The mother of a nursing student allegedly murdered by an illegal migrant in Georgia was reduced to heartbreaking tears as her daughter’s accused killer appeared at a court hearing.
Laken Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University College in Athens, was reportedly murdered by Jose Ibarra in February.
On Friday, Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, became emotional in the courtroom as she held a tissue over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.
At one point, Phillips was seen covering her eyes with tissues as a video played in court.
Ibarra was in court for a hearing ahead of his scheduled trial next month. Jury selection is expected to begin on November 13.
He sat somberly in the courtroom, wearing translation headphones and a white button-down shirt.
On Friday, Laken Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, became emotional in the courtroom as she held a tissue to her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.
Phillips was seen covering her eyes with the tissue as a video played in court
Riley’s killing became a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration because Ibarra, who is from Venezuela, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case.
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, blamed Riley’s death on President Joe Biden and his border policies.
In a 10-count indictment, Ibarra is accused of hitting the 22-year-old student in the head, choking her and pulling up her clothing with the intent to sexually assault her.
Ibarra, who has family ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Riley’s body was found near running trails on February 22 after a friend told police she had not returned from a morning run. Police have said her killing appeared to be a random attack.
Ibarra was arrested the next day and remains held in the Athens-Clarke County Jail without bond.
The judge began hearing arguments on four motions on Friday. These include a motion by Ibarra’s lawyers to move the trial from Athens due to pre-trial publicity, and an effort to have a peeping tom charge against him tried separately because it involved a different alleged victim go.
Jose Ibarra is accused of killing Riley in February. He pleaded not guilty to the charges
Ibarra’s lawyers are also trying to exclude any evidence and expert testimony.
Phillips took to Facebook in March, a day after her 22-year-old daughter was buried, to write a heartbreaking post detailing the loss.
The devastated mum said the ordeal was an ‘avoidable tragedy’, adding: ‘When I sat down to write this post I’m really just at a loss for words.
“My family has suffered the most devastating, unimaginable loss anyone would ever have to endure. I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for being with me and my family during this heartbreaking time.
Riley, who grew up in Woodstock, Georgia, will receive her bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia in 2023.
In a 10-count indictment, Ibarra is accused of hitting the 22-year-old student in the head, choking her and pulling up her clothing with the intent to sexually assault her.
Riley’s killing became a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration because Ibarra, who is from Venezuela, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case.
She graduated from River Ridge High School in 2020 and was a member of her high school’s cross country and track teams. She was described as “an outstanding athlete” by Cherokee County School District Superintendent Brian Hightower.
The country’s broken immigration system has become a key campaign issue after an unprecedented wave of migration strained budgets in cities such as New York, Chicago and Denver.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has stepped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric by suggesting that migrants are more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens, even though the evidence does not support these claims.
In late September, Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris walked along the U.S.-Mexico border and called for further tightening of asylum restrictions as she sought to take a tougher stance on illegal migration and one of its biggest vulnerabilities in the crisis of November to tackle. election.
She balanced tough talk about border control with calls for a better way to welcome migrants legally.