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Judge Orders Mental Competency Evaluation for Laken Riley's Convicted Killer

ATHENS, GEORGIA, JUL 7 – Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a mental evaluation to determine if Jose Ibarra was competent during his trial, a step that could lead to a retrial if incompetence is confirmed.

  • Jose Ibarra, a 27-year-old Venezuelan immigrant, was convicted in November 2024 for the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley near the University of Georgia campus.
  • On February 22, 2024, Riley was discovered deceased in a wooded area near UGA's intramural fields after going out for a jog; following a swift police investigation, Ibarra was arrested and charged in connection with the attack.
  • Jose Ibarra was convicted on all counts, such as malice murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault, and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole on the same day in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court.
  • On July 3, 2025, Judge H. Patrick Haggard ordered a mental health evaluation to assess Ibarra's competence for post-conviction proceedings, with a certified Spanish interpreter provided during the process.
  • Ibarra is currently incarcerated as his attorneys work on filing an appeal, arguing that a congenital mental impairment may have hindered his ability to comprehend the legal proceedings or actively participate in his defense.
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Judge orders mental evaluation for Venezuelan man convicted of killing Laken Riley

A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of the Venezuelan man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.A judge in November found Jose Ibarra guilty of murder and other crimes in Riley's February 2024 killing and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ibarra is seeking a new trial, and his lawyers asked the judge to order a mental evaluation as part of that process.Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. …

·Miami, United States
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The Daily Wire broke the news in Nashville, United States on Monday, July 7, 2025.
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