Laken Riley Case: Man Accused Of Killing GA Jogger Waives Jury Trial

ATHENS, GA — The Venezuelan man accused of killing 22-year-old Laken Riley, a jogger on the University of Georgia's campus in February has waived his right to a jury trial.

Jose Ibarra, 26, appeared on Tuesday at a Clarke County court hearing. During the hearing, the Spanish-speaking man told the judge he understood the waiver.

In Georgia, the alternative to a jury trial is a bench trial, where a judge decides innocence or guilt.

Riley was reported missing by someone who said their friend had gone for an early morning run at the campus' fields and did not return home as expected, UGA officials said at the time.

UGA Police were alerted around noon and conducted a welfare check. Officers found Riley unconscious around 12:30 p.m. in a forest behind Lake Herrick, officials said. She had visible injuries and later died at the scene.

Ibarra was accused of asphyxiating Riley and hitting her in the head, the Associated Press reported, adding he was accused of having intentions to sexually assault her.

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State prosecutors are requesting a sentence of life in prison without parole rather than the death penalty, the Associated Press reported.

Clarke County Jail records on Tuesday showed Ibarra was charged on suspicion of:

• Second-degree murder
• Aggravated battery
• Aggravated assault
• False imprisonment
• Kidnapping
• Obstruction/hindering person making emergency telephone call
• Concealing death of another person
• Failure to appear for fingerprintable charge
• Tampering with evidence
• Peeping Tom

He is being held for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, jail records showed.

Riley was a Class of 2025 Augusta University nursing student and received her honorary white coat in August 2023, per Augusta University officials in a past post on Facebook. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

According to her obituary, Riley was born on Jan. 10, 2002 in Marietta.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed on March 7 House Resolution 7511, also known as the Laken Riley Act, with 37 Democrats supporting the Republican-backed bill. It has yet to pass the U.S. Senate.

If it becomes law, H.R. 7511 would "require the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have been charged in the United States with theft," the bill stated.

The bench trial for Ibarra will start at 9 a.m. Friday, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.