Murder of Laken Riley

Murder of Laken Riley
Murder of Laken Riley
	Undated photo of Laken Riley
Location	University of Georgia—Oconee Forest Park, Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Coordinates	33°55′40″N 83°22′22″W / 33.9279°N 83.3728°W
Date	February 22, 2024 ; c. 9 a.m. – 9:32 a.m. (EST)
Attack type	Murder by blunt trauma and asphyxiation, kidnapping, beating, crime of opportunity
Victim	Laken Riley
Perpetrator	José Antonio Ibarra
Verdict	Guilty on all counts
Convictions	Felony murder (3 counts); Malice murder; Kidnapping with bodily injury; Aggravated battery; Aggravated assault with intent to rape; False imprisonment; Hindering an emergency telephone call; Concealing the death of another; Peeping Tom;
Sentence	Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole

On February 22, 2024, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student, was murdered while she was jogging at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. Her body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick; her death was caused by blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.

The perpetrator, José Antonio Ibarra, is a 26-year-old Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally. He was arrested by UGA police and was charged with 10 counts, including felony murder, malice murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and kidnapping. Ibarra was found guilty on all charges on November 20, 2024, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Riley's death made international news, generating extensive media attention. It sparked a debate over illegal immigration in the United States after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and was caught crossing the border but was released into the United States. On March 7, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act, a bill that would require federal detention of illegal immigrants arrested for burglary or theft. It faced opposition in the then Democratic-controlled Senate and failed to come to a vote. The bill again passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support on January 7, 2025 and an amended version passed the Senate on January 20 as part of the 119th Congress. It became the first bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in his second term.