Illegal Migrant Found Guilty of Laken Riley’s Brutal Murder, Sentenced to Life
Jose Ibarra, the illegal migrant with a violent past who attacked and brutally killed nursing student, Laken Riley, has been found guilty and sentenced to life without parole.
Prosecutors called the evidence against the suspect “overwhelming,” while the defense raised the theory that the defendant could be an accomplice but not the killer during closing arguments in his trial.
Before his sentencing, Laken’s mother delivered a powerful victim impact statement– calling the Tren de Aragua gang member a “sick, twisted, and evil coward.”
“Jose Ibarra took no pity on my scared, panicked, and struggling child,” Laken’s mother, Allyson Phillips, told Judge Patrick Haggard, through tears, as Ibarra listened on stone-faced, emotionless, with not an ounce of remorse.
“She fought for her life in dignity and to save herself from being brutally raped. This sick, twisted, and evil coward showed no regard for Laken and human life. We’re asking the same be done to him,” the mother said, raising her voice at times.
“There is no end to the pain, suffering and loss. On that horrific day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten, and shown no mercy,” she said, recalling Laken as a “kind and thoughtful child of God” and her “best friend.”
In a hearing that lasted barely more than two hours, the judge answered the grieving mother’s pleas – declaring the illegal immigrant guilty on all charges and giving him two life sentences, plus 27 years, each to be served consecutively.
Laken’s father, Jason Riley, also spoke, calling the pain Ibarra causes him every day “unexplainable.”
“I will never hold her hand or feel her hug,” he said. “Our world has been torn apart. I am haunted by the fear she felt in those final moments. I hope justice is served for her.”
Riley was brutally killed on Feb. 22 as she jogged on the University of Georgia campus, not far from Augusta University, where the well-liked student was pursuing her nursing degree.
Ibarra, 26, attempted to sexually assault the coed but ended up smashing her head with a rock and asphyxiating her when she fiercely battled back.
Prosecutors said Riley valiantly “fought for her life” for a staggering 18 minutes, gouging deep scratches into Ibarra’s neck and wrists before the much larger man finally overpowered her.
Those scratches — as well as his DNA later found under her fingernails — wound up being key pieces of evidence that helped convict her killer.
Ibarra’s trial lasted just four days, with 29 witnesses being called by the prosecution.
The defense called only three witnesses before resting its case Wednesday morning. Ibarra and his brother — a fellow gang member, Diego, who they tried to pin the killing on — did not testify.
Haggard returned to the bench just 19 minutes after the sides presented their closing arguments to deliver the verdicts.
Sobs filled the gallery, and Riley’s family held hands as Haggard read off the guilty verdicts for felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and Peeping Tom charges.
Riley’s savage death at the hands of an illegal immigrant garnered national attention, coming as the US is in the grips of a full-blown migrant invasion, in which some 12 million people have streamed across the border under the Biden-Harris administration’s watch.
Ibarra got to Georgia, where he committed his heinous act from New York City on taxpayer dollars, thanks to the Biden-Harris program that paid for one-way flights for migrants to anywhere in the world.
Should have been the death penalty carried out immediately
Forget about life sentence! This A-hole is in our country illegally and should be executed for his crime.
Lock up Hegseth for the rape he committed!!!! No, Trump is rewarding him with Secretary of Defense because he is a fellow rapist!
Tom, you are on the wrong site. The “the view”, msnbc, cnn, abc, nbc would be better places for you. By the way, Trump Won. MAGA
I’m glad that I voted for Trump I’m betting that Tamara Reid didn’t vote for Biden. I don’t care if he raped your mother
Tamara Reid? Think you messed up your slam Jim????
Don’t you mean Tara Reade?
Tara Reade who, a Republican like you, convinced her she was in danger so she ran to defect to Russia, ask Putin for a break, got none, you shorted her on the support money, and she came back home?
Are you really supporting a Russian asset now Jim? Bully for you, too.
Sorry. I mistook her for your daughter
Jim, I still have no daughter. Is that yours in the picture? What a dog. Gay man’s dog fer sure. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. A gay’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.
Sorry, I mistook that butt ugly dog for your dog.
Repressed memory’s anyone!
I might suggest five years at hard labor followed by execution. As for the rest of the family, IMMEDIATE deportation after tattoo that makes them easily identifiable if they try to return. Round ’em up, put them in a C-130, drop them back at any Venezuelan airstrip via “touch and go.”
The law calls for punishment, vengeance mine sayeth the Lord, not yours.
Ibarra was illegal, weird since from VZ is an asylum approved country, who had been “touched” by law enforcement a number of times. “Ibarra got to Georgia, where he committed his heinous act from New York City on taxpayer dollars, thanks to the Biden-Harris program that paid for one-way flights for migrants to anywhere in the world.” While it is true it was taxpayer dollars that got him to GA, it was also taxpayer dollars that got him from Texas to NYC. Who’s on first? I cannot find the Federal Program Sheridan talks about. It’s not noted in the NYPost either. He seems to be lying about that for his own political gain. Like Ibarra, he should be punished for this crime, accordingly.
The NYPost does state: “The move — paid for with federal money under the Biden-Harris administration” but I have not found any Federal Program for this. Yes, it is taxpayer dollars, but Adams states it’s cheaper to NYC to fly em out than to give food and shelter. Sort of an Abbott play in reverse. OK for Abbot, OK for Adams I guess.
Note that all statistics point to immigrants, illegal or legal, being less prone to crime than our citizens. Alaska, with a few thousand immigrants is a top state for violent crime and rape but in the bottom when it comes to illegal immigrants. If you wave a magic wand, get rid of all immigrants, legal or not, US crime statistics would not change with statistical significance.
Obviously, this is a tragedy that life in prison seems like a light sentence. Then again, life in prison sure would kill me. But it no more blames Adams for shipping him to Georgia that it does DeSantis or Abbott for shipping as well. More important, why the law enforcement errors. IF illegal, if caught by law, why not a free plane ride —- out of the fucking country OR straight to jail and then out of the fucking country? IMO, that’s the higher priority over free trips from Abbott, DeSantis, Adams, or others to figure this out and fix it. Or get to work and deport all these criminals as you have promised. But that won’t change our crime rate in America. Mark those words.
Ok Frank. You are telling us that you believe in coddling criminals. You even quoted scripture. God set up a degree of punishment, even death for many crimes. If not for capital punishment Jesus Christ would have received a spanking instead of dying for our sins on a cross and being raised from the dead by his Father. So now we have a new and better president, you really must drop the woke mindset and start standing up for law and order. People like you are the problem with the country
I have never said “coddling criminals” either past, present, or future. I have often said: throw the book at them as in to the full extent of the law. What I have not said is: go beyond the law in punishment because I, personally, feel my punishment is more appropriate. IF you feel life behind bars is not good enough, then change the law.
How you can equate Roman law with our law is a mystery. Do you really desire to return to Roman times, laws, and culture. I thought Mayberry was good enough for you? I don’t :must drop” woke precepts, sorry. Woke is merely taking the abstract of being polite and making it a reality. Not sure why you are against other people being EXCEPT you feel frustrated, put upon, and need an enemy to feel better. I have never suggested that you be woke, much less suggest laws to mandate woke.
And you feeling half the country is a problem is a problem for sure. Good luck with that.