Video Shows Moment Laken Riley's Family Find Out About Murder

New bodycam footage captures the heartbreaking moment police informed Laken Riley's family of her death.

The murder of the Georgia nursing student thrust immigration policy back into the national spotlight after it was revealed the killer was a documented gang member from Venezuela who had entered the U.S. illegally.

Jose Ibarra, 26, was found guilty of malice and felony murder, along with eight other charges, in the February killing of Riley—a case that has intensified debates over border security and the balance between immigration and public safety.

In the video played in court before sentencing on Wednesday, Riley's parents Allyson and John, and sister Lauren were seen in tears after learning about her death.

New bodycam footage captures the heartbreaking moment police informed Laken Riley's family of her death.

"It's my daughter," her mother said as she broke down in tears.

'Oh my God, oh my God,' her mother screamed.

She then fell to the ground, her head in her hands, while Riley's sister and father wept.

Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard delivered the verdict Wednesday, eliciting audible gasps from the courtroom.

Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, leaving Haggard entirely responsible for hearing and deciding the case.

After a trial lasting just three and a half days, Haggard delivered a guilty verdict against Ibarra. In addition to the murder charges, he was convicted of kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, obstruction of a person making an emergency call, tampering with evidence, and being a "peeping Tom."

Riley, 22, was killed on February 22 following what prosecutors have described as a violent attack by the accused while she was jogging on a wooded trail near the University of Georgia campus.

On Tuesday, the court heard details of Riley's autopsy, which showed injuries across multiple areas, including her head, neck, torso and limbs. One of those injuries was a skull fracture, likely caused by a rock.

Prosecutors argued Wednesday that Ibarra had driven Riley off the running trail the morning she disappeared, intending to rape her, but failed to before he murdered her.

The court was shown graphic images and detailed accounts of what police discovered at the scene, along with phone records and fitness tracker data indicating that Riley died approximately 20 minutes after her last phone call with her mother, shortly after 9 a.m.

Following the killer's sentencing, President-elect Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social: "JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY! The Illegal who killed our beloved Laken Riley was just found GUILTY on all counts for his horrific crimes. Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever, hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for Justice, and to ensure that other families don't have to go through what they have.

"We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!"

The killing highlights the polarizing nature of immigration issues in the United States.

Ibarra has ties to the notorious Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren De Aragua, according to NewsNation.

The killer entered the U.S. in September 2022, crossing the southwest border illegally near El Paso, Texas. Immigration officials initially detained Ibarra but later released him pending the outcome of his case.

He was subsequently arrested in New York in August 2023. However, it remains unclear when exactly he traveled from New York to Georgia, where he was located by February 2024.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 in the U.S.