Trial Begins for Jose Ibarra, Alleged Venezuelan Gang Member Accused in Murder of Student Laken Riley

Nov 18, 2024, 05:18 PM

The trial of Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela and alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, accused of murdering 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, began on Friday, nearly nine months after Riley was killed while jogging on campus in February 2024. Prosecutors, led by Special Prosecutor Sheila Ross, described how Riley fought for her life during the nearly 20-minute attack, collecting DNA evidence beneath her fingernails that matched Ibarra. The prosecution presented surveillance footage allegedly showing Ibarra disposing of items with Riley's DNA. The case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration during this year's presidential campaign. It was revealed in court that Ibarra crossed into the United States through El Paso in 2022 and was released with a Notice to Appear. He and his roommate received a taxpayer-funded 'humanitarian flight' from New York City to Atlanta in September 2023, facilitated by the Roosevelt Hotel, before the murder occurred. The defense is expected to call Ibarra's criminal brothers to testify on his behalf.