Laken Riley's family gave passionate victim-impact statements about an hour earlier in the Athens, Georgia, courtroom where gang member Jose Ybarra was found guilty of murder.
“Jose Ibarra had no compassion for my frightened, panicked, struggling child,” mother Alison Phillips said, her voice catching in her throat.
“The pain, suffering and loss will never end. On that horrible day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten and shown no mercy,” she said.
“She risked her life with dignity and fought to protect herself from a brutal rape. This sick, twisted, evil coward had no regard for Laken or human life. We're asking him to do the same,” she said, her voice breaking at times.
She remembered her daughter as a “kind and thoughtful child of God” who was active in the community.
Her tearful mother sobbed, calling Ibarra a “monster” who took away her “best friend.”
“He took away all the beautiful memories we could ever make with her again. This horrible person took away all our hopes and dreams for Laken,” he told the judge. she said before.
“Sir, I am asking you to give Jose Ibarra the same thing that you gave us when you showed us no mercy when he was begging for his life. Please give this monster life without parole so he never has a chance to hurt anyone.”
