Laken Riley murder case: Evidence hearing for Jose Ibarra could be delayed – WSB-TV Channel 2

ATHENS, Ga. – Lawyers for the man accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus are asking the court to postpone an upcoming hearing.

Jose Ibarra is currently scheduled to appear in court on October 11th for a DNA evidence hearing.

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Court documents filed Tuesday in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court show attorneys want the hearing postponed.

“Neither the defendant nor the state was provided the underlying DNA testing data in this case, despite repeated requests from both parties. Without this data, the defendant cannot properly assess whether scientific methods were properly applied in this case. The state is not against a continuation,” the application states.

As of Thursday, a judge had not made a decision on whether to postpone the hearing.

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What evidence was presented?

The evidence prosecutors say they have against Ibarra includes a fingerprint on Riley's cell phone, a video of a man throwing a bloody jacket and gloves into a dumpster just a half-mile from where her body was found, as well as DNA from her fingernails.

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

They say it was recorded on video cameras around a UGA student's dorm room and near the running fields Riley used before her death.

Ibarra's lawyers want the court to suppress evidence from two cellphones, Ibarra's social medical accounts and his DNA sample. They say police had no reason to suspect him of a crime when he was arrested.

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

When does the process start?

Jury selection for the Ibarra trial is currently scheduled to begin on November 13th, with opening statements scheduled for November 18th.

If there are any changes to the trial schedule, they will be updated on the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Records website.

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