A man from Venezuela was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student. Her violent death sparked a nationwide discussion on border security and became pivotal during the presidential campaign.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally in September 2022, was convicted on multiple counts including murder, aggravated assault with intent to rape, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence by Judge H. Patrick Haggard of Athens-Clarke County Superior Court. Ibarra chose to forgo a jury trial in favor of a bench trial, where the judge makes the final decision.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole.

“Laken was a wonderful friend, sister, niece, daughter, and granddaughter. Everyone who knew her loved her,” said Allyson Phillips, Riley’s mother, during a victim impact statement. “When Jose Ibarra attacked her, he didn’t just take Laken’s life—he changed the lives of her family and friends forever. None of us will ever be the same.”

During the presidential campaign, former President Donald Trump and his Republican supporters used this case to criticize President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, amplifying concerns about crime committed by individuals who enter the U.S. unlawfully.

Riley, 22, was a nursing student at Augusta University when she went running on February 22 at the University of Georgia, where she had previously studied. Prosecutors argued that Ibarra, 26, intended to assault Riley when he attacked her on the university’s intramural fields. He was apprehended the following day at a nearby apartment complex.

Throughout the trial, Judge Haggard listened to a translation of a recorded jail phone call between Ibarra and his wife, Layling Franco, which took place on May 11.

During this call, as translated by FBI Agent Abeisis Ramirez, Franco asked why investigators only had Ibarra’s DNA, questioning, “What happened to the girl?” while Ibarra attempted to silence her. He did not confess to killing Riley during this conversation.

Prosecutors claim Ibarra was ‘hunting for females’

The trial commenced last Friday with special prosecutor Sheila Ross stating that Ibarra had been “hunting for females” on campus, chose Riley, and when she resisted his assault, he brutally attacked her with a rock.

The prosecution presented surveillance footage showing a man identified as Ibarra discarding a blue jacket in a dumpster. This jacket was later retrieved and found to contain DNA from both Riley and Ibarra, who was not enrolled at the university. Additionally, prosecutors mentioned that Ibarra’s DNA was discovered under Riley’s nails, alongside digital evidence that links him to the crimes.

Evidence from two cellphones and a smartwatch indicated that Riley and Ibarra were on the same path during the time of her death. This data detailed her location, running speed, and heart rate, which was presented in testimony by Wesley Durkit, an IT security analyst from UGA Police Department.

The data showed that Riley stopped running at 9:10 a.m., with her heart rate dropping to zero by 9:28 a.m. She attempted to call 911 at 9:11 a.m.

Before heading out for her run, Riley was in contact with her mother, Phillips, asking if they could talk, but later stopped responding. According to reports from The Associated Press, Phillips texted at 9:37 a.m. saying, “Call me when you can.” She made multiple calls, and at 9:58 a.m. texted again, “You’re making me nervous not answering while you’re out running. Are you OK?” At 11:47 a.m. she texted, “Please call me. I’m worried sick about you.”

Defense claims evidence is ‘circumstantial’

Defense attorney Dustin Kirby acknowledged that while the evidence suggested a murder occurred, he argued that the connection to Ibarra was merely “circumstantial,” asserting that there is no definitive proof of intent or sexual assault.

During the closing arguments on Wednesday, the defense attempted to instill reasonable doubt regarding the evidence and introduced an alternative theory: that it could have been Diego Ibarra, the defendant’s brother, who killed Riley.

The district attorney’s office has stated that if Ibarra is found guilty of the most severe charges, they will seek life imprisonment without parole, but will not pursue the death penalty.

Murder sparks immigration discussions

This tragic event quickly became part of the immigration discourse, especially after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia emphasized the attack before and during Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7, calling for him to mention Riley’s name.

Biden responded by expressing condolences to Riley’s family and appealing to Republicans for support of a bipartisan border security proposal that ultimately failed in Congress in February due to pressure from Trump, who was the anticipated GOP nominee at the time and is now the president-elect.

Ibarra was taken into custody at the Texas-Mexico border in September 2022, but was permitted to remain in the United States to pursue his immigration claim, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Republicans have highlighted this incident as a demonstration of the risks they associate with President Biden’s immigration policies, despite numerous studies indicating that undocumented immigrants are generally less likely to commit crimes compared to U.S.-born individuals.

Trump has been vocal in asserting that immigrants predominantly bring problems. He referred to Riley’s murder during his acceptance speech at the National Republican Convention in July, stating, “Once again, an American life has been taken by a criminal alien released by this administration. My pledge to America is this: I will deny entry to these violent individuals.”