Laken Riley made a desperate 911 call as she struggled for survival, according to police, before her attacker cut short her call and brutally beat her to death. The chilling new details came to light today as Athens-Clarke County police shared more documents from their investigation.
These documents included details about the family background of the alleged killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal Venezuelan migrant. The popular August University nursing student was assaulted while jogging on the UGA campus on Thursday before being killed and dragged into the bushes. Police have declined to release the audio of the call but confirmed that Riley, 22, was in contact with a dispatcher.
Chilling New Details
Ibarra has also been charged with forcefully obstructing a 911 call. This came as Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz faced immense criticism on Wednesday after it was revealed that police found several undocumented immigrants living in Ibarra's apartment in the city.
As he tried to refute the notion that Athens is a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, the crowd began shouting at the mayor.
A man in the crowd repeatedly shouted: "You're a liar."
The man said: "You're the one who is guilty and got blood on your hands for this murder, sir!"
"Resign!" others in the crowd shouted.
Other protesters held signs that read: "Blood on your hands" and "Make Athens safe again."
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Ibarra's brother, Diego Ibarra, 29, allegedly gave police a forged green card containing two different dates of birth when he was pulled over for speeding in September last year.
Diego Ibarra entered the country illegally in April 2023 and was arrested five months later for driving at 80mph in a 40mph zone without a license or insurance, while also consuming a can of Bud Light.
"I opened the driver's door and ordered him to step out of the vehicle, but he turned and began reaching inside of the vehicle, so I forcibly pulled him out," the investigating officer wrote.
"The driver struggled and was brought to the ground, where there was a short struggle to handcuff him."
Criminal Family
Days later, police responded to a domestic disturbance at his apartment, but he was not arrested. On October 27, both brothers were cited for allegedly stealing over $200 from an Athens Walmart.
Diego reportedly returned to steal more items on December 8, resulting in a two-year ban from the store.
Jose Ibarra faces charges in Riley's killing, including felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and concealing the death of another.
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters that officers conducted a search of Ibarra's apartment in Athens, and the evidence indicates that he acted alone.
"He did not know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened," Clark said.
"The evidence is robust. It is supported by key input by the community, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security cameras network."
Jose Ibarra is accused of using an unidentified object as a weapon to fatally assault Laken between 9 am and 1 pm on Thursday, February 22.
Riley's lifeless body was found on the same day on the University of Georgia campus in a wooded area near Lake Herrick, known for its popular trails among runners and walkers.
According to police, Riley died from "blunt force trauma" after a severe beating, resulting in a "disfigured skull." An arrest affidavit, as reported by CBS News, indicated that Ibarra dragged her body to a secluded area to conceal the death.
