Laken Riley’s Last Moments
On the third day of the trial involving the murder of Laken Riley, the court presented evidence detailing the nursing student’s final moments. On February 22, Riley was seen on trail footage running with her phone at 9:05 a.m. A trail camera captured her leaving the field of view a minute later. At 9:11 a.m., she initiated an emergency call to 911 through her phone’s SOS application, but the call was disconnected. Despite numerous attempts from her mother to reach her, Riley’s phone went unanswered.
Discovery of Riley’s Body and Autopsy
Riley’s body was discovered by a University of Georgia police officer at 12:38 p.m., 65 feet off the trail. According to witnesses, data from her Garmin watch indicated that her heart stopped at 9:28 a.m. Dr. Michelle DiMarco, who conducted Riley’s autopsy, testified that she sustained significant head trauma and evidence of asphyxiation, resulting in her death from “combined effects of blunt force head trauma and asphyxia.”
Evidence Linking Ibarra to the Crime
Ashley Hinkle, a crime lab scientist, presented DNA evidence linking Ibarra to the crime. DNA under Riley’s right fingernails matched Ibarra’s with a probability of 1 in 10 billion. Additionally, hairs found on a bloodied jacket discarded by Ibarra near his apartment were determined to have originated from Riley, and both their DNA profiles were present on the jacket. Riley’s DNA was also found on discarded gloves, with the probability of it not being her 1 in 500 octillion.
Other Incriminating Evidence
A trail camera captured a man matching Ibarra’s description heading towards the intramural fields shortly before 8 a.m. Ibarra was also seen discarding the bloodied jacket and gloves near his apartment at 9:44 a.m.
Defense Witnesses and Ibarra’s Non-Testimony
The defense attempted to discredit some of the DNA testing methods and questioned the accuracy of statistical probabilities. One defense witness, Stephanie Slaton, claimed that Diego Ibarra, the suspect’s brother, threatened her after Riley’s murder. However, Diego Ibarra was advised not to testify due to pending federal charges. The state rested its case on Tuesday, while Ibarra waived his right to testify. The trial is scheduled to resume Wednesday morning.
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