The legal battle over the conviction of Jose Ibarra, accused and found guilty of the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, has taken a new turn. Ibarra is now seeking to overturn his conviction, arguing that procedural missteps and questionable evidence were pivotal in his trial.
On Friday, Judge H. Patrick Haggard of Clarke County Superior Court presided over a hearing where Ibarra’s defense team presented their case for dismissing his conviction. Central to their argument was testimony from a DNA expert, whose analysis is critical to the defense’s request for a new trial, as reported by FOX News Digital.
Back in November 2025, Ibarra was convicted of multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, and several other offenses. These charges stemmed from the tragic death of Laken Riley. The 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University College of Nursing was found dead while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, an incident that shocked and saddened the community.
Notably, Ibarra opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial, a decision that led to Judge Haggard handing down two consecutive life sentences, along with additional consecutive sentences for lesser charges, without the possibility of parole.
The defense argues that Ibarra’s constitutional rights were violated when the court denied a pre-trial delay. This delay, requested by DNA expert Ruth Ballard, was deemed necessary for the completion of her comprehensive report. Despite this, Judge Haggard refused the request, and the trial proceeded on schedule.
Haggard denied the request, and the trial proceeded as planned.
During Friday’s hearing, Ballard took the stand to discuss forensic evidence she analyzed. Ballard could not entirely dismiss the theory that Ibarra’s DNA ended up on the evidence through indirect transfer.
Ballard had previously written that Ibarra’s killing of Riley served as a “reasonable explanation” for why his DNA had been found on the evidence.
Attorneys also argued that the search warrants used to seize and analyze two cellphones linked to Ibarra “lacked probable cause,” and should have been suppressed. The arguments were rejected by Haggard, according to KWTX.
The defense is seeking to exclude testimony derived from TrueAllele Casework, a sophisticated software used to parse complex DNA mixtures.
Haggard did not issue a ruling after Friday’s testimony. Instead, he has granted both the defense and the prosecution until March 2 to submit their responses and supplemental filings.
Under Georgia law, the window to appeal a conviction is strictly timed. However, the motion filing for a new trial effectively pauses the clock until a final decision is reached on the motion itself.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Laken Hope Riley/Facebook]
