Mom of slain nursing student Laken Riley posted poignant message about missing her day before body was found
The mother of slain Georgia nursing student Laken Riley had shared a heart-rending post about missing her daughter on a family vacation — just hours before she was found murdered.
Allyson Phillips celebrated the rest of her family being together on vacation in Colorado on Wednesday, the day before her daughter was found dead, allegedly at the hands of a Venezuelan migrant.
“We had a great time with great friends celebrating Brinda’s birthday in Crested Butte, CO! Massages, skiing, great food and beautiful views!” the mom wrote along with a series of photos of her family’s vacation in Crested Butte.
“Only thing missing was Laken Riley,” the retired teacher wrote.
The mom recently also shared her pride when her daughter, a sorority member, made the Dean’s List.
“Proud mom moment! Laken made Dean’s List,” she captioned an image on Feb. 3.
“This girl works harder than anyone I know! She is going to be a phenomenal nurse.”
A day after Wednesday’s vacation post noted Riley’s absence, the Augusta University student was found dead in a wooded area near Lake Herrick on the University of Georgia campus.
Her family thanked people for their support while asking for “the time and space necessary to grieve our daughter’s life that was tragically cut short.”
“Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general,” her family said.
“She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way.”
The coed’s cause of death has been listed as “blunt force trauma.”
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested the day after her slaying and charged with malice and felony murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, concealing the death of another and other charges, University of Georgia Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters.
Authorities called the slaying a “crime of opportunity.”
The 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.
The Post reported previously 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.
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
Last year, he was arrested by the NYPD and charged with endangering the welfare of a child after cops spotted him riding with the boy on his scooter without a helmet, sources said.
Ibarra 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, according to police sources.
Riley had reportedly transferred to the nursing program at Augusta University from the nearby University of Georgia after the spring 2023 semester.
A funeral mass is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at the Woodstock City Church in Georgia, with the services handled by Poole Funeral Home in Woodstock, Georgia, according to Riley’s obituary.
