Jose Antonio Ibarra – The man accused of killing nursing student Laken Hope Riley on the University of Georgia campus has been identified by the police chief. In an announcement made on Friday evening, Chief Jeff Clarke revealed that Jose Antonio Ibarra had been apprehended. Ibarra is now facing a multitude of charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.
The suspect, who is believed to be 26 years old, resides in an apartment in Athens, Ga., where the university is located. It is worth noting that he is not a U.S. citizen, although his immigration status remains uncertain. Chief Clarke stated that the evidence suggests Ibarra acted alone and that Riley’s killing was an isolated incident, describing it as a crime of opportunity.
Following the discovery of Riley’s body, classes were canceled on Thursday afternoon. Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from another institution, went missing while out for a run, and her cause of death has been determined to be blunt force trauma. Classes at the university are scheduled to resume on Monday.