Laken Riley’s Murderer Receives Life Sentence without Parole After Being Found Guilty – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers and Sophia Flores
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Update 11:20 AM: Following a guilty verdict, illegal migrant Jose Ibarra has been sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole.
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Ibarra was sentenced less than two hours after being found guilty on all counts.
Life without parole was the maximum sentence that the killer, a Tren de Aragua gang member, could receive.
The state of Georgia, where the trial was taking place, does have the death penalty. Western Judicial District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez did not pursue the death penalty for Ibarra because she did not think that it was in the interest of “justice” in the case.
“Our utmost duty is to ensure that justice is served and that the victim’s family is an integral part of the deliberation process. We understand that there will be those outside this office who will disagree with our decision and seek to exploit this case for political gain. However, the integrity of our judicial process and the pursuit of justice must always transcend political considerations,” Gonzalez said.
Earlier in the year, she announced that she avoided pursuing the death penalty in the Laken Riley case, citing concerns about the “collateral consequences” it could have on undocumented defendants.
Gonzalez was first elected in 2020. The self-described “progressive” received backing from George Soros.
Soros, a hedge fund tycoon who began managing client money in New York from 1969 to 2011, is one of the Democrat Party’s biggest donors. He poured $125 million into a super PAC ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Thought to have made in total about $4 billion through “financial speculation,” he has used his money to fund far-left causes and has continued to finance left-wing politicians.
Following her decision not to pursue the death penalty, she lost her re-election bid to Independent Kalki Yalamanchili. Yalamanchili received nearly 60% of the vote.
8:55 AM: A judge found illegal migrant Jose Ibarra guilty on Wednesday of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on February 22nd.
The 26-year-old Ibarra was found guilty of murder by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge Patrick Haggard and other charges that relate to Riley’s death. Ibarra had waived his right to a jury trial, which meant that it was ultimately up to Haggard to decide his fate.
The trial began Friday, and prosecutors called over a dozen law enforcement officers, Riley’s roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. Defense attorneys called a police officer, a jogger and one of Ibarra’s neighbors on Tuesday and rested their case Wednesday morning.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross told the judge that Ibarra encountered Riley while she was out running on the University of Georgia campus on February 22nd and killed her during a struggle.
Defense attorney Dustin Kirby stated that Riley’s death was a tragedy and that the evidence was graphic and disturbing in the case. However, he said there was not sufficient evidence to prove that Ibarra killed Riley.
He now faces life behind bars as the sentencing is set for 12:30 pm ET on Wednesday.
This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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