Venezuelan man sentenced to life in prison for murdering Laken Riley

The Venezuelan man convicted of murdering a nursing student in Georgia Laken Riley was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A judge handed down the verdict and sentence on Wednesday after 26-year-old Jose Ibarra requested a trial.

Riley was killed in February while jogging on the University of Georgia campus. Prosecutors said Ibarra also tried to rape the 22-year-old, “suffocate her” and “severely disfigure her head by hitting her head multiple times with a rock.”

During the trial, special prosecutor Sheila Ross told the judge that Riley was fighting “for her life” and “her dignity” during her encounter with Ibarra.

Riley’s family and friends cried in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Ibarra showed no emotion — even as Riley’s loved ones shared stories leading up to the sentencing.

Riley’s murder contributed to the national conversation about immigration. Ibarra is believed to have entered the country illegally in 2022 and was allowed to stay while his immigration case progressed through the courts.

President-elect Donald Trump mentioned the case repeatedly during his campaign. He has promised a mass deportation of illegal immigrants in the country when he returns to office. His government said the initial focus will be on individuals who have committed crimes.

After learning of the verdict, Trump posted on Truth Social about Riley and her family.

“While the pain and heartbreak will last forever, hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her amazing family who fought for justice, and ensure that other families don’t have to go through what they went through.” , he stated. ‘We love you, Laeken, and our hearts will always be with you. It’s time to secure our border and remove these criminals and thugs from our country so something like this can’t happen again!’