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Laken Riley case: Georgia authorities identify murder

suspect in custody in nursing student's slaying
Laken Riley found dead after concerned friend told UGA police she didn't come home from morning jog
By Michael Ruiz , Audrey Conklin , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten Fox News

Published February 23, 2024 5:13pm EST | Updated February 23, 2024 7:21pm EST

Nursing student found dead on University of Georgia campus pictured

Fox News' Madison Scarpino reports on reaction from UGA campus.

ATHENS, Ga. – The University of Georgia Police Department have taken a suspect in
custody in connection with the suspected homicide of a 22-year-old nursing student from
Augusta University who police found dead on the University of Georgia campus Thursday.

Police have charged Jose Antonio Ibarra with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated
battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and
concealing the death of another, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark said during a news
briefing Friday evening. The suspect is not a U.S. citizen, according to authorities.

"The evidence is robust," he told reporters, crediting campus security cameras in part for
the arrest.

Clark said he believed the attack was a "crime of opportunity" and that the suspected killer
had no known connection to the victim. Ibarra is not a UGA student, he added.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA POLICE QUESTIONING ‘PERSON OF INTEREST’ IN LAKEN

RILEY HOMICIDE

Laken Riley smiles for a photo while running. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a
lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024, after she failed to return from her morning jog. (Laken Riley/Instagram)

Ibarra's immigration status was not immediately known to investigators, the chief said,
adding that he believed the suspect is from Venezuela.

"Right now I don’t know his full status," he said. "He is not a citizen of the United States."

Police initially swept up three to four people during the early stages of the investigation
but were only arresting and charging Ibarra, Clark added.

Riley had previously attended UGA before entering a nursing program at Augusta's Athens
campus, where she made the Dean's List.

Police were asking anyone who saw anything "relevant or suspicious" between 7 a.m. and
noon Thursday around UGA's Intramural Fields and Lake Herrick to call 706-542-2200.

That's where they found Riley – with "visible injuries" – within 30 after they received a call
from a concerned friend who said she went for a run and didn't come back.

According to an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital, multiple officers began
searching for Riley near the Intramural Fields around 12:07 p.m. At 12:38, a UGA police
officer spotted her on the ground.

"I called out to Riley, and I did not get a response," the officer wrote.

Read the incident report :

She had visible injuries, and police could not locate a pulse. They began CPR anyway. A
sergeant arrived with a defibrillator minutes later and unsuccessfully attempted to revive
the victim.

"Based on the injuries and Riley's physical condition, suspected that foul play was I

involved," the police report reads. Investigators were reviewing the officer's bodycam for
additional evidence.

Flowers under the sign at Lake Herrick, where Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was found dead Thursday after failing to
return home from her morning run. (Audrey Conklin/Fox News Digital)

GEORGIA NURSING STUDENT FOUND DEAD ON UGA CAMPUS IDENTIFIED AS LAKEN

RILEY

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead
near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Facebook)

Autopsy results remained pending Friday, but authorities said they were investigating her
death as a homicide. Clark said it appeared as though she had been killed by blunt-force
trauma.

Classes and events at both universities were canceled Friday.

Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead
near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)

Lake Herrick is part of UGA's campus, nestled between various university practice fields
and Oconee Forest Park. The lake is bordered by a pedestrian trail and has a recreational
beach. Authorities are asking the public to avoid the area as they investigate.

The last time UGA reported a homicide on campus was 20 years ago, UGA Police Chief
Jeffrey Clark said during a Thursday evening news conference. The police chief said that
there was not "immediate danger" on campus.

Michael Ruiz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to michael.ruiz@fox.com and on
Twitter: @mikerreports

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