Jose Ibarra, the suspect accused of killing Augusta University student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in February, will face a judge trial rather than a jury trial, according to a Georgia-based criminal defense attorney. He is said to be “rapidly moving towards a life sentence” in prison. Attorney Philip Holloway.
Ybarra, 26, is accused of attacking and killing Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, as she jogged along a busy sidewalk on UGA's campus on the morning of February 22nd.
Holloway told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that he “doesn't understand the tactics” of Ybarra's defense in seeking a jury trial over Tuesday's jury trial, which state prosecutors agreed with and Judge Patrick Haggard ruled against. acknowledged. Ybarra's trial is scheduled to begin Friday instead of Monday, when a jury trial was scheduled to take place.
“This is how he begins his life without parole,” Holloway said. “It would certainly speed things up. … From a legal standpoint, I don't see why the defense would do something like this.”
Laken Riley murder suspect asks for certain evidence to be suppressed as trial date is set
Jose Ibarra will appear in court for a motion hearing on October 11, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (AP Photo/Bryn Anderson/Pool)
Holloway added that by opting for a jury trial, Ybarra is forgoing the “Hail Mary shot” of “gathering a jury” to inquire about his guilt. In other words, instead of one juror questioning the evidence presented against Ybarra and potentially leading to a mistrial, the murder suspect could present evidence before the judge who would decide his fate. I chose.
Holloway added that “the evidence of guilt is overwhelming” in Ybarra's murder.
Laken Riley Murder: Illegal Immigrant Suspect in Georgia College Student Killing Requests Certain Evidence Be Suppressed
Laken Riley was found dead near a lake on campus on February 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)
The criminal defense attorney said that in a courtroom trial, “evidence would be presented much more quickly,” and that the prosecution and defense may even choose to skip opening and closing statements, as they would in a jury trial. . bench trial.
Ibarra and his brother also entered the country illegally from Venezuela and lived in an apartment on the edge of a park on campus where Riley ran. Ybarra is accused of killing the woman, an aspiring nurse, in what UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark described as a “crime of opportunity.”
Jose Ibarra appears in court for a pretrial evidentiary hearing on November 1, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Robin Lane, Fox News Digital)
In May, a Georgia grand jury indicted Ybarra on charges of malicious murder, two counts of kidnapping with bodily injury, two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit rape, and two counts of aggravated assault with impediment or obstruction of a 911 call. Tampering with evidence and being a “peeping tom”.
Tom's voyeurism charge stems from a separate incident on February 22, when the suspect allegedly went to the hospital. Residence on the UGA campus in Athens According to the indictment, he “peeped” through windows and “sniffed” on university employees.
Laken Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University. (Alison Phillips/Facebook)
Mr. Ybarra recently tried to have the “Tom Peeping” charge dropped from his case, but prosecutors argued that the two cases were “inextricably intertwined,” and Mr. Haggard ultimately had the charge dropped. I decided not to.
The judge also admitted DNA and cell phone evidence that Ybarra's defense wanted to suppress.
Laken Riley murder exposes glaring lack of security on college campuses; urgent need for blue lights
This is an overview of the area where Laken Riley's body was found near Herrick Lake on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on February 24, 2024. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
The 26-year-old suspect is scheduled to reappear in court for trial on November 15. Jury selection for his trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 13, before he requested a courtroom trial.
Ybarra entered the United States illegally. El Paso, Texas They will be released on parole to the United States in September 2022, ICE and DHS officials previously told Fox News. His older brother, Diego Ibarra, is charged with green card fraud and has ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, a Venezuelan gang known in the United States, according to federal court documents.
Laken Riley murder: Video shows man hiding bloody jacket and gloves minutes after student's death, prosecutors say
Diego Ibarra is pictured on his social media accounts posing with multiple handguns, according to court filings. (Central District of Georgia)
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Riley's death has been a frequent topic throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, as Republicans and Democrats debate the impact of record numbers of illegal immigrants who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border over the past four years.
Rachel Morin of Maryland, Joselyn Nangaray of Texas, Lizbeth Medina of Texas, Ruby Garcia of Michigan, and Maria Gonzalez of Texas are among the women allegedly killed by illegal immigrants in the past two years. It is us.
