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Written by: E. George
Published February 24, 2024 @ 9:20 AM ET
Update #2: Federal prosecutors have now charged Diego Ibarra with possessing a fraudulent U.S. permanent resident card, the same day police arrested his younger brother, Jose Ibarra, on murder charges, the Department of Justice announced in a press release. The brothers are said to be from Venezuela.
According to an incident report, an officer found Riley in the woods beaten to death 30 minutes after when they believed the murder took place.
Campus security cameras helped identify the suspect and they searched his apartment which is less than two miles from the crime scene.
According to police, “The evidence suggests this was a solo act. We took three or four people into custody. However, we’re only going to arrest one.” The identities of the other individuals who were detained have not been released.
Update #1: Police announced during a press conference on Friday night that they have a person in custody and have secured arrest warrants on a 26-year-old Athens man, Jose Antonio Ibarra for the murder of a nursing student on UGA’s campus.
According to UGA police chief Jeffrey Clark, Ibarra is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another in the death of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley.
Police said Ibarra lived in an apartment off of S. Milledge Avenue and they were currently serving a search warrant on it. Video surveillance was a key component in their investigation to identify a suspect.
They stated that Riley died of blunt-force trauma.
This was a “crime of opportunity” and the two did not know each other before the murder.
Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and was not a student at the university, according to police.
The investigation is ongoing.
CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. – Two deaths were reported on the University of Georgia campus in Athens within two days. On the night of Wednesday, February 21, a student was discovered deceased in his dorm room at Brumby Hall, and on Thursday afternoon, police found the body of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley near the intramural fields after her friend reported her missing.
UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark stated, “There has not been a homicide in the last 20 years here on campus.”
Riley had gone for a jog in the fields on Thursday morning, and when she failed to return, her friend called the UGA Police just after noon. Officers searched the perimeter, which contained walking and running trails, and located Riley in a wooded area not far from the fields and Lake Herrick.
UGA officials expressed, “We have been fully briefed on this terrible situation. Foul play is suspected, and we are already receiving support from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Athens-Clarke County Police Department to investigate this crime.”
Clark revealed that upon finding Riley, she “was unconscious and not breathing and had visible injuries.” In a statement, police said, “Officers immediately began rendering medical aid. Emergency medical responders determined that she was deceased upon their arrival.”
UGA Police, Athens-Clarke County Police, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating her death as a homicide and searching for a suspect and motive.
Clark stated, “This is a tragic day, and I want to offer my most sincerest condolences to the grieving family, friends, and campus partners. We are going to leave no rock unturned during this investigation.”
Police searched the crime scene for clues all day and into the night. Clark said, “My investigators will be working on this case day and night. They will be looking at every security camera we have.”
UGA confirmed that Riley attended the school as an undergraduate until spring 2023. Augusta University verified that she was a current student at their Athens College of Nursing campus. She transferred from UGA to Augusta University because UGA does not offer a nursing program.
Riley attended a high school in Woodstock, northwest of Atlanta, and graduated in 2020. She was a member of the cross-country team.
Although authorities instructed students not to travel alone and to avoid the area where Riley was found, Clark stated, “When you have a suspect that’s on the loose, there’s always a danger, but there’s no immediate danger at this time.”
Friday classes were canceled for both schools. Augusta University remained open “as a gathering place for students, faculty, and staff,” according to Imperial Valley Press.
In addition to the two deaths, UGA also experienced an armed robbery on campus on the night of February 16.
Veronica Bennett, the mother of a UGA student, said Riley’s death “hits a little too close to home.” She and other mothers are urging the university to improve security by employing more safety precautions and features besides just the school’s safety phone application.
She said the university rejected some of their suggestions, including blue safety lights.
Bennett stated, “As a parent, I get tired of that being UGA’s go-to. ‘Oh, we have the safety app.’ Well, the safety app is not much of a deterrent.”
The student found deceased in his dormitory has since been ruled a suicide.
Police are actively looking for the person or persons responsible for Riley’s death. On Friday, they established a mobile command center at the Argo Apartments off Milledge Avenue near Lake Herrick and UGA. At around 1 p.m.,UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor confirmed they are speaking to a person of interest. No other information was released about that person and the police are stressing that this is still an active investigation.
UGA Police are asking anyone with information related to Riley’s death to contact the university’s police department at 706-542-2200.
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