Evidence against man accused of Laken Riley's murder uncovered shortly before trial begins – WSB-TV Channel 2

CLARKE COUNTY, Ga. – Details of the case against Jose Ibarra, the man accused of killing University of Georgia student Laken Riley, are being released publicly for the first time.

Evidence prosecutors want against Ibarra includes a thumbprint on Riley's cellphone, video of a man throwing a bloody jacket and gloves into a dumpster just a half-mile from where her body was found, and DNA from her fingernails.

Prosecutors say a fingerprint expert identified Ibarra's thumbprint on Riley's cellphone.

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They say it was captured on video cameras around the UGA dormitory and near the running areas Riley used before her murder.

Ibarra's lawyers want the court to suppress evidence from two cell phones, Ibarra's social security records and his DNA sample.

They say police had no reason to suspect him of a crime at the time of his arrest.

But prosecutors say Ibarra was arrested because police had reasonable suspicions that he was involved in Riley's death.

Ibarra's lawyers are asking that his trial be moved from Athens-Clark County to another location.

Jury selection for Ibarra's trial is scheduled to begin on November 13.

Ibarra is charged with premeditated murder, first-degree murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, obstructing a 911 call and covering up the death of another person.

According to law enforcement, both Ibarra and his brother Diego were in the United States as undocumented immigrants.

According to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Diego Ibarra “is a Venezuelan citizen and was placed on trial for expedited deportation but claimed he had a credible fear of returning to Venezuela. He was subsequently released from immigration custody pending the adjudication of his asylum application on April 30, 2024.”

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