Content warning: This article includes graphic details of murder.
On Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, the bench trial began for the man accused of killing Laken Riley in February. In their opening statements, prosecutors told the judge that the defendant went out “hunting for females” on the day Laken was murdered.
Before we delve deeper into the trial, let’s pause for a moment to reflect on what exactly happened to Laken Riley. Here’s what you need to know.
What happened to Laken Riley?
On Feb. 22, 2024, Laken Riley — a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University in Georgia — went for a morning jog at the University of Georgia. In the opening statements of the trial, special prosecutor Sheila Ross revealed that the suspect, Jose Ibarra, came across Riley shortly after she left her apartment.
A Garmin watch that Laken Riley had received for Christmas indicated that she stopped running at 9:10 a.m., just seven minutes after leaving her home to run on the UGA campus trail.
“Something happens. He does something to her to make her stop dead in her tracks,” Ross explained to the court. “She initiates the SOS function on her phone and calls 911, and she immediately stops.”