What Happened to Laken Riley? What to Know About the Nursing Student's Gruesome Murder (and the Controversial Immigration Law That Followed) By Lynsey Eidell

On Feb. 22, 2024, Laken Riley went out for a morning jog — and tragically, never returned.

The 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student encountered danger shortly after she began her run on the University of Georgia’s campus, her cell phone records would later show. At 9:03 a.m., Riley called her mother, Allyson Phillips, after texting her that she was about to begin her run. Eight minutes later, Riley made another phone call, this time, to 911. The call was abruptly hung up, and two return phone calls went unanswered.

Riley’s loved ones grew increasingly worried about her that morning, as her family repeatedly attempted to contact her with no response. Her roommates were also concerned, and reported Riley missing around noon when she did not come back from her jog. Shortly after, Riley was found dead with “visible injuries.”

Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2022, was eventually arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Riley.

“She was like an angel,” her father, Jason Riley, said on the Today show in March 2024. “We were looking forward to seeing her graduate next year. She was so full of life. I just hate that she was taken so early.”

During President Donald Trump’s second term, he signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which mandates federal detention of undocumented immigrants who are arrested for burglary or theft. While some celebrated the signing, others accused the Trump administration of politicizing a tragedy for their own benefit.

From the morning she went missing to the political debate sparked by her death, here is everything to know about Laken Riley and her tragic murder.

Who was Laken Riley?

Riley was born on Jan. 10, 2002, in Marietta, Ga. She graduated from River Ridge High School in 2020, per the Associated Press. Riley, who ran cross country in high school, was described as an “outstanding scholar athlete” who “inspired classmates and teachers with her love of learning and her kindness to all,” according to a statement from Cherokee County Superintendent Brian Hightower.

Following her high school graduation, Riley went on to attend the University of Georgia and later transferred to Augusta University’s College of Nursing. The school described her as a “promising future nurse” whose “compassion and care for others is evident,” according to a Facebook post. Her freshman year roommate, Bianca Tiller, told The New York Times that Riley “lit up every room she walked into and brought a smile on everyone’s face.”

“Laken was special,” Riley’s pastor at Woodstock City Church, Samer Massad, said, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “She was a gift to anyone who knew her. Smart, kind, compassionate, and thoughtful don’t even begin to scratch the surface.”

Who is Jose Ibarra?

Ibarra migrated from Venezuela to the United States in 2022, The New York Times reported. He entered the country illegally and was arrested by Border Patrol — however, he was released shortly after with temporary permission to stay in the country.

Initially, Ibarra lived in New York City with his wife and mother-in-law in a hotel that had been converted into a migrant shelter, according to The New York Times. In September 2023, he moved to Athens, Ga., after his brother, Diego Ibarra, convinced him there were good work opportunities there.

Ibarra had several run-ins with the law after entering the U.S.: In September 2023, he was arrested in N.Y.C. for driving a scooter without a license, and with a child who was not wearing a helmet, per the BBC. Then, in October of the same year, he was arrested by Athens-Clarke county police in connection with a shoplifting case. In both instances, he was ultimately released by authorities.

What happened to Laken Riley?

On the morning of Feb. 22, 2024, Riley set out for a run on the University of Georgia’s campus. According to her cell phone activity, she texted her mother, Allyson, at 8:55 a.m., writing, “Good morning, about to go for a run if you’re free to talk.” Riley then called her mother at 9:03 a.m. and, when the call went unanswered, she began listening to music. Trail cameras captured her running past two minutes later.

When Riley did not return home from her jog, her two roommates set out on her running path in search of her. When they couldn’t find Riley, the roommates reported her missing at 12:05 p.m. Within 30 minutes, a University of Georgia police officer located her body, 65 feet off of the trail she was running on, in a wooded area behind a lake.

Riley was found “unconscious, not breathing and had visible injuries,” UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark said in a press conference. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and her cause of death was later determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, the Athens-Clarke County Coroner’s Office and Morgue confirmed to PEOPLE.

What was Jose Ibarra charged with?

Authorities located a suspicious jacket in an apartment complex dumpster about one mile from where Riley’s body was found, according to ABC News. Security and Ring camera footage showed a man throwing out the jacket — which had both Riley and Ibarra’s blood on it, as well as her hair, per NBC News — at 9:44 a.m. on the morning she was killed.

The man in the video was later identified as Ibarra by one of his roommates. In addition to the digital and physical evidence, authorities found Ibarra with multiple scratches on his arms, bruising on his palm and abrasions on his knuckles when they questioned him. Ibarra offered no explanation for the wounds, which police believed to be “fingernail scratches.” Ibarra’s DNA was later found under Riley’s fingernails.

Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23, 2024, one day after Riley was found dead. He was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another, per the Associated Press.

“I think this was a crime of opportunity, where he saw an individual and bad things happened,” Clark said.

In May of 2024, Ibarra pleaded not guilty to the charges. He waived his right to a jury trial, and the bench trial began on Nov. 15, 2024. Prosecutors provided a chilling account of Riley’s final moments and Ibarra’s defense attempted to cast doubt on the evidence against him, calling it “lacking” and “circumstantial.”

On Nov. 20, 2024, Judge Haggard found Ibarra guilty on all charges and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. After the verdict was delivered, Riley’s mother, Allyson, confronted her daughter’s killer in court.

“Jose took no pity on my scared, panicked and struggling child,” she said while holding back tears. “There’s no end to the pain, suffering or loss. On that horrific day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten, and shown no mercy.”

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How did Laken Riley’s death impact immigration policy?

Riley’s murder ignited a heated debate about immigration policy, as Ibarra had entered the country unlawfully and was arrested for alleged crimes during his time in the U.S.

Former President Joe Biden referenced Riley during his State of the Union address on March 7, 2024. While discussing the southern border, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green interrupted Biden’s speech by yelling “say her name” from the chamber, per NPR. Biden responded by describing Riley as “an innocent woman who was killed by an illegal” and offering his condolences to her parents.

Many Republican politicians — including President Donald Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp — blamed border policies for Riley’s death. Trump repeatedly referenced her murder during his 2024 presidential campaign (including during his speech accepting the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in July 2024, Fox 5 Atlanta reported) and used it as justification for his proposed stricter immigration plans.

While Riley’s mother thanked Trump for promising to “never forget about” her daughter, per Newsweek, Riley’s dad did not like her death becoming a hot-button topic in the discussions for tighter border control. Her father, Jason Riley, told NBC News that while Ibarra “might not have been here had we had secure borders,” he didn’t like his daughter’s murder “being used somewhat politically.”

“It makes me angry,” the grieving father explained. “She was much better than that. She should be raised up for the person that she is.”

Despite some of her family’s misgivings, Riley’s murder inspired a piece of immigration legislation. Trump signed the Laken Riley Act in January 2025 — making it the first bill of his second administration, according to the Associated Press.

The Laken Riley Act requires federal officials to detain any immigrants who entered the country undocumented if they are accused of theft or violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government for harm that occurs as a result of not following federal immigration law.

Many opponents of the bill and critics of Trump invoking Riley’s name have cited a 2024 National Institute of Justice study that suggested undocumented migrants in the U.S. are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born citizens for violent and drug crimes.