“🚨 Tren de Aragua Gangster Jose Ibarra Sentenced to Life in Prison for Brutal Murder of Nursing Student Laken Riley.”hienca

ATHENS, Ga. — Tren de Aragua gang member Jose Ibarra was sentenced to life without parole Wednesday for the vicious murder of promising nursing student Laken Riley in a case that ignited a national firestorm over the Biden administration’s open border policy and coddling of illegal immigrants.

The sentencing was meted out a little more than two hours after Judge Patrick Haggard announced the guilty verdict on all charges on the fourth day of the Athens, Georgia, murder trial, in which 29 witnesses were called by the prosecution.

The illegal migrant was described as a “sick, twisted, and evil coward” in series of heartbreaking victim impact statements from Riley’s loved ones before the sentencing. He reacted to the harsh words with cold detachment as a translator whispered them into his ear.

12

“The pain I feel is unexplainable every day I am reminded my daughter is gone … I will never hold her hand or feel her hug,” her dad, Jason Riley, told the court during the emotional hearing. “Our world has been torn apart. I am haunted by the fear she felt in those final moments. I hope justice is served for her.”

Her mom, Allyson Phillips, said, “Jose Ibarra took no pity on my scared, panicked and struggling child.”

“There is no end to the pain, suffering and loss,” she added, her voice quivering. “On that horrific day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten and shown no mercy.

“She fought for her life in dignity, and to save herself from being brutally raped. This sick, twisted, and evil coward showed no regard for Laken and human life. We’re asking the same be done to him,” she said, raising her voice at times.

The defense called only three witnesses before resting its case Wednesday morning. Ibarra and his brother and fellow gang member, Diego, did not testify.

Prosecutor Sheila Ross recounted the facts of the case for about 45 minutes in her closing argument, calling the evidence against Ibarra “overwhelming.”

In its closing argument, the defense tried to pin the vicious killing on Diego Ibarra, arguing Jose was the wrong body type to be the killer.

“Jose was short, he was chubby,” defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck said as she made a last ditch attempt to sow reasonable doubt before the judge made his ruling on the verdict.

“She was fast, she could have outrun him,” Beck added. “But there’s another suspect in this case who is taller, who is more physically fit.”