Laken Riley Killer Sentenced

Georgia nursing student Laken Riley's killer was convicted yesterday of all 10 counts related to her Feb. 22 murder. The defendant, a 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The trial, which began Friday, followed the relatively rare trajectory in which a criminal defendant foregoes their right to a trial by jury in favor of a bench trial, with the judge determining the outcome. The trial centered on DNA, surveillance video, and photo evidence tying Jose Ibarra to Riley's death after she went on a morning run near the University of Georgia and failed to return.

Ibarra entered the US illegally in September 2022. His immigration status did not play a role in the trial; however, it became a flashpoint in the 2024 presidential election, in which immigration was regularly cited as a leading concern for voters.