Georgia nursing student Laken Riley fought for her life when she was killed by illegal immigrant: prosecutors

ATHENS, Ga.— The illegal Venezuelan immigrant charged with murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley went out “hunting for females” when he preyed upon the 22-year-old jogger — who “fought for her life” as he beat and choked her to death, prosecutors said Friday.Opening statements got underway in the highly anticipated bench trial against Jose Ibarra, the Tren de Aragua-linked migrant accused of killing Riley on Feb.

22 in what cops have called a crime of opportunity in Athens.“He went hunting for females on the University of Georgia campus and on his hunt he encountered 22-year-old Laken Riley on her morning jog,” said prosecutor Sheila Ross, with Riley’s family in the gallery.“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly.

“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.She also marked her killer for the entire world to see.”Ross alleged that Ibarra, 26, left behind his left thumbprint on Riley’s iPhone, and DNA under her fingernails.He sat in court listening placidly while the trial is translated for him through headphones.Ibarra allegedly attacked the Augusta University nursing student with the plan to sexually assault her.He has pleaded not guilty to charges of malice murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault and related crimes and faces up to life in prison without parole if convicted.

He also faces one count of peeping at a University of Georgia staffer the same day as the killing.Prosecutors have opted not to push for the death penalty in Ibarra’s case.On Tuesday, Ibarra waived his right to a trial by 12 of his peers, instead opting to have the case decided by Superior Court Judge H.Patrick Haggard.

Ibarra’s defense team lost a bid earlier this month to delay the trial and to bar evidence including DNA, fingerprints and cellphone data on the grounds th...