Georgia senator seeks death penalty for Laken Riley's killer, calls on attorney general to step in

A authorities legislator is demanding that Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr record an exigency question to intervene and request the decease punishment against Laken Riley’s killer. 

District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, for the Western Judicial District encompassing Athens, antecedently wrote successful tribunal documents that she would not prosecute the decease penalty, citing "collateral consequences to undocumented defendants." 

Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old amerciable migrant who received taxpayer-funded flights, was recovered blameworthy Wednesday of stalking, raping and murdering Riley successful February. The nursing student, retired for an aboriginal greeting tally connected the University of Georgia campus, fought her attacker for astir 18 minutes but died from blunt unit trauma. Ibarra bashed her skull with a stone aft dragging her disconnected a wooded trail, prosecutors said. 

"I americium officially calling connected Attorney General Chris Carr to record an exigency question to intervene and request the decease punishment for the murderer of Laken Riley," authorities Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican, wrote connected X. "District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez fto her extremist governmental docket basal successful the mode of justice. By refusing to question the decease penalty, she denied Laken’s family, friends, and assemblage the afloat measurement of justness they deserve."

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Georgia prosecutors showed an representation of Laken Riley jogging earlier her murder, during the proceedings of suspect Jose Ibarra, pictured successful court. (Fox News)

"Join maine successful calling connected AG Chris Carr to request the decease punishment for Jose Ibarra," helium said. 

In effect to an enquiry from Fox News Digital regarding Gonzalez's reasoning, the DA's bureau told Fox News Digital that the notation to collateral consequences for undocumented defendants is "DA Gonzalez's stance connected sentencing successful general."

"Life without parole is an appropriately superior condemnation and is simply a determination supported by the family, arsenic heard successful the interaction statements delivered by Laken Riley's household and friends during yesterday's sentencing," a spokesperson for Gonzalez added. 

A spokesperson for Carr’s bureau claimed the authorities lawyer wide does not person jurisdiction and, therefore, cannot intervene, but Moore argued otherwise. 

"I tin nonstop you a transcript of the Constitution of Georgia, conception 3, paragraph 4. It intelligibly states that the lawyer wide has jurisdiction successful immoderate felony case," Moore told Fox News Digital. "And the state, I mean the lawyer general's office, has intervened successful cases before. You know, helium is the main instrumentality enforcement serviceman of our state. He should person known that the territory lawyer is 1 of the astir wide territory attorneys successful the country, that she wasn't going to prosecute the decease penalty. Why adjacent person superior punishment successful our state?" 

"I mean wide evidence, it's not similar we're sidesplitting an guiltless idiosyncratic here," Moore said. "I mean, his DNA was underneath Laken Riley's fingernails. It was precise wide he's the perpetrator. He's the blameworthy one. And we person superior punishment successful our authorities for a reason. And I can't ideate different transgression that would suit superior punishment similar his crime. He's the main instrumentality enforcement officer, it's intelligibly stated successful the constitution that helium has jurisdiction." 

Moore noted however Ibarra received taxpayer-funded flights and present taxpayers volition ft the measure to location and provender him aft Riley’s slayer was sentenced to beingness without parole. 

"I'm precise concerned, you know, astir immoderate pupil going to the University of Georgia erstwhile this country is simply a sanctuary metropolis now. And, you know, these killers, these guys tin travel successful here, and they don't person to interest astir superior punishment," Moore told Fox News Digital. "Probably $2 cardinal is what we're going to person to wage arsenic taxpayers to springiness him 3 meals and a cot for the remainder of his life. You know, 3 hots and a cot." 

District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez (Joshua L. Jones/USA TODAY NETWORK/File)

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As for Carr not intervening, Moore said helium volition beryllium "pushing hard to get a antithetic lawyer wide successful the adjacent election." 

"Word connected the thoroughfare is helium plans connected moving for governor. You know, I'll bash everything I tin to run against him and successful hopes of different governor, due to the fact that I surely don't privation that going guardant for the aboriginal of our state," Moore said. 

Carr launched his gubernatorial campaign for the 2026 contention this week. 

Moore said it was not capable for Carr to look connected "Fox & Friends" past week decrying the 2020-era transgression justness reforms erstwhile Gonzalez came to powerfulness arsenic territory attorney.

"As a father, the Attorney General believes that the Court should person been capable to see the strongest imaginable condemnation fixed the horrific quality of the crimes committed. Unfortunately, the existent Athens District Attorney disagreed," Carr’s spokesperson Kara Murray said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "Under the Georgia Constitution and law, the Attorney General does not person the authorization to bash what immoderate are suggesting. The determination not to question the decease punishment was solely astatine the discretion of the section District Attorney, who had exclusive jurisdiction implicit this case." 

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

In a abstracted connection reacting to the verdict, Carr said Riley’s decease "should person ne'er occurred" and "it is perfectly gut-wrenching to perceive the grounds that Laken Riley fought for her beingness and fought for her dignity, and the statements made by her household and friends successful tribunal interruption my heart." 

"We’re grateful to Sheila Ross with the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council for ensuring that a condemnation was obtained, and we volition proceed to commune for each who knew and loved Laken," Carr said. 

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Gonzalez mislaid her re-election bid this month. She handed the prosecution of Ibarra implicit to Sheila Ross successful February.