US EditionJudge 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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74 Articles
Riley Murderer Ibarra Seeks New Trial With Mental Evaluation
Jose Ibarra, convicted in the murder of nursing student Laken Riley last year, might be retried. Attorneys for the Tren de Aragua terror gang member now claim that he was not mentally competent to understand his trial, or what he was doing when he settled for a bench instead of jury trial. Ibarra, his attorneys ... The post Riley Murderer Ibarra Seeks New Trial With Mental Evaluation appeared first on The New American.
Judge orders evaluation for Laken Riley's killer, Jose Ibarra
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of the Venezuelan man convicted of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. Jose Ibarra listens through an interpreter during the second day of his trial at the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool) A judge in November found Jose Ibarra guilty of murder and other crimes in Riley’s February …
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. …
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