Suspect In Custody Following Death Of Georgia Nursing Student (UPDATE)
University of Georgia Police took a suspect into custody Friday following the death of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley.
The update comes a day after authorities found remains belonging to Riley, a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing, near a lake on UGA’s campus in Athens, Georgia.
“A suspect in the murder of Laken Riley has been taken into custody by the University of Georgia Police Department,” the university said in a press release. “At this time, there are no indications of a continuing threat to the UGA campus related to this matter.”
During a press conference Friday evening, police named the suspect as 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra. He faces multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder and false imprisonment.
UGA said in a statement Thursday that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Athens-Clarke County Police Department were assisting UGA police officers in their investigation.
Police said they found Riley’s body after receiving a call from one of her friends, who was concerned that she hadn’t returned home from a run on the UGA campus. Following a search Thursday afternoon, authorities found Riley’s body in a wooded area. The body had visible injuries.
Upon news of Riley’s death, UGA canceled classes for the remainder of the week and called on students to take care of themselves in the wake of both Riley’s death and that of a UGA student who died by suicide Wednesday night.
“The past 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our University,” UAG said in a statement Thursday. “Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one our students in Brumby Hall last night. And as we continue to mourn that tragic loss of life, today’s devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, particularly our students.”
