During the court proceedings on Monday, FBI Special Agent James Berni provided crucial insights into the location history data of a cell phone linked to the accused, Jose Antonio Ibarra, in the tragic case of nursing student Laken Riley's murder.
According to Berni's testimony, the cell phone associated with Ibarra was tracked to be in close proximity to Laken Riley at the time of her killing. The data points presented in court showcased the phone's movement from Ibarra's residence towards the apartment of a University of Georgia doctoral student. This student testified about a suspicious individual attempting to gain entry into her apartment on the same day Riley was murdered.
Further analysis of the cell phone's location history indicated that Ibarra's device was likely situated in the forested area near Oconee Forest Park at 9:09 a.m. Berni highlighted that between 9:09 a.m. and 9:12 a.m., the digital profiles of Laken Riley and Jose Ibarra's phone were in close proximity, suggesting a potential interaction during that timeframe.
Berni elaborated that the two devices appeared to have come into contact in the late 9:10s and remained close until approximately 9:32 a.m. Notably, data from Riley's smartwatch indicated that her heart stopped beating at 9:28 a.m., aligning closely with the timeline presented by the special agent.
Subsequent data revealed that Ibarra's cell phone then moved away from the crime scene and returned to his apartment complex, specifically near the dumpster, around 9:44 a.m. These critical details from the cell phone's location history shed light on the sequence of events surrounding Laken Riley's tragic demise and provide valuable evidence in the ongoing investigation.
