On February 22,2022, Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student, was murdered while she was jogging at the University of Georgia located in Athens, Georgia. Her body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick, and her death was caused by blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. The perpetrator, Jose Antonio Ibarra, is a 26-year old Venezuelan. One of Ibarra’s former roommates, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, testified that the two had travelled together from New York City, where they had been living in a migrant shelter, to Georgia in search of work. Ibarra entered the U.S. illegally on 8 September 2022, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Riley’s death made international news and caught social media attention. This sparked a debate over illegal immigration in the United States after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Ibarra is not a U.S. citizen and was caught crossing the border but was released into the United States.

He was arrested by UGA police and was charged with 10 counts, including felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and kidnapping. Ibarra was found guilty on all charges on November 20, 2024, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The prosecution did not seek the death penalty in the case. Ibarra was seen looking down much of the time as the sentence was read. Haggard ordered the sentences be served consecutively, meaning one after the other. Prosecutor Sheila Ross described each charge and why Ibarra was guilty on all counts, outlining Ibarra’s clear intention to kill Riley, citing evidence and testimony from the medical examiner. “He put huge holes in her head with a rock. And he did it more than once. And there could be no other reason to do that other than to silence her forever,” the prosecutor said. Ibarra also deprived Riley of oxygen long enough to cause wounds and “intended to kill her,” Ross said.

Riley’s funeral was held on March 1, 2024, at the Woodstock City Church. She was buried at the Enon Cemetery in Woodstock, Georgia. A memorial was made for Riley at Lake Herrick park by where she was murdered. Riley’s family started sharing an online fund to raise money for the foundation, called the “Laken Hope Riley Foundation.” Her stepfather said “she will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way.” Riley’s parents, Jason Riley and Allyson Philips, were invited to the State of the Union by Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, but they turned down his invitation.

President Joe Biden mentioned the murder of Riley during the 2024 State of the Union address, after Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted Riley’s name at the president. Sarah Dorn, writing for Forbes, said Riley’s murder became a “national political case” during a “historic surge in border crossings during Biden’s tenure.” Donald Trump mentioned Riley during his speech for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Riley, along with other women and girls reportedly killed by illegal immigrants, including Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old Houston girl killed in June 2024, were heavily featured in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and his political advertisements on illegal immigration and border security.