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Killing_of_Laken_Riley Latitude and Longitude:
33°55′40″N 83°22′22″W / 33.9279°N 83.3728°W / 33.9279; -83.3728
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Killing of Laken Riley
Undated photo of Laken Riley
Oconee Forest Park is located in Georgia
Oconee Forest Park
Oconee Forest Park
Oconee Forest Park (Georgia)
LocationDisappearance: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Body found: Oconee Forest Park, Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates 33°55′40″N 83°22′22″W / 33.9279°N 83.3728°W / 33.9279; -83.3728
DateFebruary 22, 2024
Attack type
 Murder by blunt trauma, kidnapping
VictimLaken Hope Riley
MotiveUnknown
Accused1
Charges

On February 22, 2024, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old American nursing student at Augusta University, was abducted and killed - allegedly by José Antonio Ibarra - while she was jogging at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. Her body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick; [1] her death was caused by blunt force trauma. [2] [3]

The suspect, José Antonio Ibarra, is a 26-year-old Venezuelan who had entered the United States illegally. [4] He was arrested by UGA police and has been charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. [5] [6] There is no date set for the trial.

The murder made international news, generating extensive media attention. [7] It sparked a debate over immigration in the United States after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that the suspect is not a U.S. citizen and was caught crossing the border but was released into the United States. [3] On March 7, 2024, the House of Representatives passed an immigration bill named the Laken Riley Act, requiring federal detention of migrants who commit burglary or theft. [8]

Victim

Laken Hope Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University in Athens, Georgia, [3] [6] who had previously attended the University of Georgia as an undergraduate. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. [9] She graduated in 2020 from River Ridge High School in Woodstock, Georgia, where she was a member of the cross-country team. [10] She had three siblings. [11]

Killing

On the morning of February 22, 2024, Riley went for a morning run at UGA. Around 12:07 pm, a friend of Riley's reported her missing after she did not return. [12] Shortly before 1 p.m., her body was discovered by UGA police in Oconee Forest Park behind Lake Herrick. [13] Her death was caused by blunt force trauma, according to Athens-Clarke County Coroner. [2] [3]

Police described Riley's killing as a "crime of opportunity" and reported that the killer appeared to have acted alone. [3] [14]

Suspect

The suspect is 26-year-old Venezuelan, José Antonio Ibarra, who had entered the United States illegally in September 2022, crossing the US’s southern border with Mexico near El Paso, Texas. [3] [14] [4] According to Jeffrey Clark, the chief of UGA police, he lived in an apartment complex about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the wooded area where Riley's body was found. [6] He had been previously arrested by both federal and state officials in multiple jurisdictions. He had a bench warrant issued for his arrest in December 2023 after failing to appear in court in a shoplifting case in Georgia. [15]

Authorities detained several people, but only the suspect was arrested. Police recommended charging him with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another. [16]

In October 2023, the suspect and his brother, who was reported by authorities to be a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua who temporarily worked at UGA, [17] [18] [19] [20] were arrested by Athens police on theft charges; both were released after reportedly possessing stolen merchandise from a local Walmart. [21] [22]

Aftermath

Riley's murder became a "national political case" during what Forbes' Sara Dorn called a "historic surge in border crossings during Biden's tenure". [3] [23] It was highly publicized by the national media and the press. [7]

Her family says they plan to establish a foundation in her honor. Her stepfather said: "She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way". [11]

Former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: "Border INVASION is destroying our country and killing our citizens! The horrible murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley at the University of Georgia should have NEVER happened!" [24] He later met with Riley's mother and stepfather before his campaign rally in Rome, Georgia on March 9, 2024. [25]

President Joe Biden mentioned the killing of Riley during the 2024 State of the Union address, [26] mistakenly calling her "Lincoln Riley". [27] [28] The unprepared remarks came after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted Riley's name at the president. [28] Biden was criticized by Democratic members of Congress for referring to Riley's suspected killer as "an illegal" instead of "undocumented", [29] [30] for which he later expressed regret. [31] Riley's parents, Jason Riley and Allyson Phillips, were invited to the State of the Union by Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, but they turned down his invitation. [32]

Laken Riley Act

On March 7, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act in a 251–170 vote, with 37 Democratic members joining all Republican members in voting for the bill. If enacted, the Laken Riley Act would mandate federal detention of migrants who commit burglary or theft and would allow states to file suit against the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws. [33] [8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Mayorquin, Orlando; Fadulu, Lola; Ortiz, Aimee (February 22, 2024). "Suspect Is Arrested in Killing of Woman on U. of Georgia Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Suspect in Georgia nursing student's murder is accused of "disfiguring her skull," court documents say". CBS News. February 27, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Wolfe, Elizabeth; Razek, Raja; Yan, Holly (February 26, 2024). "Augusta University student killed while jogging at UGA honored at vigil as the suspect's immigration status fuels debate". CNN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "House Republicans push bill to detain migrants accused of theft after Georgia student killed". AP News. March 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Mascaro, Lisa. "Biden says her name — Laken Riley — at the urging of GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Fortin, Jacey (February 28, 2024). "The Killing at U. of Georgia: What We Know". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Bennett, Brian (February 28, 2024). "Biden Touts Crime Record as Laken Riley Case Dominates Conservative Media". Time. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "House passes Laken Riley Act". CNN. March 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  9. ^ Kersh, Lilly; Mawn, Allison (February 23, 2024). "Student found dead on UGA campus identified as 22-year-old Laken Riley". The Red & Black. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  10. ^ Cavallier, Andrea (February 23, 2024). "A nursing student went for a morning jog on campus and never returned. Her body was found shortly after lunch later that day". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Laken Riley: Funeral services for murdered nursing student". Fox 5 Atlanta. March 1, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Acosta, Nicole (February 23, 2024). "Suspect Arrested After Ga. College Student Who Went on Jog Was Found Dead". People. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  13. ^ Manins, Rosie (February 29, 2024). "Laken Riley case: Man charged in UGA campus killing won't seek bond". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Rissman, Kelly (February 29, 2024). "What we know about Jose Antonio Ibarra, the man charged with murdering a Georgia nursing student". The Independent. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  15. ^ "Laken Riley case: Suspect had been arrested by federal, local authorities". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. February 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  16. ^ Lynch, Jamiel; Faheid, Dalia (February 29, 2024). "Suspect in University of Georgia killing didn't know victim and is not a student on the campus, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  17. ^ "Por estos tatuajes vinculan al Tren de Aragua al hermano del sospechoso de asesinar a Laken Riley" [Because of these tattoos, they link Tren de Aragua to the brother of the suspect who killed Laken Riley]. NBC News. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  18. ^ "University of Georgia murder suspect's brother charged in federal court". NewsNation. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  19. ^ "Brother of suspected UGA killer accused of being gang member in new court filings". WMAZ-TV. March 6, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  20. ^ Zuzunaga Ruiz, Roger (March 10, 2024). "¿Quién es el presunto miembro del Tren de Aragua detenido en Georgia, Estados Unidos?" [Who is the alleged member of the Tren de Aragua detained in Georgia, United States?]. El Comercio (in Spanish). ISSN  1605-3052. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  21. ^ Edmonds, Colbi; Marazzi Sassoon, Alessandro (February 29, 2024). "For Suspect in U. of Georgia Killing, an Obscure Trail Across States". The New York Times.
  22. ^ "Vinculan con la banda criminal Tren de Aragua al hermano del migrante detenido en Georgia por la muerte de una universitaria". Telemundo (in Spanish). March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Dorn, Sara (February 27, 2024). "What To Know About Laken Riley Murder: GOP Demands Details On Accused Killer's Immigration Status". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  24. ^ Amy, Jeff; Spagat, Elliot; Weissert, Will (February 27, 2024). "The killing of a Georgia nursing student is now at the center of the US immigration debate". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  25. ^ Bluestein, Greg (March 9, 2024). "Trump meets with Laken Riley's parents before Georgia rally". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  26. ^ Samuels, Brett (March 7, 2024). "Biden spars with Greene over immigration, Laken Riley during State of the Union". The Hill. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  27. ^ "Full Transcript of Biden's State of the Union Speech". The New York Times. March 8, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Biden mentions Laken Riley in State of the Union, calls man accused of killing her an 'illegal'". USA Today. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  29. ^ "Biden faces 'beyond disappointed' Democrats after calling suspected killer 'an illegal'". The Independent. March 8, 2024.
  30. ^ "Biden campaign launches $30M ad onslaught". Politico. March 8, 2024.
  31. ^ "Biden says he regrets referring to 'an illegal' and defends direct criticism of Supreme Court in State of the Union". NBC News. March 9, 2024.
  32. ^ "Laken Riley's parents decline invite to State of the Union by Rep. Mike Collins". March 6, 2024.
  33. ^ "US House passes Laken Riley Act requiring ICE to detain more immigrants". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
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