Jose Ibarra Sentenced to Life in Prison for Laken Riley Murder

Riley, a student at Augusta University College of Nursing, was killed on Feb. 22 while jogging near the University of Georgia campus in Athens.

Jose Ibarra listens through an interpreter during his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court in Athens, Ga., on Nov. 20, 2024. Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool

Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, has been convicted of murder in the February killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard handed down the guilty verdict on Nov. 20. Ibarra had waived his right to a jury trial, leaving Haggard to try the case and determine the verdict.