An undocumented immigrant accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley has been found guilty of murder by a judge in the US state of Georgia.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan, killed the 22-year-old university student in February after going “hunting for females” on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus, the week-long trial heard.
Ibarra’s lawyers had argued that evidence linking him to Ms Riley’s death was “circumstantial”.
The case gained national attention as illegal immigration became a defining issue in the 2024 presidential election.
Ms Riley, who lived in the city of Athens, north-east Georgia, was found dead in a wooded area of the UGA campus after she did not return from her morning run on 22 February this year.
Ibarra was arrested a day later.
On Wednesday, he was found guilty of all 10 counts, including felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury and aggravated assault with intent to rape.
Ibarra had waived his right to a jury trial, which means his case was heard and decided by a county judge, H Patrick Haggard.
He is expected to be sentenced later on Wednesday.
Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence without parole. In their closing arguments, they outlined how evidence showed that Ibarra’s DNA was found under the nails of Ms Riley, indicating that a struggled had ensued between them.
Ibarra’s lawyers, on the other hand, argued that the evidence presented should leave the judge “with some reasonable doubt”.
