Suspect Arrested In Connection To Murder Of UGA Nursing Student

An investigation led to the arrest of 26-year-old Jose Ibarra. He now faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and more. Ibarra was not a student at UGA.

We now have an update on the incident in which a deceased body was found on the University of Georgia’s campus.

On Thursday, 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley was found after a friend informed police she hadn’t returned from a morning run. Her body was discovered in a wooded area on the university’s Athens campus. She died from blunt force trauma.

An investigation led to the arrest of 26-year-old Jose Ibarra. He now faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and more. Ibarra was not a student at UGA.

The suspect reportedly unlawfully entered the U.S. near El Paso, Texas and was detained in 2022. He was later released by U.S. border officials pending a review of his immigration case.

ICE has now requested to detain Ibarra if and when he’s released from criminal custody so it can seek his deportation.

This is not the first time Ibarra has been arrested and charged in the U.S. since he was released pending review of his immigration case.