Jose Ibarra Has Been Found Guilty of Murdering Laken Riley — Will He Be Put to Death?

The murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley was as shocking as it was devastating. Sadly, it was later used as political fodder during the 2024 presidential election. Obviously this is a serious crime, but what catapulted it onto the national stage was the fact that the man accused of killing her was an undocumented immigrant. Conservatives latched onto this fact and parlayed it into an anti-immigration platform while making promises to conduct mass deportations if Donald Trump was elected.

Regarding this case, two significant things happened in November 2024. Not only was Donald Trump re-elected, but Jose Ibarra was found guilty of murdering Riley. Due to the polarizing nature of Riley's death as well as Ibarra's highly publicized trial, the general public is desperate to know what happens next. Does Georgia have the death penalty? Here's what we know.

Not only does Georgia have the death penalty, but it has been participating in capital punishment since 1735 when Alice Riley was hanged for murder, per the Death Penalty Information Center. Until the 1920s, Georgia's preferred method was hanging but on occasion, the state would employ the use of a firing squad and burning at the stake. On Aug. 16, 1924, Georgia passed a law abolishing the use of hanging and instead began utilizing the electric chair.

Between 1924 and 1964, over 400 people were put to death via the electric chair or electrocution. This ended in 1964 when the Supreme Court suspended all executions in the United States, and ruled them unconstitutional eight years later. However, in 1973, Georgia passed a new capital punishment statute that pushed the court to overturn their decision.

Up until 2001, Georgia was still using electrocution in capital punishment cases until the Supreme Court ruled this unconstitutional. The method of execution from that point forward has been lethal injection. As of September 2024, there are 34 people awaiting execution in the state of Georgia. Will Jose Ibarra be one of them?

Prosecutors in Ibarra's trial opted not to push for the death penalty, reported WXIA. They instead sought life without parole. Because Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, the verdict and sentencing were left entirely up to Judge Patrick Haggard. He ultimately sentenced Ibarra to two life sentences, plus 27 years, per the New York Post.

This decision was made after Judge Haggard heard victim impact statements from Riley's friends and family. Throughout the trial, Riley's mother was particularly grief-stricken and had to leave the courtroom multiple times. When it was her turn to speak, she did not hold back, calling Ibarra a "sick, twisted, and evil coward." She went on to say that he showed no regard for Riley's life, therefore the state should show no regard for his.

Riley's father added, "I will never hold her hand or feel her hug. 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."