Illegal Immigrant Charged in Killing of Laken Riley Waives Jury Trial

Illegal Immigrant Charged in Killing of Laken Riley Waives Jury Trial
Defense attorneys Kaitlyn Beck shuffles papers in a folder as Jose Ibarra (C) appears in court for a motion hearing in Athens, Ga., on Oct. 11, 2024. Brynn Anderson/Pool/AP Photo
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ATHENS, Ga.—A man on Tuesday waived his right to a jury trial in the killing of a Georgia nursing student, a case that became a flashpoint in the national immigration debate.

Jose Ibarra was charged in the February killing of Laken Hope Riley, whose body was found on the University of Georgia campus. A 10-count indictment accused Ibarra of hitting the 22-year-old Augusta University College of Nursing student in the head, asphyxiating her and intending to sexually assault her.