Suspect in Laken Riley murder pleads not guilty

Published May 31, 2024 7:49pm ET



The sole suspect in the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley pleaded not guilty Friday.

Riley’s alleged murderer, Jose Ibarra, 26, is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela and had been arrested previously after crossing the border in 2022 on charges such as shoplifting. His illegal status was known to authorities before the murder, but he was not kept in custody. He lived near the University of Georgia campus.

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