Jose Ibarra, man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, requests new trial

Jose Ibarra, the man found guilty of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley while she was out for a run on a trail along UGA's campus in February 2024, is requesting a new trial, according to court documents obtained by 11Alive on Thursday. The 26-year-old Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without parole in a bench trial with Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard back in November 2024. The killing of the 22-year-old Riley added fuel to the national debate over immigration when federal authorities said Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 and was allowed to stay in the country while he pursued his immigration case.