Jose Ibarra, the man accused of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, has waived his right to a jury trial. The decision was made during a hearing in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Tuesday (November 12). Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, will now have his case heard solely by a judge. The trial is set to begin on Friday.
Ibarra is charged with the February murder of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus. The ten-count indictment accuses Ibarra of hitting Riley in the head, asphyxiating her, and intending to sexually assault her.
Ibarra’s defense team had previously attempted to exclude some evidence and expert testimony and have the trial moved out of Athens. However, these requests were unsuccessful. The defense also tried to have fingerprints collected from Ibarra’s phone excluded from evidence, claiming they were collected illegally. This motion was denied by Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard.
Prosecutors have chosen not to seek the death penalty but intend to seek a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ibarra is currently being held in the Athens-Clarke County Jail without bond.
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