Jose Ibarra, the 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela is facing 10 charges including malice murder, three counts of felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstructing a person making an emergency call, tampering with evidence and Peeping Tom.
The day before jury selection is to being in the murder trial of Jose Ibarra, at a pre-trial hearing, Ibarra waives his right to a jury trial and requests a bench trial. A judge will now listen to the facts of the case and make a ruling, rather than a jury. The judge in this case is known as a no-nonsense Superior Court Judge, Patrick Haggard. Haggard is a judge with firsthand knowledge of violent crime. His salesman father was fatally shot in the chest exchanging gunfire with two men trying to rob him in an apartment complex in Georgia in 1992.
Special Prosecutor Sheila Ross says Jose Ibarra was out hunting for women the day of Laken Riley's murder. The prosecutor says Laken Riley fought long and hard with her attacker, leaving marks on Ibarra and his DNA under her fingertips. Prosecutor Ross points to the black jacket Ibarra was allegedly wearing during the murder that he is seen on video placing in a dumpster, the same black jacket that contains blood from Ibarra and Riley. Ross also says Ibarra left behind a fingerprint on Laken Riley's iPhone while trying to prevent her from calling 911
Joining Nancy Grace today:**** **
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