Laken Riley’s killer, Jose Ibarra, has been found guilty of her murder by a Georgia judge.
The undocumented Venezuelan migrant, 26, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 22-year-old nursing student in February 2023 near the University of Georgia.
He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted Wednesday of three counts of murder and murder with intent, kidnapping with bodily harm and aggravated assault with intent to rape.
Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard found him guilty after waiving his right to a jury trial. The trial started on Friday.
Riley’s family cried as the decision was read, while Ibarra showed no strong reaction.
The case fueled the immigration debate during this year’s presidential elections.
Laken Riley’s killer Jose Ibarra has been found guilty of her murder
Riley’s body was found less than an hour after she was reported missing near a lake on the University of Georgia campus
Family members and friends of Laken Riley will listen to closing arguments on Wednesday
Riley’s body was found less than an hour after she was reported missing, near a lake on the University of Georgia campus. She studied there until 2023, after which she transferred to Augusta.
Her housemates reported her missing after becoming concerned that she had been away longer than usual.
On Friday, prosecutors said Ibarra’s DNA was a direct match to the DNA under Riley’s fingernails, and was “10 billion times more likely than a chance match.”
During the first day of the trial, officials also showed images of suspicious scratches on Ibarra’s body at the time of his arrest.
Ibarra illegally entered the US through the US-Mexico border in 2022.
Donald Trump met backstage at his Rome, Georgia rally on Saturday with Laken Riley’s family and friends, including the roommate who reported her missing