(The Center Square) – The trial is winding down in Georgia for a man accused of killing a college student whose name became synonymous with immigration campaign points by Republicans in this year’s election cycle.
Jose Ibarra, suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and in America illegally since 2022 according to immigration officials, is accused of killing Laken Riley on the morning of Feb. 22 as she was jogging near her Athens apartment. Riley, 22, was a former University of Georgia student who had transferred into the Augusta University nursing program on the Athens campus.
Defense attorneys opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial. Judge H. Patrick Haggard is hearing the case, which is being broadcast live on Court TV and other media outlets.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross rested her case on Tuesday after calling several witnesses, including Georgia Bureau of Investigation analysts who testified about blood evidence found by law enforcement officers. The defense rested Wednesday morning and Ross began began calling rebuttal witnesses.
Ibarra, 26, will not testify. The trial ended with questions about whether Ibarra’s brother, Diego Ibarra, would testify.
Diego Ibarra is in federal custody after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a fraudulent document, according to previous reports from Fox 5 Atlanta.
According to testimony in the trial, Riley died of blunt force head trauma and asphyxia. Her watch indicates she fought with an attacker for 18 minutes.
Riley’s murder became a talking point on the campaign trail by Republicans noting the situation at the border.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., interrupted President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address by yelling, “It’s about Laken Riley!”
“Lincoln Riley,” Biden responded, misstating her name. “An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. But how many thousands of people have been killed by legals?”