Laken Riley murder trial latest: Victim’s mother sobs in court as bodycam reveals ‘fingernail scratches’ on suspect’s arm
Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan native who entered the US illegally, is charged with the February killing of 22-year-old Laken Riley
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The mother of slain Laken Riley sobbed in court on Monday as photos were shown of what appeared to be fingernail scratches on the suspect’s arms.
Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student allegedly fought back against her attacker before she was killed while out for a run on February 22. Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan native who entered the US illegally in 2022 , was arrested the next day and is now on trial for her murder.
Video footage showed the moment officers confronted him about the scratches on his arms, but Ibarra did not have an explanation, Cpl. Rafael Sayan testified.
“First he says, ‘I don’t have anything there … there’s nothing there,’” Sayan said over the video. “Then he starts pointing at it again, saying that, ‘Oh, it’s just a scratch.’”
Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, began crying in court as the images were displayed.
It’s a case that became a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration during this year’s presidential campaign.
Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, meaning Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard will hear and decide his case.
During opening statements on Friday, Prosecutor Sheila Ross said Ibarra had been “hunting” for women on the day of the murder but when he came across Riley she “fought” back. When she “refused to be a rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly.”
Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening that Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing. But he said there is not sufficient evidence to prove that it was Ibarra.
If convicted, Ibarra could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said they won’t pursue the death penalty.
FBI agent testifies about what was found on suspect’s phone
FBI special agent Jamie Hipkiss testified Monday that there were selfies on Jose Ibarra’s phone that showed him wearing the same clothes as the suspect.
Ibarra was wearing a white-and-black shirt, black Adidas hat and navy blue jacket, according to Hipkiss.
He said the clothes are “consistent with” the suspect who was seen on video tossing out the jacket in a dumpster. The jacket was collected by investigators and was later determined to contain DNA from both Ibarra and Laken Riley.
“We see him removing the navy blue jacket and stuffing it into the recycling bin in his apartment complex, he appears to be wearing that exact same shirt there,” Hipkiss said on the stand.
His testimony will resume after the lunch break.
Court on lunch break
Court is on a lunch break and will resume att 1:30 ET.
Who is Jose Ibarra?
Jose Ibarra, who is from Venezuela and is not a US citizen, has no known connection to Laken Riley and no known violent criminal history. Instead, investigators described Riley’s violent death as a “crime of opportunity.”
Ibarra’s status as a non-US citizen sparked conflicting reports from law enforcement agencies about his criminal past on American soil – and during an election year spurred Republican lawmakers to seize on the anti-immigrant rhetoric of the hour to push offensive theories about migrants online.
President Joe Biden also sparked a backlash among some Democrats after referring to him as “an illegal” during his fiery State of the Union speech this year.
Now, Ibarra is on trial for murder.
Here’s what we know about Jose Antonio Ibarra:
Here’s what we know about the suspect in Laken Riley’s murder
Shortly after his arrest, federal immigration officials said Jose Ibarra illegally entered the US in 2022 – a revelation that turned the case into a political football
Laken Riley’s mom sobs as photos of ‘fingernail scratches’ are shown in court
Laken Riley’s mom Allyson Phillips sobbed in court on Monday as photos were shown of what appeared to be fingernail scratches on the suspect’s arms.
Video footage showed the moment officers confronted him about the scratches on his arms, but Ibarra did not have an explanation, Cpl. Rafael Sayan testified.
“First he says, ‘I don’t have anything there … there’s nothing there,’” Sayan said over the video. “Then he starts pointing at it again, saying that, ‘Oh, it’s just a scratch.’”
Jose Ibarra had no reaction when told about murder, suspect’s roommate says
Ibarra’s roommate said he had no reaction when he was told about the murder that happened not far from their home.
Flores-Bello told the court that she heard about Laken Riley’s murder from a neighbor on February 22, the day of the killing.
She told Ibarra’s brother Argenis Ibarra about the news and it was shared with the other brothers, but no one reacted to it, she said.
When asked about the surveillance video of Ibarra, she admitted that she thought it was strange that he was throwing away his jacket.
Jose Ibarra’s roommate takes the stand
Jose Ibarra’s roommate Rosbeli Elisber Flores-Bello is now testifying on the stand in his murder case.
She shared an apartment with Jose Ibarra and his brothers in Athens, Georgia at the time of the murder.
She recalled identifyingIbarra in surveillance video to officers when she was questioned on February 23.
Jose Ibarra and brothers appeared to be laughing when police talked to them day after murder
Jose Ibarra and his brothers appeared to be laughing when police responded to his apartment the day after Laken Riley was killed, Cpl. Rafael Sayan, a UGA police officer, testified on Monday.
“There was a lot of laughing, giggling – especially when they were talking about how they were woken up, pulled out of the apartment,” Sayan said.
“I would say the vibe or the atmosphere was very relaxed and calm.”
Crime scene specialist reveals what was found at murder suspect’s home
Annie Moorman, a crime scene specialist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, testified in court on Monday about what investigators found when they searched Jose Ibarra’s apartment the day after Laken Riley’s murder.
She said they collected electronic devices and kitchen gloves, which were “restaurant-style.”
Moorman added that this was important to the investigation because “earlier in the day, officers had located gloves that had been described as looking sort of like these from a bush at the apartment complex.”
No blood was found in the apartment.
ICYMI: Defense says there is not sufficient evidence against Ibarra
Defense attorney Dustin Kirby said in his opening statements on Friday that Laken Riley’s death was a tragedy and called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing.
But he said there is not sufficient evidence to prove that his client killed Riley.
He said prosecutors are relying on conflicting methods to link DNA and fingerprints to Ibarra. And then questioned how Ibarra’s fingerprints could be on the phone if he was supposedly wearing gloves.
“The evidence in this case is very good that Laken Riley was murdered,” Kirby said. “The evidence that Jose Ibarra killed Laken Riley is circumstantial.”
ICYMI: Prosecutor says suspect was out ‘hunting for female’ on day of Laken Riley’s murder
During opening statements on Friday, Prosecutor Sheila Ross said Ibarra had been “hunting” for women on the day of the murder but when he came across Riley she “fought” back.
When she “refused to be a rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly.”
“The evidence will show that Laken fought,” she said. “She fought for her life, she fought for her dignity. And in that fight she caused this defendant to leave forensic evidence behind.”
Riley’s mother sobbed in court during the proceedings.
