An undocumented immigrant accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley has been found guilty of murder by a Georgia judge on Wednesday.
Prosecutors in the week-long trial argued that Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan, killed the 22-year-old university student in February after going “hunting for females” on the University of Georgia campus.
Ibarra’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued that evidence linking him to Ms Riley’s death was “circumstantial”.
The case gained national attention as immigration became a defining issue in the 2024 presidential election.
Ibarra was arrested the day following Ms Riley’s death. He faced 10 criminal charges, including felony murder, aggravated assault and other alleged crimes.
He is expected to be sentenced by later on Wednesday afternoon.
