Killing of Laken Riley Was 'Crime of Opportunity,' Police Believe Suspect Acted Alone

Mar. 15, 2025

Laken Hope Riley.Photo:Laken Riley/Facebook

Laken Riley/Facebook

•Laken Riley was found dead after she went missing while out on a jog, per authorities• Police believe the suspect, Jose Ibarra, did not know Riley prior to the incident• Ibarra is accused of “disfiguring” the skull of Riley during the attack, an arrest affidavit claims

The killing of a 22-year-old college student found dead on the University of Georgia campus after disappearing while on a jog was a “crime of opportunity,” the university police chief has said, per reports.

Laken Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University’s campus in Athens, Ga., wasfound dead with “visible injuries" near a lake on Thursday, authorities previously said.

Jeffrey Clark, the chief of the University of Georgia police, has said there appears to be no personal motive behind the crime and that the suspect and victim did not know each other.

The killing was “a crime of opportunity,” Clark said, according toThe New York TimesandABC 30. He said Ibarra reportedly acted alone, per the outlet.

“I think this was a crime of opportunity, where he saw an individual and bad things happened,” Clark said, per ABC 30.

Riley’s cause of death wasblunt force traumato the head, Sonny Wilson, the coroner at the Athens-Clarke County Coroner’s Office and Morgue, previously confirmed with PEOPLE.

Ibarra is also accused of using “an object” to harm Riley during the incident and “physically” hindering her from making a 911 call, per the affidavit, which further states he also allegedly dragged her body to a secluded area.

He wasarrested last Fridayand has been charged with several offenses, including murder, kidnapping and assault, online court records show.

Laken Riley.Gofundme

Gofundme

Since her death, Riley is being remembered as a loyal friend with an infectious energy.

She “lit up every room she walked into and brought a smile on everyone’s face,” her former roommate Bianca Tiller said, perThe New York Times.

She was an experienced runner and was a member of her high school cross-country team, perThe New York Times.

Keith Hooper, her former coach, said she also participated in the Georgia High School Association State Cross-Country Final, the outlet reported.

She was an “unselfish individual,” Hooper said.

Jose Antonio Ibarra.Clarke County Sheriff’s Office

Clarke County Sheriff’s Office

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Ibarra reportedly lived in an apartment near the wooded trail where authorities found Riley’s body,The New York Timesreported.

He is a Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2022, according to immigration authorities,CBSreported.

He had a prior arrest in New York City for allegedly driving a scooter without a license while carrying a child without a helmet, a law enforcement official toldThe New York Times.

Records do not indicate if he has entered a plea to the charges he is facing.

source: people.com