Visitation for the late 22-year-old will be held from noon to 2 pm at Woodstock City Church outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
Friends and family will gather this afternoon to remember nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed last week while jogging.
Visitation for the late 22-year-old will be held from noon to 2 pm at Woodstock City Church outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
Riley’s funeral will be held at the same church, while a vigil will be held on the campus grounds of the University of Georgia, where he studied.
Hundreds of mourners lined up outside the church Friday in the pouring rain to pay their final respects to Riley.
A long line formed outside the visitation, where a photo slideshow was projected on television screens inside the church’s large auditorium.
Some people wiped away tears as they passed the casket, which was at the front of the auditorium and flanked by photographs of Riley and bouquets of flowers.
Friends and family began gathering at the church outside Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday.
Red, black and white memorial ribbons were placed in front of the church before the service.
An online obituary for Riley said she “loved breastfeeding and caring for others” and added that her smile was “extremely contagious” and spread joy wherever she went.
In a statement, Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips and John Phillips, said their daughter will be missed “every day.”
The couple said: ‘Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person.
‘His love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of his life. We will miss her every day, but we promise to honor her life in a big way.”
Woodstock City Church Pastor Samer Massad said Riley was a person “whose light constantly shone.”
He said Fox News: ‘Laken was special. She was a gift to anyone who knew her. Intelligent, kind, compassionate and thoughtful she doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface.
‘She was a loving daughter, sister and friend. She had the gift of making anyone around her feel comfortable and seen.
We are going to miss her a lot. The Laken family is family to us and as their church family, we here at Woodstock City Church are committed to walking alongside them and carrying this burden with them.’
Riley had gone for a run last Thursday and was later found dead in a wooded area near the university campus in Athens, Georgia.
Riley was reported missing after her roommate in question told police that she had not returned from a run.
Woodstock City Church Pastor Samer Massad said Riley was a person “whose light constantly shone
Riley was found dead Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing, saying she hadn’t returned from her run.
Police say they dragged her body to a secluded area on the UGA campus to hide the death.
She was killed by “blunt trauma”, police confirmed, and suffered a “disfigured skull” after being hit with a mysterious object.
Last Friday, José Antonio Ibarra was arrested for Riley’s murder and appeared in court where he was formally charged with murder.
Ibarra appeared in court Saturday where he was formally charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping and other charges. He was represented by public defenders and remained in custody.
The 26-year-old was also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault, kidnapping and other charges.
Ibarra had crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but had been released from a detention center due to lack of space.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Sunday that he had previously been arrested in New York for endangering the welfare of a child.
Before his arrest by the NYPD, Ibarra had posted photos on social media of him touring the Big Apple’s landmarks.
Officers Ibarra dragged his body to a secluded area to conceal the death, according to an arrest affidavit viewed by CBS.
Authorities have confirmed that Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and did not know or have any relationship with Riley.
José Antonio Ibarra was arrested for Riley’s murder and appeared in court last Saturday where he was formally charged with murder.
Ibarra was arrested for Riley’s murder on Friday, just a day after her remains were found on the Athens campus.
Ibarra is accused of ‘severely disfiguring Riley’s body by disfiguring her skull’ and is also accused of preventing Riley from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9am and 1pm on Thursday.
Riley’s body was found the same day on campus, in a wooded area near Herrick Lake that includes trails popular with runners and walkers.
Following last week’s news that Ibarra was an illegal immigrant, former President Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden for the murder.
Trump pointed to Biden’s lax policies at the southern border regarding the influx of illegal migration.
The latest news reinforces Republican claims that with such a large migratory flow across the border, it is impossible to know for sure who is allowed to enter the country.
Speaking at the southern border in Texas on Thursday, Trump continued to condemn President Biden and blamed him squarely for the death.
“Joe Biden will never say Laken Riley’s name, but we will say it and we will remember it,” Trump said. “We are not going to forget her.”
The former president spoke of how the “beautiful young woman” was “kidnapped and savagely murdered” by an illegal immigrant while out jogging.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to a foundation they plan to establish in his memory, which will focus on homicide awareness and safety.
fundraising has already raised more than $177,000, well above its original goal of $35,000.