Family of slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley recall their ‘amazing daughter’ as cops hold migrant in her campus death
The family of slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley spoke out for the first time since she was murdered while out for a run — allegedly at the hands of a Venezuelan migrant.
“We wish to thank the public for their prayers and thoughts during this tragic time,” the coed’s family said in a statement, according to Fox News Digital. “Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general. Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way.
“During this most difficult time, we ask that you respect our privacy, and provide us the time and space necessary to grieve our daughter’s life that was tragically cut short,” the statement said.
Riley, a 22-year-old dean’s list student and sorority member, was found dead in a wooded area near Lake Herrick shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to police.
Her body had “visible injuries” and authorities later listed her cause of death as “blunt force trauma.”
Athens-Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson told The Post “evidence at the scene indicated foul play.”
The day after her slaying, police arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, and charged him with kidnapping Riley and killing her, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters.
Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, crossed the US border with Mexico in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, and was detained but later released by DHS, according to reports.
“He did not know her at all,” Clark said Friday. “I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened.”
Police later searched Ibarra’s apartment in Athens.
“The evidence is robust,” Clark said. “It is supported by key input by the community, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security cameras network.”
The Post reported Saturday that Ibarra traveled to New York City after entering the country with his wife and 5-year-old son, working in food delivery in Queens.
That’s where he was arrested by the NYPD last year and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after cops spotted him transporting the boy on his scooter without a helmet, sources said.
But the migrant later split with his wife and moved to Georgia to live with his brother near the campus where Riley was enrolled and where his brother previously worked, police sources said.
Follow along with The Post's coverage of Laken Riley's murder
- Laken Riley’s suspected killer, Jose Ibarra, illegally entered US in 2022 — and was cut loose due to lack of detention space: report
- Tributes to slain Ga. nursing student Laken Riley pour in as donations for scholarship in her name top $63K: ‘Would’ve saved so many lives’
- Migrant charged in death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley slipped through law enforcement’s hands twice
- Laken Riley murder suspect Jose Ibarra lived it up in NYC after reportedly entering US illegally, social media posts appear to show
- AP slammed for framing Laken Riley’s murder on dangers ‘female athletes’ face — not on migrant crimes
- Migrant suspect in Laken Riley murder accused of ‘seriously disfiguring’ nursing student as affidavit reveals grim details in case
Riley was born in Marietta, Georgia, was a former nanny who developed a passion for nursing, according to her obituary.
She had transferred to the nursing program at Augusta University from the nearby University of Georgia after the spring 2023 semester, UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor told the Red & Black, the school’s student-run newspaper.
“She was still active in her sorority [Alpha Chi Omega at UGA]. She was active in the community and well known and from all accounts very well-liked,” Trevor said.
Police previously said that they do not believe anyone in the area is in immediate danger.
Ibarra was charged Friday with malice and felony murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, concealing the death of another and other charges in the killing, according to police.
Cops called the slaying a “crime of opportunity.”
Meanwhile, Riley’s heartbroken family thanked state, county, local and campus police for Ibarra’s prompt arrest and “diligent effort in the investigation.”
A funeral mass is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at the Woodstock City Church in Georgia, with the services handled by Poole Funeral Home in Woodstock, Georgia, according to Riley’s obituary.
A gofundme page for Riley had raised more than $99,000 by Sunday, with the money to aid with funeral expenses, for a scholarship fund in her name and to fund a homicide awareness and safety campaign.
