Trial for suspect in Georgia nursing student Laken Riley's death to begin

 The man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has waived his right to a jury, paving the way for his bench trial, which is expected to begin Friday morning.

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, of Athens, Georgia, was indicted on charges including three counts of felony murder and counts of malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape and "peeping Tom."

Riley’s killing and Ibarra’s arrest set off a political firestorm, with Republicans, including Donald Trump, pointing to Riley’s death in calls for tougher border policies as part of a broader crackdown on immigration.

In a bench trial, the judge will ultimately decide whether the defendant is guilty or innocent, without the help of a jury. The trial is expected to start at 9 a.m. Friday.

Prosecutors are seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Riley, 22, was found dead with "visible injuries" on Feb. 22 in a forested area behind Lake Herrick on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. She had gone out for a jog, and when she did not return, her friends called the police.

Laken Riley.Courtesy of Riley family

Police said at the time that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

There was no indication the suspect knew the victim, University Police Chief Jeff Clark said at the time. He also said the suspect did not have an extensive violent criminal background.

Clark described Riley’s killing as a "crime of opportunity, where he saw an individual and bad things happened," and said the killing appeared to be a solo act.

Attorneys for Ibarra did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.

Riley was a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing's Athens campus, according to the school. The University of Georgia said Riley had been a student through the 2023 spring semester before she transferred to Augusta University.

At the time of Riley’s killing, Ibarra was living in an apartment complex less than a mile from the University of Georgia campus.

Ibarra is a Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 near El Paso, Texas, officials have said.

Riley's father, Jason Riley, told NBC News in March he felt that fact distracted from who his daughter was and feared her death was being exploited as a political talking point ahead of the presidential election.

"I think it's being used politically to get those votes," he said. "It makes me angry. I feel like, you know, they're just using my daughter's name for that. And she was much better than that, and she should be raised up for the person that she is. She was an angel."

"She was only 22. She had a lot of life left to give to the world," he said. "If everybody could live like Laken it would make the world a better place.