Suspect in Laken Riley murder case set to appear in court on Friday morning

ATHENS, Ga. — The man accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia’s campus earlier this year is scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning.

Jose Ibarra and his attorneys are scheduled for a status hearing in a Clarke County courtroom.

Riley was jogging on the university’s campus in February when she was attacked and killed.

Her death gained national attention and has been a talking point for Republican lawmakers after it was confirmed that Jose Ibarra was in the country illegally from Venezuela.

In May, a grand jury indicted Ibarra on 10 counts, including Riley’s murder. The indictment say Jose Ibarra asphyxiated Riley and inflicted blunt force trauma to her head.

Prosecutors have announced that they will not seek the death penalty against Jose Ibarra.

According to court documents, investigators initially approached Jose Ibarra’s older brother, Diego Ibarra, because he matched the suspect’s description. Diego Ibarra gave authorities a fake green card and has since pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit immigration documents. He’s set to be sentenced in October.