DA won’t seek death penalty for suspect charged with murdering nursing student on UGA campus

ATHENS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The Western Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced it will not seek the death penalty for the man accused of killing a nursing student on the University of Georgia’s (UGA) campus.

Jose Ibarra, 26, pled not guilty during his arraignment hearing on Friday.

Ibarra faces several charges, including malice murder and kidnapping, in connection with the death of Laken Riley. During the arraignment, Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard said he would like to put the case on the trial calendar for this fall.

The district attorney said it will seek life in prison without parole in the case.

“Our utmost duty is to ensure that justice is served and that the victim’s family is an integral part of the deliberation process. We understand that there will be those outside this office who will disagree with our decision and seek to exploit this case for political gain. However, the integrity of our judicial process and the pursuit of justice must always transcend political considerations,” District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez said.

Riley was a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University who was killed while jogging at UGA in Athens on Feb. 22. Her body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick, and officials said her death was caused by blunt force trauma.

A Clarke County grand jury handed up a 10-count indictment against Ibarra in early May, claiming he hit Riley’s head several times with a rock and asphyxiated her. After the killing, he allegedly hit a jacket and gloves to cover up the crime.

The indictment also accused Ibarra of being a “Peeping Tom” at UGA’s University Village Housing Building S the same day Riley died.

Jeffrey Clark, UGA’s police chief, said officials don’t believe Ibarra knew Riley. Clark described it as an alleged “crime of opportunity.”

Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen, was arrested and released after illegally entering the United States in 2022, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed.