placed on a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and a few black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and he went trying to find women at the College of Georgia campus,” prosecutor Sheila Ross mentioned in her opening observation Friday.

Ross mentioned Ibarra then encountered Riley on her standard morning run and attacked her. 

“The proof will display that Laken fought. She fought for her lifestyles.”

— Sheila Ross

“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape sufferer, he bashed her head in with a rock many times,” Ross mentioned. “…The proof will display that Laken fought. She fought for her lifestyles. She fought for her dignity. And in that struggle, she led to this defendant to go away proof at the back of. She additionally marked her killer for all of the global to look. The forensic proof that he left at the back of on this struggle is his DNA, and most effective his DNA.”

Allyson Phillips, mom of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing scholar killed previous this 12 months, reacts as John Phillips, Riley’s stepfather, comforts her right through Jose Ibarra’s trial at Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool)

Between Riley’s Garmin watch, a Christmas provide she used for working, and her iPhone, investigators had been ready to decide that she positioned a 911 name at 9:11 a.m., simply mins after she left for her run at 9:03. She then fought for her lifestyles for 17 mins till her middle stopped at 9:28 a.m.

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Ibarra and his brothers, additionally in the USA illegally from Venezuela, lived in an condominium construction lower than a part mile from the on-campus park the place Riley was once working.

The defendant’s lawyer, Dustin Kirby, argued in his opening observation that proof would no longer turn out past a cheap doubt that Ibarra killed Riley. He mentioned it could take “gymnastics” for the prosecution to argue Ibarra killed Riley with what he described as “circumstantial proof.”

Allyson Phillips, mom of Laken Riley, 2d left, listens right through the trial of Jose Ibarra at Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Athens, Ga.  (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool)

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“If that occurs and the presumption of innocence is revered, there must no longer be sufficient proof to persuade you past a cheap doubt that Mr. Ibarra is accountable of the crimes charged,” Kirby mentioned on Monday.

The primary witness to testify on Monday — the state’s tenth witness up to now in Ibarra’s trial — was once UGA PD Sgt. Joshua Epps, who answered to Ibarra’s condominium in Athens, the place he lived with 4 different people, together with his two brothers, on Feb. 23. Epps mentioned police detained and wondered Ibarra’s brothers, Diego and Argenis Ibarra, that morning round 8:30 a.m. with Spanish-speaking officials translating. Police-worn bodycam photos was once performed in court docket on Monday appearing the come upon, in part on mute for the reason that brothers can be attesting in court docket later this week.

Jose Ibarra reacts as he listens thru an interpreter right through the second one day of his trial on the Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Athens, Ga. Jose Ibarra is dealing with fees for the homicide of Laken Hope Riley, whose frame was once discovered at the College of Georgia campus in February. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool)

Police wondering that morning started with Diego Ibarra, who was once dressed in what seemed to be the similar black Adidas hat as a suspicious person who was once captured on safety digital camera photos at the day of Riley’s homicide. The photos, which was once performed in court docket on Friday, presentations the person eliminating an object in dumpster at an condominium advanced no longer a ways from the crime scene. Police acquired the photos after discovering a gloomy jacket with lengthy, brown hair tangled in its buttons. 

Sgt. Epps mentioned the Adidas hat looked as if it would have filth at the again of it whilst Diego wore in at the morning of Feb. 23. Diego additionally offered a false ID that confirmed two other birthdates. 

At one level right through their wondering of Diego, Agrneis walked out of the condominium sporting what seemed to be a five-gallon, white rubbish bag. Officials briefly acquired a seek warrant for the condominium.

Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Zachary Davis issues out the jacket he gathered from a dumpster on {a photograph} as he testifies at the witness stand right through the trial of Jose Ibarra, accused of killing a Georgia nursing scholar previous this 12 months, at Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool)

“Neatly, in line with the truth that he was once dressed in that hat, the time period that … [UGA PD Sgt.] Tim Johnson encountered him was once inside of 24 hours of the homicide,” Epps mentioned in their reasoning at the back of acquiring the quest warrant. “He was once strolling again against the overall route of campus, which was once relating to as neatly.”

Afterward within the bodycam video photos, Epps and different officials entered the condominium and located every other person, later recognized as Jose Ibarra, drowsing in mattress no longer a ways from the doorway of the condominium. 

Officials recognized themselves and many times mentioned “hola” upon getting into the condominium, seeking to wake Jose. In the end, he were given up away from bed, and police started wondering him. Additionally they requested to check out his frame for any indicators of harm. 

WATCH THE BODYCAM:

“I realized on his proper arm — his bicep — there was once a scratch, which I recognized as a possible line of defense,” Epps testified. “On his left arm, he had a forearm scratch that was once very an identical, which in my thoughts, appeared like fingernail scratches to me. Whilst he was once sitting there talking to us. I additionally spotted on his left wrist slightly under the palm, he had a puncture, possibly part an inch large. … I may see, like, rainy flesh … virtually find it irresistible was once recent. It wasn’t very previous.”

Diego Ibarra’s teardrop tattoo that government consider to be gang-related. (Heart District of Georgia)

UGA PD Patrol Cpl. Rafael Sayan, who speaks Spanish, testified Wednesday that whilst he was once examining Jose for accidents he spotted a purple mark on his head that Jose mentioned was once from dressed in a hat. Bodycam photos of the interplay was once performed in court docket Monday morning. 

“I ask him what form of hat, and he motions over to Diego, who is sitting to the precise of him, that it is a hat similar to that person who was once on Diego,” Sayan testified.

Diego and Argenis, in the meantime, didn’t seem to have any indicators of harm when police inspected them that morning.

Jason Riley, middle, Laken Riley’s father, listens right through the Jose Ibarra trial at Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Athens, Ga.  (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool)

The state’s eleventh witness to testify on Monday, GBI Particular Agent Annie Moorman, mentioned that right through a seek of the Ibarra brothers’ condominium on Feb. 23, investigators positioned 3 plastic, restaurant-style black gloves from a drawer within the kitchen. 

“Previous within the day, officials had positioned gloves that have been described as having a look type of like those from a bush on the condominium advanced,” Moorman mentioned. Different legislation enforcement officials up to now mentioned black disposable gloves have been recovered from a bush close to the dumpster the place government recovered the black jacket with lengthy hair wrapped within the buttons.

Rosbeli Flores-Bello, the Ibarra brothers’ former roommate, testified that she met Jose in Queens, New York, in 2023 thru a spouse’s mother when she got here to the USA together with her spouse. 

Migrants achieve for meals being passed out whilst being filmed by means of a lady outdoor of the Roosevelt Resort the place dozens of just lately arrived migrants were tenting out as they are trying to safe brief housing on August 02, 2023 in New York Town.  (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Photographs)

Diego Ibarra was once already in Athens and promised they may in finding paintings within the faculty the city, she mentioned. She went to the Roosevelt Resort, which was once remodeled right into a migrant processing hub in Would possibly 2023, and asked a “humanitarian flight” from Big apple to Atlanta round Sept. 9 or 10 in 2023. In the end, she and Jose traveled to Athens, the place she moved into the similar condominium with Jose, Diego, Argenis and every other male roommate. 

FBI SPecial Agent Jamie Hipkiss later recognized Jose’s Delta Airways boarding cross from New York Town to Atlanta.

Flores-Bello went directly to testify that she shared a mattress with Argenis within the 700-quare-foot  Athens condominium,, she instructed the court docket Monday.

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She later recognized pictures of Jose, Diego and Agenis Ibarra after which recognized Jose because the suspicious male noticed in safety digital camera photos throwing an object into the dumpster the place officials discovered the darkish jacket proof.

On Monday afternoon, FBI analyst Abeisis Ramirez, who speaks fluent spanish, testified that she listened to a recording of a Would possibly 11 jail telephone name between Jose Ibarra and his spouse, Layling Ibarra, who lives in New York, greater than 10 occasions. 

Within the contentious name performed aloud in court docket and translated by means of Ramirez, Fanco confronts Jose about Riley’s homicide.

“She mentioned that she thinks it is loopy that they do not have any person else’s DNA.”

— FBI analyst Abeisis Ramirez translating Jose Ibarra’s name with Franco

“She mentioned that she thinks it is loopy that they do not have any person else’s DNA. They simply have his. And he or she says she does not know how any person can see any person death and no longer calling 911,” Ramirez mentioned whilst translating the decision ahead of the court docket. 

Laken Riley smiles for a photograph whilst working. Riley, a nursing scholar on the College of Georgia, was once discovered useless close to a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Instagram)

UGA PD Officer Wesley Durkit, the prosecution’s sixteenth witness, testified Monday that Riley’s telephone information confirmed that she initiated an SOS name on her telephone about six seconds ahead of she stopped working at 9:10:44 a.m. At 9:10:50 a.m., her telephone identified {that a} 911 name had to be positioned, and that 911 name went out at 9:11:06 a.m. Riley’s mom cried in court docket as Durkit described Riley’s ultimate actions ahead of her heartbeat stopped.

The state’s seventeenth witness, a UGA graduate scholar, mentioned she heard sounds coming from the door of her unmarried condominium. Her testimony stemmed from a “peeping Tom” rate filed towards Ibarra in reference to Riley’s case. 

“I used to be within the bathe, and I heard anyone seeking to open my door.”

— Prosecution’s sixteenth witness, UGA graduate scholar

The scholar mentioned she was once within the bathe and were given out when she heard sounds coming from her door and walked into her lounge, the place she noticed an unknown particular person thru her home windows. The individual was once dressed in a black hat, black hood, black jacket and black gloves when she noticed the individual thru her window. 

Jose Ibarra will pay consideration to a witness right through his trial on the Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool) (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Magazine-Charter)

On Friday, the court docket heard from 9 of the prosecution’s witnesses, together with Riley’s roommates and several other legislation enforcement officials with other businesses. 

Proof incorporated screenshots of her roommates’ telephones once they used the To find My Pals app to check out to find Riley when she didn’t come again from her run; her AirPod they discovered at the floor once they went out on the lookout for her alongside her common working direction; police-worn frame digital camera photos; safety digital camera photos; Riley’s telephone, which had a male’s thumbprint at the backside; and the athletic clothes Riley was once dressed in when she was once attacked.

Awesome Courtroom Pass judgement on H. Patrick Haggard speaks right through the trial of Jose Ibarra at Athens-Clarke County Awesome Courtroom on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Magazine-Charter by the use of AP, Pool)

UGA Police Leader Jeffrey Clark up to now described the homicide as a “crime of alternative” right through a February press convention.

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Ibarra illegally crossed into the USA thru El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and was once launched into the U.S. by the use of parole, ICE and DHS assets up to now instructed Fox Information.

Diego Ibarra, who labored in short in a UGA cafeteria ahead of his arrest in February, is charged with inexperienced card fraud and had ties to a recognized Venezuelan gang within the U.S., known as Tren de Aragua, in line with federal court docket paperwork.

Laken Riley poses for a photograph posted to Fb. Riley, a nursing scholar on the College of Georgia, was once discovered useless close to a lake on campus on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Fb)

On Friday afternoon, the protection subpoenaed Diego Ibarra and their more youthful brother, Argenis Ibarra, to testify right through Jose’s trial on Wednesday.

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ICE up to now showed to Fox Information Virtual that Jose Ibarra have been arrested by means of the New York Police Division a 12 months after he entered the U.S. in August 2023 and was once “charged with appearing in a fashion to injure a kid lower than 17 and a motor automobile license violation.”

Fox Information’ Adam Shaw contributed to this document.