Jose Ibarra is waiving a jury trial in the murder of Laken Hope Riley

A Georgia man accused of murdering a nursing student at the University of Georgia waived his right to a jury trial Tuesday and allowed his case to be heard by only one judge.

Jose Ibarra, 26, is charged with the February killing of 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University.

Riley's body was discovered on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a morning run.

Ibarra faces a 10-count indictment, including premeditated murder, aggravated murder, kidnapping and aggravated assault. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Prosecutors allege he hit Riley in the head, suffocated her and intended to sexually assault her.

Will Jose Ibarra receive the death penalty?

Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen, was arrested the day after Riley's body was discovered.

During a brief hearing, Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard confirmed that Ibarra had voluntarily waived his right to a jury trial.

His defense attorney, Kaitlyn Beck, submitted a signed waiver, and after questioning Ibarra through a translator, the judge ruled that the decision was voluntary.

Prosecutors, who had originally considered the death penalty, are instead seeking a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Jury selection was scheduled for Wednesday but was postponed following discussions between the judge and legal teams.

The trial now begins on Friday.

Why did Jose Ibarra cause an immigration dispute?

Federal immigration authorities announced that Ibarra entered the United States illegally in 2022 and was allowed to remain in the country while he pursued his immigration case.

His immigration status quickly became the focus of political leaders, with Republicans linking Riley's death to President Joe Biden's border policies.

The issue of immigration also played a prominent role in the 2024 presidential election, with President-elect Donald Trump using the issue to criticize the Biden administration.

In his State of the Union address following Riley's death, President Biden acknowledged the tragedy and mentioned Riley by name in his call for stronger border security.

Multiple fees

Riley's death is believed to have been a random attack, although investigators have not yet released further details on the motive.

Ibarra faces a number of charges in connection with Riley's death, including a “Peeping Tom” charge based on an allegation that he looked into the window of a university apartment on the day of the murder.

The defense team has sought to move the trial from Athens, separate the peeping Tom allegation from the other allegations and exclude certain evidence.

The applications were rejected by the court.

Ibarra remains held without bail at the Athens-Clarke County Jail.

This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press