The man accused of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is seeking to vacate his conviction, citing procedural errors and challenged evidence.
On Friday, Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard heard an argument supporting the dismissal of Jose Ibarra’s, 28, conviction. The hearing featured testimony from a DNA expert whose analysis sits at the heart of the defense’s argument for a new trial, according to FOX News Digital.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Ibarra was convicted on November 20, 2025, of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, obstruction of a 911 call, tampering, and peeping Tom. The conviction came after Riley, a 22-year-old student at the Augusta University College of Nursing, was found dead while out for a jog at the UGA campus in Athens.
Ibarra opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial. Haggard sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences, followed by other consecutive terms on the lesser sentences, without a chance at parole.
Ibarra’s legal team contended that his constitutional rights were compromised by the court’s refusal to grant a pre-trial delay. DNA expert Ruth Ballard requested the delay, to fully complete her report.
Haggard denied the request, and the trial proceeded as planned.
During Friday’s hearing, Ballard took the stand to discuss forensic evidence she analyzed. Ballard could not entirely dismiss the theory that Ibarra’s DNA ended up on the evidence through indirect transfer.
Ballard had previously written that Ibarra’s killing of Riley served as a “reasonable explanation” for why his DNA had been found on the evidence.
Attorneys also argued that the search warrants used to seize and analyze two cellphones linked to Ibarra “lacked probable cause,” and should have been suppressed. The arguments were rejected by Haggard, according to KWTX.
The defense is seeking to exclude testimony derived from TrueAllele Casework, a sophisticated software used to parse complex DNA mixtures.
Haggard did not issue a ruling after Friday’s testimony. Instead, he has granted both the defense and the prosecution until March 2 to submit their responses and supplemental filings.
Under Georgia law, the window to appeal a conviction is strictly timed. However, the motion filing for a new trial effectively pauses the clock until a final decision is reached on the motion itself.
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[Feature Photo: Laken Hope Riley/Facebook]
