Laken Riley murder: How nursing student’s killing became the center of the political universe

ATLANTA — Shortly following word of Laken Riley’s death at the hands of an illegal immigrant, it became clear that her murder was going to cause a firestorm.

On Wednesday, Jose Ibarra was found guilty on all counts in the college student’s death.

Riley, a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing’s Athens campus, was out running on the University of Georgia’s campus the morning of Feb. 22, 2024, when Ibarra killed her.

Her death sparked outrage across the board and added fuel to the national immigration debate that became a top issue in this year’s presidential election.

Ibarra had entered the country illegally from Venezuela, eventually landing in Athens. Two of his brothers have also been detained for being in the country illegally.

President-elect Donald Trump released a statement Wednesday, saying:

“JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY! The Illegal who killed our beloved Laken Riley was just found GUILTY on all counts for his horrific crimes. Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever, hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for Justice, and to ensure that other families don’t have to go through what they have. We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!”

During the State of the Union in March, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene brought attention to Riley’s death, posting a video to X, formerly known as Twitter, in a t-shirt reading, “Say Her Name Laken Riley” along with a pin bearing Riley’s photo and a “Make America Great Again” hat.

“The State of the Union is Laken Riley. America is under attack because of Joe Biden’s open border policies with more than 10 million illegal aliens invading our country,” she said on X.

As President Joe Biden made his way into the U.S. House of Representatives Chamber to deliver his address, Greene handed him a pin with Riley’s photo on it and asked him to say her name.

In a separate video she posted on X, you can see Greene handing the president the pin and saying, “Laken Riley.”

“I know how to say the name,” he responded.

RELATED STORIES:

• Laken Riley murder case: How selfies from Jose Ibarra could impact the case
• Laken Riley murder case: Bench trial begins Friday for accused killer Jose Ibarra
• Laken Riley murder case: Jose Ibarra waives right to jury trial, asks for bench trial
• Judge denies motion to suppress evidence for Laken Riley’s accused killer ahead of trial
• Laken Riley murder case: Attorneys for Jose Ibarra ask judge to throw out evidence

She then went on to encourage him to say her name out loud as he continued down the aisle and onto the podium.

During an appearance at a campaign rally in October, Trump mentioned the murder of Riley, accusing his electoral opponent Vice President Kamala Harris of allowing criminals into the United States through what he said was an open border.

“Right here in Georgia, our nation was robbed of a brilliant 22-year-old nursing student, Laken Riley,” the former president said in part. “Laken was a brilliant young student, top of her class, going to be a great nurse, nursing student, everyone admired her. She was killed viciously while out on a jog, she was assaulted, beaten and horrifically murdered by an illegal alien.”

Federal agents previously told Channel 2 Action News that they could not confirm when Jose Ibarra crossed the border into the U.S. Immigration officials added that they also could not verify his immigration status.

However, New York police confirmed Jose Ibarra was there in Aug. 2023 and was arrested after he was caught driving an unregistered, uninsured car with a five-year-old inside. He was charged with reckless endangerment of a child and acting in a manner injurious to a child.

WABC reported that Jose Ibarra was in New York with his wife and child before leaving for Georgia shortly after he bonded out of jail.

According to court documents, immigration officers reported that Diego Ibarra crossed the border into Texas in 2023, where he claimed asylum. In an arrest affidavit, the officer wrote, “Due to a finding of credible fear, Diego Ibarra was released to New York, New York pending adjudication of his claim for asylum.”

Authorities said they believe Diego Ibarra arrived in Georgia from New York by Sept. 2023 after officers arrested him for the first time and charged him with driving under the influence without a license.

A month later, officials said Diego Ibarra was arrested again for shoplifting. Court documents said he was then arrested in Dec. for failing to appear for fingerprinting.

In Feb., UGA officials told Channel 2 Action News he had been working as a campus dishwasher at Bolton Dining Hall. A spokesperson for the university said Diego Ibarra gave them a fake green card to get the job, but since he never submitted the correct documents to keep his job, he was never paid.

“You saw the picture from Venezuela. The savage monster who murdered Laken was let in and released into our country by Kamala Harris. He came in through open borders,” Trump said while talking about Riley’s death. “Nobody even checked him. Come right in, come right in, his brother was also in Georgia illegally.”

In a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday, he reiterated that Ibarra should not have been allowed to be in our country.

“This criminal should never have been allowed to enter our country, and he certainly should not have been allowed to stay after shamelessly breaking our laws. Open border policies failed Laken Riley, and today’s verdict is a reminder that the safety of our communities must remain our number one priority. While our state has taken considerable actions to address the impact of the border crisis, I will not waver in supporting efforts that secure our border and keep this state and our nation safe,” Kemp said in part.

Earlier this year, Georgia U.S. Rep. Mike Collins introduced The Laken Riley Act into the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation is meant to give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement more tools to “fight against illegal alien crime.”

“While we can’t bring Laken back, we must now turn our focus to doing everything we can to prevent this from happening to another American,” Collins said in a statement, in part. “The Laken Riley Act is a key piece in our fight to restore the rule of law and get criminal illegal aliens off our streets.”

Additionally, the bill would amend federal law to require ICE to issue detainers and take custody of undocumented migrants who commit theft-related crimes like shoplifting, as defined by state and local laws where they reside.

The bill would also allow state Attorneys General to sue the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security for injunctive relief if immigration actions like parole, violating detention requirements or other “policy failures” harm that state or its citizens.

The bill passed the House and is currently stalled in the Senate.

©2024 Cox Media Group