'NO REMORSE'
Laken Riley’s ‘killer’ Jose Ibarra stares blankly as he’s forced to watch body cam video of moment her body was found
A police officer testified in vivid detail about the condition in which he found Riley's body
HARROWING body cam footage of the moment police officers located the mangled body of Laken Riley has been shown in court at the start of her accused killer's trial.
Jose Ibarra, her alleged murderer, sat unfazed and emotionless as a courtroom in Athens, Georgia, watched the brutal video showing cops performing CPR, desperately trying to revive Riley, 22.
10
10
10
10
Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, was found dead in a wooded area just off the trail near the University of Georgia's Intramural Fields on February 22 after failing to return home from her morning jog.
Prosecutors said on the morning of February 22, Ibarra put on a "black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and some black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and went hunting for females" on the University of Georgia campus.
"When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her head in with a rock repeatedly," prosecutor Sheila Ross said during opening statements on Friday.
The courtroom, which included approximately 20 members of Riley's family, was shown a gut-wrenching body cam video from University of Georgia police officer Kenneth Maxwell, who found her body.
Maxwell testified that at around 12:30 pm on February 22, he located Riley unconscious and not breathing.
[Jose Ibarra] went hunting for females on the University of Georgia campus.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross
The nine-year veteran described in chilling detail how Riley was lying on her side, her head was covered in leaves, and her body was partially naked.
"Ah, s**t, I found her, ma'am, ma'am, ma'am, ugh, I need meds immediately," Maxwell was heard communicating to dispatchers in the body cam footage.
"Ma'am, ma'am, she's out, she's not breathing, potentially been attacked," he said before he started giving Riley CPR.
Most read in The US Sun
Several members of Riley's family cried and wiped away tears as the footage played in the courtroom.
Ibarra sat stone-faced as he repeatedly looked at and away from the video.
UGA suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra charged with murder after nursing student Laken Hope Riley, 22, found dead on campus
"At that point, I suspected this wasn't an accident, based on circumstances," Maxwell testified.
Prosecutors allege Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from , severely beat Riley to death, crushing her skull with a rock, then dragged her body to a secluded area to hide her body.
HARROWING 911 CALL
Riley left her off-campus apartment at around 9:03 am.
At 9:11 am, prosecutors said the Clarke County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call.
The nursing student triggered the emergency function on her cellphone and called 911.
The call was played in the courtroom, but only a male voice was briefly heard.
"Clarke County 911. Hello, Clarke County 911. Can anyone hear me?" the dispatcher is heard saying in the police audio.
The call ended at 9:12 am, and the operator attempted to call back but received no answer, prosecutor Ross said.
Riley's roommates reported her missing at around 11:30 am after they realized she had not returned home from her jog.
Lilly Steiner was one of two roommates who testified how they pinned Riley's last known location using her iPhone's Find My app.
10
10
10
10
When Steiner noticed Riley had not returned home, she searched for her and found one of her AirPods on the ground near her usual running path.
"We were roommates, but the term roommates is an overgeneralization of our relationship," Steiner testified.
"Our house was like a little family, and we called each other our family. We did everything together. We had family dinners, family TV nights, and movie nights.
"Laken brought a sense of joy in our lives that has been ever missing since," Steiner said with a cracked voice.
Prosecutors detailed how Riley fought for her life for 18 minutes.
"The evidence will show that Laken fought. She fought for her life, she fought for her dignity, and in that fight, she caused this defendant to leave forensic evidence behind," Ross said.
"She also marked her killer for the entire world to see."
Prosecutors said Riley clawed at Ibarra, leaving his DNA under her nails.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Ibarra, who waived his right to a jury trial and requested a bench trial instead, is facing charges of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and battery, among other charges.
Prosecutors have chosen not to seek the death penalty but intend to seek a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
10
10
Topics