Evidence presented during murder suspect Jose Ibarra’s trial shows the communications from Laken Riley’s phone
Laken Riley/ Facebook
Laken Riley
On the third day of the trial for the suspect in Laken Riley’s February homicide, prosecutors shared evidence of the last known communication from the nursing student: a message to her mother.
Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student, was killed on Feb. 22 after she went out for a morning jog on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Ga.
Jose Ibarra, 26, was arrested and charged with several offenses including murder, kidnapping and assault, according to court records, and is on trial in Athens County this week.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, prosecutors shared in court the last text message Riley sent to her mother, a semblance of haunting ordinariness right before the family would face a horrific tragedy.
“Good morning,” Riley wrote, according to a UGA investigator who read out the message in court, WSB TV and 11 Alive reported.
The rest of the message, which she sent at 8:55 a.m., read: “…about to go for run if you’re free to talk.”
Related: Prosecutors Describe Slain College Student Laken Riley’s Final Moments: ‘She Fought for Her Dignity’
Laken Riley/ Facebook
Laken Riley
At 9:03 a.m., Riley called her mother, but there was no answer, per the timeline shared by 11 Alive.
At 9:11 a.m., Riley reportedly called 911, prosecutors say, but the call was abruptly cut. There were two return calls from 911 made to her phone, but no one answered.
By the time her mother called her back at 9:24 a.m., Riley was unable to respond.
After follow up phone calls and a text message to Riley went unanswered, her mother grew anxious.
“You’re making me nervous not answering while you’re out running,” he mother wrote in one text message. “Are you OK?”
Over the next two hours, Riley’s phone records show several phone calls from her family as well as worried messages asking about her whereabouts.
Related: Laken Riley Murder Suspect Was ‘Giggling’ When Taken in for Questioning the Day After Killing: Police
Clarke County Sheriff’s Office
Jose Antonio Ibarra
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During the trial, prosecutors presented forensic evidence, testimony from her roommate as well as jail cell phone conversation between Ibarra and his wife, where she agonizingly pleaded for him to tell her what happened.
Immigration officials have said Ibarra is a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, putting the case in spotlight for many supporting president-elect Donald Trump’s policies on illegal immigration.
Ibarra, who has pleaded not guilty on all charges, told the court on Tuesday will not be testifying in the trial, CNN reported.
