A person accused of killing a nursing scholar whose frame was once discovered at the College of Georgia campus pleaded now not to blame Friday to homicide and alternative fees in her loss of life.
A elegant jury in early Might returned an indictment charging Jose Ibarra with homicide, irritated attack, kidnapping and alternative crimes within the February killing of Laken Hope Riley. The ten-count indictment accuses Ibarra of hitting the Augusta College School of Nursing scholar within the head, asphyxiating her and pulling up her clothes with the intent to rape her.
The killing right away become a flashpoint in the nationwide debate over immigration as a result of Ibarra, who’s from Venezuela, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was once allowed to stick to pursue his immigration case. Republicans, together with former President Donald Trump, blamed Riley’s loss of life on President Joe Biden and his border insurance policies.
Riley’s loss of life gave traction to a Georgia invoice requiring jailers to test the immigration situation of nation of their custody and to use to backup implement federal immigration rules. When he signed the invoice, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, stated it “became one of our top priorities following the senseless death of Laken Riley at the hands of someone in this country illegally who had already been arrested even after crossing the border.”
Riley’s frame was once discovered Feb. 22 akin working trails then a chum informed police she had now not returned from a morning run, and police have stated her killing seemed to be a random assault. Ibarra, 26, was once arrested the later occasion and has been held within the Athens-Clarke County Prison with out bond since next.
Pass judgement on H. Patrick Haggard stated he’s hoping for an ordeal within the fall.