Jose Ibarra: Tentative trial date set for man accused of murdering Laken Riley
ATHENS, Ga. - The judge overseeing the case of the man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has set a tentative date to start his trial.
In court on Friday, Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard said that he wanted to start the trial on Nov. 18. Jury selection would begin on Nov. 13.
Haggard told the attorneys that he also plans to set up a hearing on any motions by the defense for late September and early October.
According to documents obtained by FOX 5, the District Attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit is seeking a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ibarra was indicted on 10 charges by a grand jury on May 8. Nine of the charges are felonies, including malice murder, three felony murder charges, kidnapping, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, tampering with evidence, and peeping tom. The remaining charge of interfering with a call for emergency help is a misdemeanor.
Court records obtained in March indicated that Ibarra was exercising his right to a speedy trial and asked for a jury trial at that time. H
Ibarra's defense team has asked for all evidence and documents about his case to be turned over to them. In court, they told Haggard that they receiveda second round of evidence two weeks ago and a third on Friday.
What Happened to Laken Riley?
Riley was brutally murdered during her morning run on Feb. 22. Her body was found by police shortly after she was reported missing by a friend in a wooded area near Lake Herrick and UGA's intramural fields.
Ibarra, originally from Venezuela, entered the country illegally in 2022 and was living in Athens. He was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.
An autopsy showed Riley died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Laken Riley
Arrest Warrant outlines UGA murder
According to the warrants, Riley was killed between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Feb. 22. The warrants say Ibarra "physically" prevented Riley from making or completing a 911 call and used an "object" to cause great bodily harm, "disfiguring her skull." The warrants also indicate he dragged her from the intramural fields to a secluded area and concealed her death.
The indictment says Ibarra concealed a jacket and gloves, leading to the evidence tampering charge. It also says that on the day of Riley’s killing, Ibarra had peered into the window of an apartment in a university housing building, invading the privacy of a person whose name was redacted, which is the basis for the peeping Tom charge.
It remains unknown why Riley was killed. Bond was denied to Ibarra during his first court appearance on Feb. 24.
During the search for Riley's killer, Jose Ibarra's brother, 29-year-old Diego Ibarra, was also arrested. It was discovered that Diego Ibarra had a fraudulent green card.
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Laken Riley Act
Riley's death inspired the Laken Riley Act, which would require federal officials to apprehend and detain undocumented immigrants who commit crimes such as burglary, shoplifting, or larceny until these individuals are removed from the United States.
The bill cleared the House in early March with the support of every Republican and 37 Democrats. However, it hasn't received as much support from Democrats in the upper chamber.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.