Police Identify Suspect In Killing Of 22-Year-Old Georgia Nursing Student, Reportedly Not A U.S. Citizen

Police identified a suspect in the killing of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, an Augusta University College of Nursing student.

Riley’s body was found Thursday on the University of Georgia campus in Athens in a wooded area near Lake Herrick that’s popular with runners and walkers, sparking an investigation.

“Emergency medical responders determined she died before officers found her,” ABC News reports.

“University of Georgia Police Chief Jeff Clark said the cause of death was blunt force trauma, but he did not elaborate,” the outlet added.

The University of Georgia Police Department took Jose Ibarra, 26, into custody for Riley’s death.

Police charged Ibarra, who is not a U.S. citizen, with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another.

Ibarra’s immigration status is unknown and authorities believe he’s from Venezuela.

BREAKING: Murder suspect in the death of Georgia nursing student, Laken Hope Riley is NOT a US citizen.

26 year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra was identified as the suspect who killed Laken Hope Riley, a nursing student whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus in… pic.twitter.com/4HKWMaLn8R

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) February 24, 2024

“Marty, the girls, and I were truly shaken and heartbroken to learn of Laken Riley’s tragic death. Tonight, we’re thankful the @GBI_GA, @accpolice, @universityofga police and other partners have taken her murderer into custody. We will not rest until justice for Laken is secured,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

Marty, the girls, and I were truly shaken and heartbroken to learn of Laken Riley’s tragic death.

Tonight, we’re thankful the @GBI_GA, @accpolice, @universityofga police and other partners have taken her murderer into custody. We will not rest until justice for Laken is secured.

— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) February 24, 2024

Fox News reports:

Ibarra measures 5 foot 3 inches and weighs 170 lbs, per the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department booking sheet. Laken measured 5 feet 4 inches, weighing 115 lbs, according to a UGA Police Department report.

“The evidence is robust,” he told reporters, crediting campus security cameras in part for the arrest.

Clark said he believed the attack was a “crime of opportunity” and that the suspected killer had no known connection to the victim. Ibarra is not a UGA student, he added.

Ibarra’s immigration status was not immediately known to investigators, the chief said, adding that he believed the suspect is from Venezuela.

“Right now I don’t know his full status,” he said. “He is not a citizen of the United States.”

Police initially swept up three to four people during the early stages of the investigation but were only arresting and charging Ibarra, Clark added.

“While the perpetrator’s legal status is unclear, if the Chief’s statement is accurate and that he is a Venezuelan migrant — potentially admitted under the continuing ‘special status’ program — it is past time to recognize the obvious: Maduro has taken a page from Castro’s book and is emptying his criminals into the U.S., and we are holding the door open for them,” Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector, told Fox News Digital.

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Collin Rugg writes:

Alleged illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra charged in the death of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley.

Riley reportedly went for a jog and was later found dead on the University of Georgia from blunt force trauma.

An even more sinister fact is that Antonio had no known connection to Riley.

Jose Antonio Ibarra was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call & concealing the death.

Riley was found dead near UGA’s Intramural Fields.

“Based on the injuries and Riley’s physical condition, I suspected that foul play was involved,” the police report read.

JUST IN: Alleged illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra charged in the death of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley.

Riley reportedly went for a jog and was later found dead on the University of Georgia from blunt force trauma.

An even more sinister fact is that Antonio had… pic.twitter.com/sAbTMMjDTt

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 24, 2024

Per ABC News:

Melissa Hodges, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said in an email Saturday that she did not have any additional information on the immigration status of Ibarra, who now faces charges that include murder and kidnapping.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Ibarra’s immigration status on Saturday.

Local police said Friday that Ibarra, who lived in Athens, apparently did not know Riley and acted alone. Video from campus security and other technology led police to Ibarra, police said.

It wasn’t known if Ibarra had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

“Riley studied at the University of Georgia through the spring of 2023 before transferring to Augusta University’s College of Nursing, according to a statement from the University of Georgia, which does not have a nursing program itself. She remained active in the sorority she joined at the University of Georgia,” the Associated Press reports.

Laken Riley, a nursing student, was brutally murdered on the University of Georgia campus. The suspect in custody is a 26-year-old illegal from Venezuela, Jose Antionio Ibarra. Athens-Clark County is a sanctuary city. Every crime committed by an illegal alien is an avoidable… pic.twitter.com/wviDqNoHGC

— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) February 24, 2024

From the Associated Press:

Riley’s sister, Lauren Phillips, paid tribute to her Friday in an Instagram post, calling her “the best sister and my built in best friend from the very first second.”

“This isn’t fair and I will never understand it but I know you are in heaven with the man you loved most right now,” Phillips wrote. “I’m not sure how I’m going to do this but it’s all going to be for you from now on. I cannot wait to give you the biggest hug someday. I will miss and love you forever Laken.”

Riley graduated in 2020 from River Ridge High School in Woodstock, a suburb northwest of Atlanta, where she ran cross country.

“Our community and our world lost a shining light with the tragic passing of Laken,” Cherokee County schools Superintendent Brian Hightower said in a statement. “An outstanding scholar athlete, Laken inspired classmates and teachers with her love of learning and her kindness to all. We ask that the community please keep her family in their hearts.”

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CBS Evening News reports: