Testimony resumed Monday morning in the trial of Jose Antonia Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela accused of murdering University of Georgia student Lakin Riley in February. Prosecutors called officers who first encountered Ibarra after Riley’s killing to the stand, as well as investigators who collected digital evidence that they say came from Ibarra’s phone. The judge, who will be rendering a verdict in this case without a jury, also heard from one of Ibarra’s roommates.
Officers who spoke to Jose Ibarra at his apartment the day after Laken Riley was killed said he and his brothers were in a very relaxed and calm mood while police were at their home. One roommate, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, testified through a Spanish language interpreter that she heard about Riley’s murder from a neighbor, and the Ibarra brothers showed no emotion when she told them.
Evidence photos presented in court showed multiple scratches and abrasions on Jose Ibarra’s arms. An officer who spoke to him in Spanish, Cpl. Rafael Sayan, said Ibarra had no explanation for the injuries, including a scratch on his wrist that didn’t look very old.
Investigators presented a series of selfies they say Ibarra took of himself with his own phone, appearing to match clothes seen in a surveillance video both being worn and disposed of in a dumpster. Prosecutors say the clothes that were thrown away had both Riley’s and Ibarra’s DNA on them.
Laken Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, was seen in court crying and wiping away tears during testimony about police questioning of Jose Ibarra. At the defense table, Ibarra showed no visible emotion throughout the proceedings.
Jose Ibarra’s brothers who lived in the same apartment, Diego and Argenis, are facing federal charges for allegedly having false immigration documents. They were turned over to local custody in Athens so they could testify in the case, according to a court filing. It is not clear when they may be called to the witness stand.
