Suspect in murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley waives right to jury trial

The undocumented migrant accused of murdering Georgia nursing pupil Laken Riley waived his close to a assemblage proceedings Tuesday, leaving a determination connected the lawsuit successful the hands of a judge.

Jury enactment had initially been scheduled to commencement connected Wednesday. Instead a bench proceedings volition statesman connected Friday and proceed into adjacent week arsenic the prosecution and defence contiguous their evidence. Bench trials are typically faster and little costly than assemblage trials.

Riley, a 22-year-old pupil astatine Augusta University successful Athens, was found dormant connected Feb. 22 successful a wooded area connected the adjacent University of Georgia campus. A acrophobic person reportedly called constabulary aft Riley had not returned arsenic accustomed from her greeting run.

Riley’s assemblage was discovered soon aft down a water successful a forested country adjacent UGA’s Intramural Fields. Her origin of decease was aboriginal determined to beryllium asphyxiation and blunt unit trauma aft being deed respective times with a rock.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested connected Feb. 23 and later charged with a fig of counts, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated battle with intent to rape, obstructing oregon hindering a idiosyncratic making an exigency telephone telephone and tampering with evidence.

Investigators astatine the clip described the execution arsenic random and a “crime of opportunity.”

Ibarra was besides charged with a peeping tom discourtesy against different idiosyncratic astatine an flat connected field the aforesaid time of Riley’s murder. Ibarra’s defence has unsuccessfully tried to get that complaint separated from the execution case.

Prosecutors said successful a tribunal filing they mean to question a condemnation of beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

Ibarra, who pleaded not guilty, has been successful custody astatine Clarke County Jail since his arrest.

During Tuesday’s hearing, helium told the justice done a translator that helium understood helium could not reverse his determination to waive a assemblage trial. The petition came aft defence motions for a alteration of venue and for immoderate grounds to beryllium dismissed were rejected.

Laken Riley (GoFundMe.com)

Riley’s brutal slaying became a flashpoint successful the migration argumentation statement during the caller statesmanlike predetermination by some Republicans and Democrats, much to the dismay of the victim’s family.

“I consciousness similar she’s being used, somewhat, politically,” her father, Jason Riley, told NBC’s “TODAY” amusement successful March. “It makes maine angry. She was overmuch amended than that. She should beryllium raised up for the idiosyncratic that she is.”

Ibarra — a migrant from Venezuela — reportedly entered the state illegally successful 2022. He was arrested astatine slightest doubly aft crossing the borderline and earlier Riley’s murder.