Public defenders for the man convicted last month of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the campus of the University of Georgia have asked for a new trial, claiming a judge’s decision in the case was “contrary to law” and “contrary to evidence.”

The brief motion, filed Monday in the Superior Court of Athens-Clarke County, provides no details of contrariness and also says that the “Court committed other errors of law that necessitate a new trial.”

motion for a new trial by kc wildmoon on Scribd

Jose Ibarra was convicted on November 20 of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, obstruction of a 911 call, tampering, and peeping Tom. He had opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, and Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences, to be followed by other consecutive terms on the lesser sentences, as CrimeOnline reported. He was not given a chance at parole.

Ibarra, 26, was arrested after Riley, a 22-year-old student at the Augusta University College of Nursing, was found dead while out for a jog on the UGA campus in Athens.

Officials revealed that Ibarra, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, illegally entered the United States in 2022 but was allowed to remain while working on his immigration case. It sparked heated discussions over border laws this year.

He lived in Athens with his brother.

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[Featured image: Laken Hope Riley/Facebook]