Allyson Phillips, the mother of the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, whose body was found badly beaten near the UGA intramural field, delivered a victim impact statement confronting her daughter's murderer in court.
On November 20, Jose Ibarra was found guilty of murdering Laken Riley by Judge Patrick Haggard after a four-day trial. He was found guilty of all the charges against him, including multiple counts of felony murder.
Trending
Jose Ibarra is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to reports, the scratches on Ibarra's arms, DNA found under Riley's fingernail, etc, were crucial in Ibarra's conviction.
Laken's murder and the subsequent arrest of Jose Ibarra have led to discussions and debates on a national level regarding immigration because of Ibarra's status as an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant.
What did Laken Riley's mom Allyson Phillips say?
In her victim impact statement delivered to a court in Athens-Clarke County, headed by Judge Patrick Haggard, Laken's mother, Allyson Phillips, asked the court to give maximum punishment to Jose, who she called a sick, "twisted, and evil coward" because he showed no regard to her daughter.
Jose Ibarra took no pity on my scared, panicked and struggling child. She fought for her life in dignity, and to save herself from being brutally raped. This sick, twisted, and evil coward showed no regard for Laken and human life. We’re asking the same be done to him. There is no end to the pain, suffering and loss. On that horrific day, my precious daughter was attacked, beaten and shown no mercy.
As she read the Victim impact statement, Allyson Phillips couldn't help but raise her voice at times and had difficulty controlling her tears when she talked about her daughter. She referred to Laken as kind, thoughtful, and her best friend.
Friends and family of Laken Riley shared victim impact speech.
Other than Allyson Phillips, Laken's family and friends also stepped onto the podium to share victim impact statements. Laken's sister, Lauren Phillips, talked about how her sister was her favorite person and role model. She shared that,
She brought the joy that I needed into my life and never failed to make me laugh. There was absolutely nothing that I wouldn't do for Laken and nothing that she wouldn't do for me.
Meanwhile, Riley's stepfather shared her last journal entry with the court, mentioning how she was "abundantly and exceptionally full of promise." Her father, Jason Riley, told the court about how the fear his daughter felt in her final moments haunts him.
Laken Riley was found dead from blunt force trauma near UGA's intramural field on February 22, 2024. According to reports, Ibarra killed Riley by smashing her head and asphyxiating her as she fought his attempt to assault her s*xually.
Reply
