ATHENS, Ga. — Attorneys for Jose Ybarra, the suspect accused of killing Augusta University student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in February, will continue calling witnesses Wednesday, including This may include Ibarra's two brothers.
Athens-Clarke County Court heard from 29 witnesses over three days in Ybarra's murder trial, which began Nov. 15, and prosecutor Sheila Ross said Ybarra was among the key pieces of evidence. It highlighted evidence ranging from the DNA of Mr. Ibarra to the surveillance camera footage and cell phone data that brought him to trial. The crime scene where Riley was killed.
“On February 22nd, Jose Ibarra wore a black hat, hoodie-style jacket, and black kitchen-style disposable gloves and went looking for females on the University of Georgia campus,” Ross wrote on November 11th. I mentioned it in my opening statement. 15.
Ybarra, 26, was indicted on the morning of February 22nd on 10 counts in connection with Riley's murder and the “Tom Peeping” incident. Prosecutors argued that the tom-peeping incident was linked to the attack on Riley, 22, because it occurred just over an hour ago. On the morning of February 22, Mr. Ibarra was murdered, with signs indicating that he had allegedly intended to rob the woman.
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Jose Ibarra will appear for trial on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court in Athens, Georgia. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
Witnesses said they found DNA matching Ibarra's on Riley's fingernails and on a jacket containing Riley's hair that was recovered from a trash can near the apartment.
Ibarra's lawyers have so far argued that the evidence against the Venezuelan national is circumstantial, pointing the finger at his brothers Diego and Argenis Ibarra, who share a similar DNA structure to Jose. There is. Diego was also seen wearing the same black Adidas-style hat, and prosecutors said that when police questioned Diego on February 23rd, Jose was seen wearing the same black Adidas-style hat. It was announced that he was covered. DNA matching Riley's was found on that same hat.
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A hat purported to belong to Jose Ibarra was introduced as evidence at Ybarra's trial on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court in Athens, Georgia. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Poo)
“If that happens, and the presumption of innocence is respected, there will be enough evidence to satisfy Mr. Ybarra that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes he is charged with,” defense attorney Dustin Kirby said Monday. There should be no evidence.”
Argenis and Diego have been subpoenaed to testify for the defense, but there has been some back and forth between the defense, prosecutors and Judge Patrick Haggard, and whether Diego will actually be able to testify will not be determined until Tuesday afternoon. The case is still up in the air when he appears in court to testify.
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Laken Riley's mother, second from left, as Riley's stepfather, John Phillips, comforts her during Jose Ybarra's trial in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. 's Alison Phillips reacts. (Hyo-Seob Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
Donnelly said Diego's defense attorney argued to Jose's attorney, John Donnelly, that Diego should not testify at Jose's trial. Judge Haggard recommended that the court should not proceed with Diego's testimony, and the prosecution and defense then met behind closed doors to discuss the issue.
The defense's second witness, Stephanie Slaton, lived in the apartment next door to the Ybarra family at the time of Riley's murder. She testified that on February 23, the day after Riley died, “a number” of police officers were walking around the area of the complex and spoke with Diego Ibarra.
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From left, Laken Riley's roommate, Connolly Hughes, and Riley's sister, Lauren Phillips, attend the death of Jose Ybarra in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. Becoming emotional during the trial. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
Diego Ybarra suggested he didn't know why police were walking around and asked Slaton what happened. Slaton explained that someone “died” in the back of the apartment. Two police officers then approached them and asked them what they were talking about. When Slaton answered them, they left, she said.
Slaton testified that Diego, with whom they had a sexual relationship at the time, told her in English using a translation app: “If you talk, I'll tell you what you did, and I'll kill you too.''
Watch: Police enter Jose Ibarra's apartment:
In cross-examination, Slaton said he could not guess what the words “if you talk” meant because Diego did not know about Riley's murder or why police were roaming around the apartment building. I admitted it. She also admitted that she was angry at Diego for having an affair with another woman.
On Monday, the second day of Mr. Ybarra's trial, the court heard a recorded prison phone call between Mr. Ybarra and his wife, Rayling Franco, played aloud by an FBI analyst who speaks fluent Spanish. , translated. Judge Haggard ruled on Tuesday that translations of the calls could not be introduced as evidence.
Federal prosecutors say Torren de Aragua members often wear Chicago Bulls clothing, even if they have no ties to Chicago and are not fans of the team. Investigators found the photo among multiple images of suspected gang member Diego Ibarra wearing Chicago Bulls apparel. (Central District of Georgia)
“She said she thought it was strange that they didn't have other people's DNA. They only had their own DNA. And how could they see someone dead without calling? She said she couldn't understand how anyone could do that. [sic] 911,” FBI analyst Avasis Ramirez testified in court Monday while interpreting the prosecution request.
Ibarra and his brothers illegally in the US They were from Venezuela at the time of their respective arrests after Riley's murder. Diego was charged with green card fraud on February 23 for presenting a false ID to police, and Argeniz was detained at immigration.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross speaks while holding an evidence bag during the trial of Jose Ybarra in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
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.
The three brothers lived in an apartment less than 8 million meters from the campus park where Riley was running on the morning of February 22nd. Their apartment was adjacent to a shortcut leading to a running trail along UGA's campus where Riley was found. He died that afternoon in a wooded area, partially naked and covered in leaves. She died of blunt force trauma and asphyxia, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation coroner.
The area where Laken Riley's body was found near Herrick Lake on the University of Georgia campus on February 24, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Mark Sims, Fox News Digital)
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ICE previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jose Ibarra was arrested by police. new york city police A year later, in August 2023, he entered the United States and was charged with “acts causing injury to a child under 17 years of age and violation of a motor vehicle license.”
Diego Ibarra, who briefly worked in UGA's cafeteria before his arrest in February, had ties to Torren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang known in the United States, according to federal court documents.
