The Democratic district attorney in charge of prosecuting Laken Riley’s alleged killer has resigned amid criticism for failing to secure a single guilty verdict.
Athens-Clarke County Prosecutor Deborah Gonzalez announced Monday that she will appoint a special prosecutor, veteran attorney Sheila Ross, to handle the murder case against undocumented immigrant José Ibarra for the slaying of the 22-year-old nursing student .
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, as well as lawmakers and attorneys, have expressed concern that Gonzalez may not be able to handle the high-profile case.
Athens attorney Kevin Epps told Channel 2 that he does not trust Gonzalez, who had no experience prosecuting criminal cases before becoming district attorney in 2020.
“González has not achieved a guilty verdict in a jury trial involving any type of criminal case,” said Epps, who is suing González on behalf of an Athens bar owner who claims she is unwilling to make her job.
Athens-Clarke County Prosecutor Deborah Gonzalez announced Monday that she will appoint a special prosecutor to handle the Laken Riley murder case.
Riley, 22, was out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked.
José Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill a 22-year-old Augusta University student
Governor Kemp also questioned the district attorney’s ability to handle the case when asked if he believed she would get justice for Riley.
“Well, I assure you, I better do it,” Kemp said. ‘Because the entire country and the world are watching this case. Small crimes, we see every day, lead to big crimes. And that is what we have seen in this case.”
Three victims have successfully filed cases against Gonzalez alleging that his office did not inform them before their attackers were offered plea deals, or when the cases were dismissed, as required by law.
Meanwhile, a letter sent by High Court judges in October 2022 expressed concern over Assistant Das’ “effectiveness, preparedness and procedural availability” in court, citing a growing backlog of cases.
González, for his part, has stated that criticism of his position is motivated by politics and aims to prevent him from implementing the progressive reforms he promoted, such as the elimination of cash bail.
“I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues across Georgia who have supported our track during this tragic event at our flagship institution,” he said in a statement.
‘We will not allow this or any other case to be used for political gain. Our top priority is the safety of all citizens and we are fully committed to ensuring justice is served for the loss of all lives.’
During Gonzales’ tenure, his office failed to prosecute 46 percent of charges and 130 felonies were declared, according to 11alive.
DailyMail.com has contacted Gonzalez’s office for comment on this story.
Sheila Ross will now oversee the case against Ibarra, 26, a native of Venezuela, accused of using a mysterious object to beat Riley to death on the UGA campus.
Sheila Ross will now oversee the case against Ibarra, 26, a native of Venezuela, accused of using a mysterious object to beat Riley to death on the UGA campus.
Ibarra was arrested at his apartment complex near the running track near where Riley’s body was found last week.
Residents of the complex told NewsNation’s Alex Caprariello that their security cameras captured Ibarra throwing evidence into the building’s trash bin, which they turned over to police.
“He was here at all hours of the day and night,” the neighbor said.
The complex is a former hotel converted into studio apartments and Ibarra is said to have lived in a unit with four or five other immigrants.
The 26-year-old has been charged in Riley’s murder with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another person.
Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student and preventing her from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, February 22.
Riley’s body was found the same day on the University of Georgia campus, in a wooded area near Herrick Lake that includes trails popular with runners and walkers. The student had gone jogging when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra.
Ibarra, 26, was arrested at his apartment complex near the jogging track near where Riley’s body was found.
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.
Police said Riley died from “blunt trauma” after being beaten and suffered a “disfigured skull.”
They added that Ibarra dragged her body to a secluded area to hide the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News.
Local police said Friday that Ibarra, who lived in Athens, apparently did not know Riley and acted alone. Campus security videos and other technology led officials to Ibarra.
On the day of the murder, her alleged killer uploaded a selfie to her TikTok account in which she looked at the camera and smiled.
Five months before Riley’s murder, Ibarra was arrested in New York City and charged with “acting in a manner to injure a child under 17 years of age and a driver’s license violation,” according to ICE.
The NYPD released him “before an arrest warrant could be issued,” the agency said.
Ibarra crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but had been released from a detention center due to lack of space.