Suspect in Laken Riley case, Jose Ibarra, indicted on murder charges
(NewsNation) — A Georgia grand jury Tuesday indicted Jose Ibarra, the man whom police suspect killed 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, on kidnapping, assault and murder charges.
Ibarra faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstruction, tampering with evidence and being a “peeping Tom,” court records show.
The peeping Tom charges relate to accusations Ibarra peered through another person's window the day of Riley's death.
NewsNation confirmed Jose Ibarra entered the United States unlawfully in September 2022 in El Paso, Texas. He came from Venezuela and lived in New York before moving to Georgia. It is unclear whether he has applied for asylum.
The investigation into Riley's death began when a friend reported her missing at 12:07 p.m. on Feb. 22, after she didn’t return home from a run.
Investigators soon after discovered a body on the University of Georgia campus in a forested area. Emergency responders tried to revive Riley, but determined she died before officers discovered her body.
The University of Georgia Police Department arrested Jose Ibarra in connection to Riley’s death the following day.
Prosecutors allege Ibarra beat Riley with an object and dragged her body to a secluded area off the jogging path in an attempt to conceal her body.
Preliminary autopsy reports suggest Riley died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Ibarra had previously been arrested in connection with other minor crimes, including shoplifting.
Riley's killing set off a political storm as conservatives used the case to blame President Joe Biden for immigration failings. Some Republican senators have since urged lawmakers to pass the Laken Riley Act, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to detain immigrants in the country illegally for crimes such as theft, as part of an upcoming funding bill.
Riley's father Jason Riley told NBC News he fears her death is being exploited as a political wedge.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.