Jose Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was found guilty Wednesday of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.

Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard on Wednesday found Ybarra guilty on all charges following the conclusion of the trial. his murder trial It lasted several days. The ruling brought some closure to a murder case that sparked a national debate about the impact of mass illegal immigration to the United States. (Related: Biden says he regrets labeling Laken Riley murder suspect ‘illegal’ after backlash from liberals)

Haggard said Ybarra is guilty of malicious murder, felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to commit rape, aggravated assault, interfering with or obstructing a 9-1-1 call, tampering with evidence, and voyeurism. I declared that there was.

Riley, a nursing student from Athens, Georgia, was abducted and murdered while jogging near the University of Georgia campus on February 22nd. The medical examiner determined Riley died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, a Venezuelan national, was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later acknowledged that Ybarra entered the country illegally in September 2022, sparking further statewide and national backlash.

Ibarra’s two brothers, Diego and Argenis, also entered the United States illegally and are being detained by authorities. Diego has been charged with green card fraud, and Argenis is on immigration hold.

Law enforcement investigating the murder found DNA evidence of Ybarra under Riley’s fingernails, linking him to the crime, resisting Riley’s attempted rape, and ultimately killing her. It is strongly implied that he was murdered. Mr. Ybarra has maintained his innocence, and his public defenders have tried to argue that the evidence against him is circumstantial, including that his brother Diego also shares Mr. Ybarra’s DNA and that Mr. Riley’s brutality It was suggested that he may have been involved in the murder.

Haggard called for a brief recess after the verdict and said he would decide later what Ybarra’s sentence would be.

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