White House reacts to alleged killing of Laken Hope Riley by undocumented immigrant

The White House on Monday (Feb 26) reacted to the alleged murder of Laken Hope Riley, the Augusta University student who was allegedly killed by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus in Athens City of Georgia state.

A White House spokesperson said: "We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Hope Riley. People should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law if they are found to be guilty. Given this is an active case, we would have to refer you to state law enforcement and ICE."

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UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said on Feb 23 that Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was arrested in connection with Riley's murder during a Thursday morning jog on the UGA campus.

The arrest followed a press conference where Clark said that Riley succumbed to blunt force trauma.

Ibarra had illegally crossed the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, subsequently being paroled into the United States. He then travelled to New York City to temporarily live with his wife before relocating to Athens.

There, he lived for approximately six months on the southern border of the UGA campus, Fox News reported.

Ibarra now faces severalcharges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, and concealing the death of another.

Meanwhile, Ibarra's older brother, Diego Ibarra, faced charges of green card fraud and was briefly employed by UGA as a dish washer in one of the school's dining halls using fraudulent documentation. He has since been terminated from his position.

Riley's family posted a statement over the weekend, describing the 22-year-old as "an amazing daughter, sister, friend, and overall person."

"She will be missed every day, but we promise to honour her life moving forward in a very big way."

(With inputs from agencies)