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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Laken Riley, 22, was a nursing student at the University of Augusta, who was attacked by Venezuelan José Ibarra on February 22, 2024.
ALERT: It looks like Laken Riley's killer is trying to con his way out of prison · American Wire News
Jose Ibarra, the Venezuelan illegal alien who killed Laken Riley, is seemingly trying to con his way out of prison with a mental health diagnosis. Last November, a judge found Ibarra guilty of murder and sentenced him to life in prison without parole after he waived his right to a jury trial and chose a bench trial instead. BREAKING: Jose Ibarra found guilty on all 10 counts in Laken Riley murder trial. pic.twitter.com/A3b3If5ZJ5 — Fox News (@F…
Laken Riley’s Illegal Immigrant Killer Wins Court Order for Mental Evaluation - News Addicts
A Georgia judge has approved a court-ordered mental evaluation for José Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela convicted in the horrific 2024 murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley. The ruling — issued by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard — could pave the way for Ibarra’s legal team to seek a retrial […] The post Laken Riley’s Illegal Immigrant Killer Wins Court Order for Mental Evaluation appeared fir…
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.
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