Illegal Immigrant Convicted of Killing Laken Riley Requests New Trial

The Venezuelan national who attacked the 22-year-old nursing student while she jogged at the University of Georgia was found guilty on 10 charges.

Defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck speaks to a witness as Jose Ibarra (R), accused of killing nursing student Laken Hope Riley, appears in court for a motion hearing in Athens, Ga. on Oct. 11, 2024. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, Pool

Attorneys for Jose Ibarra, the Venezuelan illegal immigrant convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, have filed a motion requesting a new trial.

The attorneys claim that Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard’s verdict sentencing Ibarra to life without parole was “contrary to law” and “contrary to evidence,” according to the filing.