Laken Riley’s mother, Allison Phillips, shared her first public message since her daughter’s Feb. 22 killing in a Facebook post Saturday, calling it an “avoidable tragedy.”
Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, died while jogging on a trail around the University of Georgia campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan national who was living in the United States illegally, was charged with murder in what police described as a “crime of opportunity.”
“I was sitting down to write this message and I just can’t find the words,” Phillips wrote on Facebook. “My family has faced the most devastating and unimaginable loss anyone has ever endured. [sic] be patient. I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for being with me and my family during this heartbreaking time. I encourage you to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I give all the glory to him for getting us through this. ”
She added:[i]It would be really easy to lose faith in humanity because of this senseless and avoidable tragedy,” she said. However, during what she described as a “horrible nightmare,” her family was overwhelmed by the overwhelming “large amount of… He said he has received “love, support and assistance from many people.”
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Laken Riley poses for a photo to post on Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus on February 22, 2024. (Alison Phillips/Facebook)
“Words cannot express how grateful we are for all the emails, phone calls, flowers, meals, groceries, compliments, photos, personal gifts, memorabilia, gift cards and donations to the Laken Foundation.” she said. “We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who was here for us during this difficult time. The outpouring of love was so great that we thought this was the best way to thank everyone in a timely manner. I felt it. I hope so.”Each of you knows how much we love you and appreciate everything you have done. ”
Phillips called on the public to “continue to pray” for the family as they “put one foot in front of the other and move forward.” She also changed her profile picture to a picture of a black and red heart in UGA colors, featuring Laken’s name along with the hashtag #sayhername.
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On Friday, March 1, 2024, the hearse carrying Laken Riley’s casket leaves Woodstock City Church after a memorial service attended by more than 1,000 people. (Robin Lane, Fox News Digital)
Phillips put her daughter to sleep on a rainy Friday afternoon in Woodstock, Georgia.
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“When you lose someone like Laken, who always shined brightly, the world becomes even darker in their absence,” Woodstock City Church senior pastor Summer Massad said in a statement to Fox News on Friday. “Raken was a special person. To everyone who knew her, she was a gift. Smart, kind, caring, and thoughtful, we don’t just scratch the surface. She was a loving person. She was a profound daughter, sister, and friend. She had a talent for creating things.” Everyone around her felt safe and seen. But what was most special to Laken was his faith in Jesus. ”
Laken Riley was laid to rest on a rainy Friday afternoon in Woodstock, Georgia. (Laken Riley/Facebook)
Jose Ibarra and his brother Diego Ibarra lived together in an apartment complex in Athens, about a five-minute walk from the approximate scene near Herrick Lake on the UGA campus where Riley was killed.
Laken Riley’s murder suspect lived within a 5-minute walk of the Uga crime scene.
Jose entered the United States through the U.S.-Mexico border in 2022 and was paroled at the border. He initially lived in New York City, but later moved to a college town in Georgia.
Jose Ibarra was arrested on February 23rd in connection with the February 22nd murder of Laken Riley in Athens, Georgia. (Clark County Sheriff’s Office)
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he is accused of a crime malicious murder, felony murder, felonious assault, felonious assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, interfering with a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.
Diego Ibarra was fired from his job as a dishwasher at the university after presenting fake green card documents, the school previously told Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ David Lewcowtik contributed to this report.
