Sheriff of Georgia county where nursing student Laken Riley was ‘murdered by Venezuelan migrant’ campaigned on ‘not cooperating with ICE’
A resurfaced video of the current sheriff of the county where Laken Riley was allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela shows the law enforcement officer saying he has no intention of cooperating with ICE.
In a 2020 interview with Athens Political Nerds, John Williams, who was then running for sheriff, said, “It’s not my intention, if I’m elected sheriff, to work with those detainees,” referring to those arrested by ICE are placed with illegal immigrants arrested on criminal charges.
Athens-Clarke County residents are now pointing the finger at Williams in the wake of the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, allegedly by Jose Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela.
In the interview, Williams said, “I see it as the sheriff’s responsibility to protect the community.
“We cannot help with a culture of fear in our community and expect our community to respond and help us in situations.”
In a 2020 interview with Athens Political Nerds, John Williams, who was then running for sheriff, said, “It is not my intention, if elected sheriff, to cooperate with those arrestees.”
Residents now look angrily at Williams and them Democratic mayor after brutal murder of university nursing student.
Mayor Kelly Girtz was interrupted Wednesday morning as he held a briefing to discuss public safety in Athens after the nursing student was allegedly beaten to death by an undocumented migrant.
As he tried to deny that Athens is a haven for undocumented immigrants, the crowd began shouting at the mayor.
A man in the crowd repeatedly shouted, “You’re a liar.”
He added, “You are the one who is guilty and has blood on your hands for this murder, sir!”
‘Resign!’ others shouted.
Other protesters held signs that read: “Blood on your hands” and “Make Athens safe again.”
Girtz has repeatedly pointed out that Athens is not officially a sanctuary city because Georgia does not allow it.
“There is no legislation of this government that has created the status of sanctuary city,” he pleaded.
“We are deeply sorry for this tragedy… Responsibility for this crime lies solely with the perpetrator.”
Angry Athens residents harassed their Democratic Mayor Kelly Girtz after the brutal murder of Laken Riley on the George University campus
As he tried to deny that Athens is a haven for undocumented immigrants, the crowd began shouting at the mayor.
Police said Riley died of ‘blunt force trauma’ after being beaten and that she had a ‘deformed skull’
Residents of the complex claimed their security cameras captured Ibarra disposing of evidence in the building’s dumpster
Although Athens is not a sanctuary city, meaning the government has not said it would not cooperate with the federal government to enforce immigration laws, police found multiple undocumented immigrants living in Ibarra’s apartment.
It is unclear how they could rent an apartment without official documents.
However, Ibarra’s brother Diego Ibarra was arrested for getting a job with a fake green card.
Ibarra was arrested last week at his apartment complex near the running path near where Riley’s body was found.
Residents of the complex told NewsNation’s Alex Caprariello that their security cameras captured Ibarra disposing of evidence in the building’s dumpster, which they turned over to police.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested at his apartment complex near the running path near where Riley’s body was found
Riley’s body was found the same day on campus in a wooded area near Lake Herrick, with trails popular with runners and walkers.
Riley attended the University of Georgia until spring 2023 before transferring to Augusta University’s College of Nursing
“He was here day and night,” the neighbor said.
The complex is a former hotel converted into studio apartments and Ibarra is said to have lived in one unit with four or five other migrants.
The 26-year-old has been charged with murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another in Riley’s murder.
Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student and prevent her from calling 911 when he allegedly grabbed her on Thursday, February 22, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Riley’s body was found the same day on the University of Georgia campus in a wooded area near Lake Herrick, with trails popular with runners and walkers. The student was jogging when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra.
Police said Riley died of “blunt force trauma” after being beaten and that she had a “deformed skull.”
They added that Ibarra dragged her body to a remote area to conceal the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News.
It has now also been revealed that police are refusing to release the audio of the 911 call Laken made, but have confirmed that she was connected to a dispatch before the call was disconnected and she was allegedly beaten to death.
Riley was jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked
Local police said Friday that Ibarra, who lived in Athens, apparently did not know Riley and acted alone. Video footage from campus security and other technology led officials to Ibarra.
The day of the murder, her suspected killer uploaded a selfie to his TikTok account of himself staring into the camera and grinning.
Five months before Riley’s murder, Ibarra was arrested in New York City and charged with “acting in a manner likely to injure a child under the age of 17 and a motorcycle license violation,” according to ICE.
The NYPD released him “before any detainee could be released,” the agency said.
Ibarra crossed the border into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released from a detention center due to lack of space.