Jose Ibarra, charged with murdering Laken Hope Riley, has chosen a bench trial over a jury trial. The case has escalated immigration debates in the U.S. following Riley's tragic death while jogging at the University of Georgia. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, focusing instead on life without parole. Evidence indicates the murder was a random crime committed by Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022. The trial's proceedings are continuing under state scrutiny, reflecting a larger political discourse surrounding immigration policy.