ATHENS, Ga. — A judge denied bond Saturday morning for the 26-year-old man accused of killing an Augusta University nursing student whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus earlier this week.
Police say the suspect, identified as Jose Antonio Ibarra, likely did not know the victim.
In a room full of law enforcement partners, UGA Chief of Police Jeff Clark identified the suspect in the crime Friday. According to authorities, 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley was found behind Lake Herrick in the forested area on UGA's campus Thursday, which is not far from the intramural fields.
"At this time, the investigation suggests that they had no relationship," Clark said. "He didn't know her at all. I think this was a crime of opportunity where he saw an opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happen."
On Friday, Clark also said that Jose Ibarra is not a US citizen, but Clark did not know his immigration status at the time. 11Alive reached out to Customs and Border Protection and ICE, seeking clarity.
On Sunday, Lindsay Williams, a spokesperson for ICE, stated U.S. Customs and Border Protection had previously arrested Ibarra in September of 2022 AFTER "unlawfully entering the United States: near El Paso, Texas. She added that he "was paroled and released for further processing."
Williams added that almost a year later in August, Ibarra was arrested by New York Police and charged with "acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation." However, she noted he was released by police before a detainer could be issued.
Over the weekend, Ibarra's wife spoke exclusively with the New York Post about the shocking crime, saying, “We got married so we could join our asylum cases...He was the person I thought I could see through. We’ve known each other our entire lives."
Ibarra's wife also described him as not aggressive, telling the New York Post, “We had problems as a couple, but our problems weren’t physical. We wouldn’t punch, but we’d raise our voices.
In the same interview, she stated, "he wanted to get a better job in Georgia," and noted that she and her son were in an El Paso facility for five days before they made the journey to New York.
“I want to talk to [Jose],” she said. “I have a lot of faith that this wasn’t him, that there was a misunderstanding somewhere. But if he did, he has to pay for what he did, truly.”
More on the case
The UGA Police Department was called by a concerned friend around noon on Feb. 22 to report that Riley had gone for a run at the fields on UGA's campus but had not returned, according to authorities. That's when officers headed down, arriving around 12:38 p.m. to search for Riley. Not too long after, she was found dead.
The chief said the evidence suggests this was a solo act and that Riley was killed from blunt force trauma.
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 person. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office released a photo of him just after midnight.
"We haven't had a homicide at the University of Georgia in almost 30 years," Clark said. "This, as I stated before, was an individual who woke up with bad intentions on that day."
Clark called the evidence collected so far in the case "robust," and included input from the community. He said they were also assisted by video from the campus security networks.
"This arrest was facilitated by the excellent work by both patrol officers and detectives from the University of Georgia Police Department, and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, as well as Georgia Bureau of Investigations with the assistance of federal agencies as well," Clark lauded.
Clark and the other law enforcement officials expressed condolences to Riley's family and friends, calling it a "heartbreaking" time. GBI Director Chris Hosey shared similar sentiments about Riley's death during Friday's news conference.
"Our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with her family, friends, and this community for many, many days to come in this tragic event," he said.
According to officials, Riley was a UGA student up until the spring semester of 2023 before she transferred to the Augusta University College of Nursing program at Athens. She was enrolled as a junior and on the Dean's List.
The nursing school in a statement said Riley, who received her honorary white coat last August and was slated to graduate in 2025, had a "promising future" as a nurse.
Anyone who may have pertinent information to the investigation is asked to call UGA Police; detectives are still collecting evidence in the case.