Laken Riley ‘fought for her life,’ called 911 before murder: prosecutor

The undocumented migrant accused of sidesplitting Laken Riley was “hunting for females” erstwhile helium came crossed the jogging Georgia nursing student, who “fought for her life” and fired disconnected a 911 telephone earlier she was violently murdered, prosecutors said.

Opening statements successful the seat proceedings of Jose Ibarra kicked off successful Athens-Clarke County connected Friday, days after helium waived his close to a assemblage trial, opting alternatively to permission his destiny successful the hands of Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. He has been charged with murder, aggravated battle with intent to rape, and different crimes related to Riley’s death.

Riley — a 22-year-old pupil astatine Augusta University successful Athens — was reported missing connected Feb. 22 by a friend, who became acrophobic erstwhile she did not instrumentality from her greeting jog. Her brutally beaten body was recovered hours aboriginal successful a wooded country adjacent the intramural fields connected the University of Georgia Athens campus.

“The grounds volition show that Laken fought,” peculiar authoritative Sheila Ross told the court. “She fought for her life, she fought for her dignity. And successful that combat she caused this suspect to permission forensic grounds behind,” including his DNA beneath her fingernails.

Data from the smartwatch Riley was wearing astatine the clip revealed that her brushwood with Ibarra “was long,” and “fierce,” Ross continued.

Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Allyson Phillips, left, parent of Laken Riley, reacts arsenic John Phillips, Riley’s stepfather, comforts her during Jose Ibarra’s proceedings successful Athens, Ga. connected Friday. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

Around 9:11 a.m., Riley activated the exigency relation of her iPhone and called 911, a signaling of which was played successful court Friday. It captured small different than Riley’s muffled conflict against her attacker and the dispatcher’s efforts to link with her earlier the telephone ended astatine 9:12 a.m.

By 9:28 a.m., Riley’s bosom had stopped with nary further question recorded by her watch. In that timeframe, Ibarra tried to sexually battle the nursing student, but erstwhile she “refused to beryllium a rape victim, helium bashed her skull successful with a stone repeatedly,” Ross said. The onslaught near her Riley’s caput “disfigured” according to tribunal documents. Her origin of decease was determined to beryllium asphyxiation and blunt unit trauma.

Ibarra, a Venezuelan nationalist who entered the United States illegally, was arrested the pursuing time connected Feb. 23. He faces 10 counts successful total, including malice murder, 3 counts of felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated battle with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing a idiosyncratic making an exigency call, tampering with grounds and peeping Tom, according to the indictment.

The past complaint stems from allegations that Ibarra was peering into the windows of a UGA flat gathering the aforesaid time arsenic the murder, spying connected a pupil wrong the residence.

Defense lawyer John Donnelly meantime argued Friday that determination is not capable impervious to blasted his lawsuit for Riley’s killing.

“The grounds successful this lawsuit is precise good, that Laken Riley was murdered,” Donnelly said. “The grounds that Jose Ibarra killed Laken Riley is circumstantial.”

Riley’s execution and Ibarra’s consequent apprehension fanned the flames of struggle surrounding migration successful the United States, becoming a large talking constituent successful the months starring up to the 2024 statesmanlike election.

In the contiguous aftermath of the grisly violence, Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, blamed the Biden medication and its migration policies for Riley’s death.

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Donald Trump supporters clasp up pictures of Laken Riley astatine a rally successful Georgia successful March. (Getty)

President Biden during his State of the Union mentioned Riley by name, and past aboriginal apologized for referring to her suspected slayer arsenic an “illegal” migrant alternatively than “undocumented.”

“Joe Biden went connected tv and apologized for calling Laken’s murderer an illegal,” Trump aboriginal fired back. “Biden should beryllium apologizing for apologizing to this killer.”

Prosecutors antecedently said they would not question the decease punishment successful the case. If convicted, Ibarra faces beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

With News Wire Services