Eerie footage of nursing student Laken Riley’s last moments alive has been played to the court during the trial of her accused killer.
Riley, 22, was seen jogging through the University of Georgia campus on security footage at 9.05am, just minutes before she was attacked on February 22 earlier this year.
The tragic video triggered heartbreaking reactions in court on Tuesday, with Riley was seen running with her phone in her hand near her house approximately 23 minutes before her death.
According to a smartwatch tracking her heartbeat, Riley died at 9.28am after she was allegedly beaten in the head with a rock.
Another video, recorded roughly an hour prior, captured footage of a man believed to be her murderer, Jose Antonia Ibarra. The figure was dressed in dark clothing and seen around the apartment complex near Riley’s jogging trail.
Riley’s body was found less than an hour after she was reported missing, near a lake on the University of Georgia campus. She had been a student there until 2023, when she transferred to Augusta.
Her roommates had reported her missing after becoming concerned that she had been out for longer than usual.
After walking her usual route and using Find My Friends, her friends noticed she had been in the same location for hours and when they got there, they found one of her Airpods on the ground.
As Riley’s accused killer now faces trial over her death, Georgia special prosecutor Sheila Ross has painted a tragic picture of the her gruesome fate.
She told the court: ‘When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock, repeatedly.’
Ross also claimed that there was significant forensic evidence tying Ibarra to the crime, she added: ‘In her fight, she caused this defendant to leave forensic evidence behind.’
An examination found scratches all over Ibarra, and the court heard that his DNA was a direct match to that found under Riley’s fingernails.
‘The evidence will show that Laken fought. She fought for her life. She fought for her dignity.’
‘She marked her killer for the entire world to see. It is his DNA. Only his DNA, underneath Laken’s right fingernails… He left behind his thumbprint on her iPhone, which was found near her body at the scene of the crime.’
Ross said the forensic evidence alone should be enough to warrant a guilty verdict, but it was also revealed that a man identified as Ibarra was seen on CCTV footage dumping a bloody jacket in a dumpster near his home just 15 minutes after Riley’s heart stopped.
It was later examined and a mixture of both Riley and Ibarra’s DNA were found on that same jacket.
Long brunette strands of hair were wrapped around a button on the jacket which were ‘consistent with Riley’s hair and forcibly removed from her head.’
Ross added that Riley had been found off the running trail and she ‘was hidden under a tree’ and covered in foliage.
The court also heard that her breasts were exposed, and her underwear was forcibly torn. A sexual assault and rape kit returned a negative result.
Ibarra’s attorney, Dustin Kirby, claimed that evidence against Ibarra for Riley’s murder was ‘circumstantial’ and ‘evidence that anyone had any intent or certainly committed any sexual assault is speculation’.
Ibarra had arrived in Texas illegally in 2022 and his case sparked renewed debate about the border crisis and illegal immigration.
The Department of Homeland Security also confirmed Ibarra as a member of the brutal gang, Tren de Aragua, who have reached national news committing gruesome crimes across America.
He denies murdering Riley. When police officer Rafael Sayan reported to Ibarra’s home to ask about the murder, he found his brothers and Ibarra were laughing and giggling.
‘There was a lot of laughing, giggling – especially when they were talking about how they were woken up, pulled out of the apartment,’ Sayan said.
‘I would say the vibe or the atmosphere was very relaxed and calm.’
As the trial continues, today Ibarra confirmed through a translator that he understood his rights and did not want to testify, reported CNN.
He is standing trial without a jury, after he waived his right to one. Prosecutors have stated they rest their case against Ibarra, and testimony is scheduled to continue Wednesday morning with further witnesses.