When Riley’s mother didn’t get an answer returning her message, she began to feel “nervous” — before, hours later, texting, “Please call me. I’m worried sick about you.”
Laken Riley’s last moments leading up to her murder have been revealed during the trial for her accused killer, Jose Ibarra — including the text she sent her mom moments before her death.
Ibarra, a Venezuelan man who entered the country illegally, stands accused of killing the 22-year-old University of Georgia college student earlier this year. Riley’s body was found on February 22, after she failed to return home from a run.
Ibarra, 26, was arrested the following morning and charged with one count of malice murder, three counts of felony murder and one count each of kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, hindering an emergency telephone call, tampering with evidence and being a peeping Tom.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Law&Crime
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In court on Tuesday, testimony revealed Riley texted her mother, Allyson Phillips, at 8:55am, saying, “Good morning about to go for run if you’re free to talk.” It was the last message she ever sent. Riley also tried calling her mother at 9:03am, but she didn’t answer the call. It’s at that same time she was seen leaving her home on a Ring camera for her run, before a trail cam picked her up as well at 9:05am. That was the last time she was seen alive.
Then, at 9:11, per prosecutors, Riley activated the emergency services feature on her phone to call 911. The 1 minute, 8 second call was played previously for the court, in which the operator can been heard saying, “Hello” repeatedly, before asking, “Can anyone hear me?” Only the sounds of birds and a muffled male’s voice could be heard. When the phone hung up, police attempted calling back twice, but received no answer.
Her mother then returned her call at 9:24am, but Riley didn’t answer.
Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool/Law&Crime/Augusta University
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Medical data from her Garmin watch showed that Riley’s heart rate was still going until 9:28am, with prosecutors saying, “Her encounter with him was long. Her fight with him was fierce and that is what the Garmin data shows. Once her heart stops at 9:28 a.m., there’s no more movement form her Garmin.”
Then, at 9:37am, her mother texted her, “Call me when you can,” before calling her daughter twice. At 9:58am, she then sent, “You’re making me nervous not answering while you’re out running. Are you OK?”
More than two hours after her death, at 11:47am, her mother then texted, “Please call me. I’m worried sick about you” — while she, her sister and stepfather all tried to reach her, as Riley’s roommates began their search.
Clarke County Sheriff’s Office/Augusta University
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Riley’s body was found shortly after 12:30pm that same day, in a wooded area off the trail.
According to CBS, Riley’s mother cried in court as the texts were read aloud.
While Ibarra was initially set for a jury trial, the judge agreed to a bench trial — meaning the defendant’s fate will be decided by a judge and not a jury.
The prosecution rested its case on Tuesday, before defense rested theirs Wednesday morning; prosecutors have now begun calling their rebuttal witnesses.
