MSNBC faced widespread backlash after publishing an op-ed sympathizing with Laken Riley’s killer.
Legal analyst Danny Cevallos came under fire for his take on the brutal murder of Georgian nursing student and the trial of 25-year-old Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant and member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, published under the headline that he ‘never had a chance.’
Ibarra was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a judge found him guilty after hearing a trove of damning evidence, including Ibarra’s DNA found under Laken’s fingernails from the time she fought for her life.
The 22-year-old was beaten and strangled near the University of Georgia campus in February after Ibarra attacked her while she was out for a morning run.
The killing also became central to the presidential election’s immigration issue, as conservatives blamed the Biden administration’s weak border policies for Ibarra’s release into the country in 2022.
Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Cevallos argued that “despite all the political controversy, the outcome of this trial was never in doubt.”
Cevallos went on to explain how Ibarra’s conviction was a certainty due to technicalities in the legal system, angering those who say he ignored the brutal murder.
The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., led the response, tweeting in response: “You literally cannot make up for this level of depravity.”
The day after Ibarra’s verdict, MSNBC faced widespread backlash after publishing an outrageous op-ed sympathizing with Laken’s killer, saying he “never had a chance.”
Jose Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant and member of the infamous Tren de Aragua gang, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of student Laken Riley
Trump Jr. continued, “These people are sick. The man is a murderer. He’s an illegal alien who murdered an innocent young woman, but MSNBC would rather go to war for him.
“No matter how much you hate MSNBC, it’s not enough!”
In his op-ed, Cevallos noted that Ibarra requested a judicial trial, meaning his fate was decided by a single judge rather than a jury, due to the clear evidence against him.
“This was a hopeless case for the defense,” Cevallos sympathized at the time. “The defense did the best with bad facts.”
While acknowledging that Ibarra’s defense “had no chance with a jury,” Cevallos seemed to suggest that the murderer’s trial was somehow rigged against him.
“But apparently it didn’t stand a chance in court either, because he was convicted anyway,” he wrote.
The legal analyst argued that the trial was still Ibarra’s “best chance” to have a chance at parole later – even as conservatives were outraged by the decision not to seek the death penalty in his case.
Cevallos concluded his piece by summarizing the technical details of Ibarra’s case, explaining that the killer will serve consecutive sentences rather than concurrently, which was contrary to Georgian law, and offered “the best insight into the opinion of the judge about this defendant.’
Laken Riley, 22, was found fatally beaten and strangled near the University of Georgia campus in February after Ibarra attacked her while she was running
Donald Trump Jr. led the response, tweeting in response: “You literally cannot make up for this level of depravity.”
The op-ed quickly drew criticism, with many questioning the headline and labeling it an attempt at “engagement farming.”
“Disgusting article headline suggesting murderer was convicted for reasons other than he did it,” said a critic on X.
Cevallos shared his views on his This is why even the defense knew.”
His tweet was also criticized, as one X user asked: ‘What’s the point of this article?’
“Are you in any way suggesting that the legal proceedings were a sham? That he could indeed be ‘innocent’? Should we feel sorry for him?’
“Laken Riley never had a chance…” another responded.
MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos faced backlash after sharing the article with
The outrage over the op-ed comes after the country has seen massive gruesome evidence and heartbreaking victim impact statements presented at Ibarra’s trial over the past week.
Riley’s devastated family shared stories about the 22-year-old and what Ibarra tore from them, including a poignant moment at the end of the trial where her stepfather John Phillips shared one of her last diary entries.
Phillips revealed that she had written a “letter to my future husband” shortly before she was murdered, and addressed Ibarra, saying, “Laken’s life was abundant and exceptionally full of promise.”
The message opened: “To my future husband – as foolish as I feel writing this, my old group leader once recommended it, so here I am.
“I want you to know that I’m thinking of you. I work every day to become the best woman I can be by working through my current relationships to best prepare myself for ours and our children one day.
“I focus on God and what he defines as a faithful Christian wife so that I can best embody those characteristics.
“I pray that you know that this is with my complete faith and trust in God, that I know that this relationship was built by His hand.”
The lecture prompted an emotional response from the court at the same hearing where Ibarra learned he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.