The trial of slain 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley began Friday, with prosecutors releasing a chilling 911 call made during the time of the attack, placed by Riley to authorities and allegedly linked to suspected killer and illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra.
Riley was found dead at the University of Georgia campus in February, with Ibarra arrested in connection to the murder just a day later. During the first day of the trial, prosecutor Sheila Ross played the 911 call from Riley’s phone, allowing the court to hear muffled sounds as a dispatcher could be heard asking if anyone could hear her.
“Clark County 911,” the dispatcher said. “Can anyone hear me?”
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The trial has begun for Jose Ibarra, the man accused of murdering Laken Riley, a nursing student whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus. Riley’s death in February became a rallying cry for some political candidates after it was revealed that Ibarra entered the… pic.twitter.com/fWVElpc6hI
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 15, 2024
Before Riley’s final moments, the nursing student had left her home around 9:03 a.m. to a nearby wooded trail where she often ran, according to CBS News. By 9:10 a.m. data from her watch showed Riley was running at a fast pace before something made her “stop dead in her tracks.” This led to a 911 call at 9:11 a.m., the outlet reported.
During her opening statement to the court, Ross argued that the 26-year-old illegal immigrant went “hunting for females” on the college campus, finding Riley and bashing her skull repeatedly when she “refused” to be his rape victim.
“On February 22, Jose Ibarra put on a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and some black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and he went hunting for females on the University of Georgia’s campus. In his hunt, he encountered 22-year-old Laken Riley on her morning jog,” Ross said.
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“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly. That is what this case is all about. So the evidence will show that Laken fought,” Ross said. “She fought for her life. She fought for her dignity, and, in that fight, she caused this defendant to leave forensic evidence behind.”
Riley’s attack lasted an estimated 17 minutes, with data from her watch showing that her heart was still beating until 9:28 a.m., according to CBS News. In addition to the 911 call, Ross also played security camera footage showing a man in a plaid shirt, whom she identified as Ibarra, in the parking lot of his apartment complex around 9:44 a.m. The footage showed him tossing an unknown item into a recycling bin and appearing to throw another item into the bushes nearby, according to CBS News.
Following Ross’ opening, defense attorney Dustin Kirby argued that none of the evidence, despite being disturbing, proves Ibarra was Riley’s killer. The illegal immigrant is facing charges that include one count of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, one count each of kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, hindering an emergency telephone call, tampering with evidence and being a peeping Tom, CBS News reported.
Featured Image Credit: Kat Wilcox
