Laken Hope Riley and investigators searching the scene where her body was found (WXIA screenshots)
A man has been arrested in the beating death of a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia reported missing after not returning from a morning run on Thursday and who was found dead on a University of Georgia campus trail with visible injuries.
Authorities identified Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, as the suspect in the killing of Laken Hope Riley. Ibarra faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark said in a news conference on Friday.
Clark said the suspect didn't know Riley, that it was a "crime of opportunity," and that he lived in an apartment adjacent to Oconee Forest Park, where Riley was killed.
"The evidence is robust," Clark said, crediting campus security cameras as proving vital.
According to a news release from the University of Georgia Police Department, Riley was a student at UGA through the spring 2023 semester before she transferred to the Augusta University College of Nursing program in Athens, where she had been enrolled at the time of her death.
The case came to light on Thursday when UGA police responded to a call at 12:07 p.m. from a friend of Riley, saying she had gone for a run at the Intramural Fields earlier in the morning and had not returned as expected.
Once at the recreational area that includes several athletic fields, tennis courts, and trails for running and biking, first responders searched the surrounding area and quickly found Riley "in the forested area behind Lake Herrick" at about 12:38 p.m., police said.
An affidavit said her body lay on the ground in the woods. She appeared to be unconscious and not breathing. She had visible injuries, and officers immediately began CPR. Emergency medical responders arrived and determined she was dead.
Police launched a criminal investigation and set up a perimeter.
The killing sent shock waves throughout the community and prompted the cancellation of classes on Thursday evening and Friday. Clark said it was a tragic day and noted it was the first recorded homicide on the campus in at least 20 years. Clark also noted that Riley's death was not believed to be connected to the death on Wednesday of another student on campus.
In a statement on Thursday, the university said: "The past 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our University."
"Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one of our students in Brumby Hall last night. And as we continue to mourn that tragic loss of life, today's devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, particularly our students."
According to a news release from the University of Georgia Police Department, Riley was a student at UGA through the spring 2023 semester before she transferred to the Augusta University College of Nursing program in Athens, where she had been enrolled at the time of her death.
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