Judge orders mental evaluation for Jose Ibarra in Laken Riley murder appeal
ATHENS — A judge has ordered a mental competency evaluation for Jose Ibarra, the man convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, as Ibarra seeks to appeal his conviction.
The evaluation will determine whether Ibarra was mentally competent at the time of the crime and trial — including whether he understood the consequences of waiving a jury trial — and is competent to assist in the preparation of his appeal.
The decision was issued late last week by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra’s defense is seeking to either vacate his sentence or secure a new trial.
During a virtual hearing last month, defense attorney David Douds described Ibarra, 27, as “a slow learner” and a native Spanish speaker who may have faced a language barrier during court proceedings.
In response, special prosecutor Sheila Ross said the state did not oppose the request for a competency evaluation.
The defense has also filed a motion seeking public funds to retain expert witnesses to assist in the appeal process.
Ibarra was convicted in November of malice murder and related charges in the February 2024 attack that left Riley dead near a wooded trail on the University of Georgia campus. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole by Judge Haggard after a bench trial.
The case drew national attention, becoming a flashpoint in the debate over border security and immigration after authorities said Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, had entered the United States unlawfully and previously been detained by federal immigration authorities.
President Donald Trump in January signed into law a bill named for Riley that gives federal immigration agencies broad authority to detain migrants accused of a variety of crimes.
About the Author
Fletcher Page is Athens bureau chief covering northeast Georgia for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
