Laken Riley’s heartbreaking letter to her future husband read in court by her weeping stepfather

Laken Riley’s grieving family revealed the murdered student wrote a heartbreaking ‘letter to my future husband’ shortly before she was brutally murdered while on the run.

Her stepfather John Phillips read the diary entry Wednesday at the sentencing of her killer, illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra.

“Laken’s life was abundant and exceptionally full of promise,” he began. “And she was a shining beacon in the lives of everyone who knew her.”

Phillips said while he “could stand here and tell the world the things that made her such a great person,” he instead chose to read one of her last diary entries, dated December 2023, to “put it in the best way possible.”

The message opened: “To my future husband – as foolish as I feel writing this, my old group leader once recommended it, so here I am.

“I want you to know that I’m thinking of you. I work every day to become the best woman I can be by working through my current relationships to best prepare myself for ours and our children one day.

“I focus on God and what he defines as a faithful Christian wife so that I can best embody those characteristics.

“I pray that you know that this is with my complete faith and trust in God, that I know that this relationship was built by His hand.”

Laken Riley’s killer Jose Ibarra remained emotionless as he was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole

Riley was killed by Ibarra near the University of Georgia campus in February

Phillips continued reading, “I pray that we will continue to glorify the Lord, give Him priority in every aspect of our lives, and also raise our families, our future families, to be godly Christians.

“I pray that God is the center of our relationship because it is a gift from Him.

“I thank him for you before I even knew you, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives loving you the best way I know how.

“No matter what challenges we face, I pray that our trust in God and love for each other overcomes the obstacle. “May our relationship last forever, your future wife. Sheet.’

Phillips’ voice turned furious as he then directed his comments at Ibarra, a gang member of the infamous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, who sat emotionless throughout the proceedings.

“That, your honor, is just a glimpse of what was tragically and brutally taken from her and from us that day,” he said.

This photo was taken at 9:05 a.m. on the day of Laken’s death from CCTV cameras near her home on the University of Georgia campus

Riley’s parents Allyson and John Phillips (center and right) were filled with emotion during the process

Ibarra turned out to be a member of the infamous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua

Laken was killed by Ibarra on February 22 near the University of Georgia campus after she went for a morning run.

Her housemates reported her missing after becoming concerned that she had been away longer than usual.

She fought with her attacker for 18 minutes after she “refused to become his rape victim,” prosecutors said during Ibarra’s trial.

Prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers to the trial, as well as Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra.

Several compelling pieces of evidence were also shown to the court during the trial, including the chilling 911 call Laken made just before her death.

Sheet’s mother broke down and cried as the call was played.

Over the muffled audio, a dispatch officer could be heard repeatedly saying, “Clark County 911. Hello, Clark County 911. Can anyone hear me?”

Riley never answered. Prosecutors claim a male voice can be faintly heard in the brief conversation, which disconnects after just one minute.

In another piece of evidence played at the end of the trial, the court was shown police bodycam footage showing the moment Laken’s devastated family arrived at the scene of her murder and were told she had been murdered.

The court was shown police bodycam footage showing Laken’s devastated family arriving at the murder scene and being told she had been murdered.

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was killed on February 22 while going for a run

In the footage, Riley’s parents Allyson and John and sister Lauren were seen crying after being told the news of Laken’s murder.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” her mother could be heard screaming. She then lay on the ground with her head in her hands as Laken’s sister and father cried on the side of the street.

As the footage ended, played at the end of the trial of Laken’s killer Jose Ibarra, prosecutors summed it up: “That’s what they endured.”

Ibarra was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.