Laken Riley murder: Illegal immigrant suspect's trial begins after last-minute legal maneuver

ATHENS, Ga. – Jose Ibarra, the fishy charged successful Augusta University pupil Laken Riley's February execution connected the University of Georgia campus, is acceptable to look successful tribunal Friday for the commencement of his trial.

Ibarra, a 26-year-old amerciable migrant from Venezuela, allegedly attacked and killed Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, portion she was jogging on trails adjacent Lake Herrick on UGA's campus the greeting of Feb. 22.

Two information guards escorted Ibarra into the Athens-Clarke County courtroom astir 7:30 a.m. Friday, astir an hour-and-a-half earlier the commencement of the proceedings astatine 9 a.m., wearing a bluish plaid garment and grey formal pants with shackles astir his wrists. 

Just earlier the commencement of the trial, astir 20 members of Riley's household entered the courtroom wearing solemn expressions.

"On Feb. 22, Jose Ibarra enactment connected a achromatic hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and immoderate achromatic kitchen-style disposable gloves, and helium went hunting for females connected the University of Georgia campus," authoritative Sheila Ross said successful her opening connection Friday. Riley's sister teared up upon proceeding Ross' archetypal statements. 

Jose Ibarra appears successful tribunal for a question proceeding connected Oct. 11, 2024, successful Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson/Pool)

Ross said Ibarra past encountered Riley connected her emblematic greeting tally and attacked her. 

"When Laken Riley refused to beryllium his rape victim, helium bashed her caput successful with a stone repeatedly," Ross said.

The fishy is charged with 10 counts total, including 1 number of malice murder, 3 counts of felony murder, 1 number of kidnapping, 1 number of aggravated battle with intent to rape, 1 number of aggravated battery, 1 number of hindering a 911 call, 1 number of tampering with grounds and 1 number of being a "peeping Tom." Ibarra has pleaded not blameworthy to each counts.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN LAKEN RILEY MURDER ‘FAST-TRACKING’ TO LIFE IN PRISON: ATTORNEY

Laken Riley poses for a photograph posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing pupil astatine the University of Georgia, was recovered dormant adjacent a water connected field connected Thursday, February 22, 2024.  (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)

On Tuesday, Judge Patrick Haggard granted Ibarra's petition for a seat proceedings implicit a assemblage trial, meaning grounds volition beryllium presented successful tribunal lone to Haggard alternatively than earlier a selected jury.

Ibarra and his brothers, besides in the United States illegally from Venezuela, lived successful an flat gathering little than a fractional mile from the on-campus parkland wherever Riley was running.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT IN GEORGIA COLLEGE STUDENT SLAYING ASKS TO HIDE CERTAIN EVIDENCE

Laken Riley smiles for a photograph portion running. Riley, a nursing pupil astatine the University of Georgia, was recovered dormant adjacent a water connected field connected Feb. 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Instagram)

Ibarra allegedly murdered the aspiring caregiver successful what UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark described arsenic a "crime of opportunity."

Riley near location for her greeting tally astatine 9:03 a.m. connected the greeting of Feb. 22. By 9:11 a.m., Ross said, Riley called 911, which dispatch answered, but determination was nary effect from Riley.

The 911 telephone was played aloud successful tribunal Friday. The telephone was mostly silent, with a dispatch relation trying to get a effect from the caller, but nary voices could beryllium heard. The lone sounds implicit the people of the seconds-long telephone were birds chirping and a quiescent whimpering dependable toward the extremity of the call.

Riley's roommates noticed she had not returned from her tally and went to hunt for her astir astatine 11:31 a.m. At 11:46, they recovered 1 of Riley's AirPods connected the crushed adjacent her accustomed moving path. Shortly afterward, they reported her missing.

At 12:37, Sgt. Maxwell recovered Laken unconscious and not breathing. She was partially bare and covered successful leaves. Authorities besides noticed evere injuries to the broadside of her head.

The peeping Tom complaint stems from different Feb. 22 incidental successful which the fishy allegedly went to a residence connected UGA's field successful Athens and "peeped through" a model and "spied upon" a assemblage unit member, according to the indictment.

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Jose Ibarra appears successful tribunal for a pretrial grounds proceeding successful Athens, Ga., connected Nov. 1, 2024. (Robin Rayne for Fox News Digital)

Ibarra illegally crossed into the United States done El Paso, Texas, successful September 2022 and was released into the U.S. via parole, ICE and DHS sources antecedently told Fox News.

His older brother, Diego Ibarra, who worked concisely successful a UGA cafeteria earlier his apprehension successful February, is charged with greenish paper fraud and had ties to a known Venezuelan pack successful the U.S. called Tren de Aragua, according to national tribunal documents.

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ICE antecedently confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jose Ibarra had been arrested by the New York Police Department a twelvemonth aft helium entered the U.S. successful August 2023 and was "charged with acting successful a mode to injure a kid little than 17 and a centrifugal conveyance licence violation."

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.