Laken Riley's Mother Breaks Down as Disturbing Bodycam Audio Is Presented in Court
Laken Riley’s grieving mother broke into tears and exited the courtroom just before police bodycam footage showing the discovery of her daughter’s body was played during a hearing in Georgia.
The trial for Jose Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, began Friday in Athens, Georgia. Ibarra, described as having a "stone-faced" demeanor throughout the proceedings, faces charges for Riley’s murder.
Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University College of Nursing, had been jogging on the University of Georgia campus on February 22 when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra.
“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly,” prosecutor Sheila Ross stated to Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard, as reported by CBS News.
I don't want to hear how dangerous Trumps appointments are from those people who have been silent about the results of Bidens..Laken Riley’s mom Allyson Phillips is seen sobbing in court while 911 calls are played. pic.twitter.com/glL5bKp8Wn
— Dead Che (@dead_che) November 15, 2024
Before the courtroom was shown bodycam footage from Athens-Clarke County police sergeant Kenneth Maxwell, Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, left. Judge Haggard had advised anyone who might find the footage too graphic to step out. Maxwell himself confirmed this warning with a nod.
WARNING: The following video contains language that may be offensive to some viewers.
Body cam footage is played as evidence in court from the officer that found Laken Riley’s body after being brutally murdered by an illegal alien
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) November 15, 2024
The judge allows anyone in the courtroom that may be disturbed to leave the courtroom before it is played pic.twitter.com/teWGL6k0zT
Authorities had located Riley after her cell phone transmitted its location. She had dialed 911 at 9:11 a.m. on February 22, but no one spoke when the dispatcher answered. Attempts to call her back were unsuccessful.
Footage from Maxwell’s bodycam captured him stepping on leaves as he searched off a running trail before he discovered Riley’s body.
“Ah s***,” Maxwell is heard saying. “I found it.”
Moments later, he called for help: “I found her! Ma’am, ma’am. Ma’am. I need EMS immediately. It’s at the location where the cell pinged. Ma’am, ma’am, ma’am. She’s down, she’s not breathing!”
Maxwell attempted CPR but noted blunt force trauma to her head. He also observed that her shirt was lifted above her chest, her running tights were pulled down, and her underwear had been pushed up.
Riley’s murder sparked significant political debate during the 2024 presidential campaign. President-elect Donald Trump, along with other Republicans, criticized President Joe Biden’s border policies, blaming them for her tragic death.
WATCH: At the border, Trump says he has spoken to the parents of Laken Riley, who was bludgeoned to death by an illegal alien
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 29, 2024
"Joe Biden will never say Laken Riley’s name, but we will say it." pic.twitter.com/pHlsvwL2Wy
Jose Ibarra reportedly entered the United States illegally in September 2022, crossing the southern border at El Paso, Texas.