Laken Riley Murder: Jose Ibarra Lawyers File Request for New Trial – WSB-TV Channel 2

CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. – Lawyers for the man convicted of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus earlier this year are demanding a new trial.

According to a court document filed Monday, Jose Ibarra’s lawyers are demanding another trial.

The motion alleged that the verdict violated the law and the evidence and that “the court committed other errors of law that necessitate a new trial.”

They did not comment on the errors.

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Last month, Ibarra opted for a bench trial rather than face a jury, meaning the judge alone would decide guilt or innocence.

Judge H. Patrick Haggard of Athens-Clarke County Superior Court found him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Under Georgia law, Ibarra had 30 days to appeal the verdict or request a new trial.

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On February 22, 2024, Riley, 22, was found dead after going jogging, on the university’s intramural fields and never returned. The police found her unconscious and injured in a wooded area behind the fields. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators arrested Ibarra, a Venezuelan immigrant who was in the country illegally. His brother Diego pleaded guilty to possession of a fraudulent green card.

Prosecutors said Ibarra assaulted Riley, smothered her and attempted to sexually assault her. An autopsy revealed that Riley died of blunt force trauma to her head and asphyxia.

During the trial, prosecutors showed the judge surveillance video of Riley jogging just minutes before she was killed.

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