On the third day of Laken Riley’s suspected killer Jose Antonio Ibarra’s trial, prosecutors shared evidence in court of the last known communication from the Georgia nursing student. It was a text to her mother, Allyson Phillips.
The22-year-old Augusta University student was out for a morning jog on the University of Georgia campus in Athens when she was brutally murdered by Ibarra, aVenezuelan migrant. He isbeing tried by a judge after waiving his right to a jury trial, and faces life behind bars if convicted.
Laken Riley’s last known communication
Prosecutors on Tuesday, November 19, shared the last text message Riley sent her mother – a seemingly ordinary message before Riley and her family’s lives would change forever. “Good morning,” Riley wrote, according to a UGA investigator who read out the message in court, as reported by WSB TV and 11 Alive.
The rest of the message, sent at 8:55 am, read, “...about to go for run if you’re free to talk.”
Riley called her mom at 9:03 am, but there was no answer. Riley called 911 at 9:11 am, but the call was cut abruptly. 911 made two return calls to Riley’s phone, but there was no answer.
{{/usCountry}}Riley called her mom at 9:03 am, but there was no answer. Riley called 911 at 9:11 am, but the call was cut abruptly. 911 made two return calls to Riley’s phone, but there was no answer.
{{/usCountry}}Phillips called her daughter at 9:24 am, but there was no answer. The mother began to grow anxious after follow up phone calls and a text message to her daughter went unanswered. "You're making me nervous not answering while you're out running," Phillips wrote in one message to Riley. “Are you OK?"
Over the next two hours, several phone calls were made to Riley by her distressed family. They also sent frantic messages to Riley, asking about her whereabouts. One of the other messages from Phillips read, according to CBS News,"Please call me. I'm worried sick about you."
Tragically, Riley had been attacked and murdered by Ibarra.
Phillips was seen crying in court asGeorgia police Sgt. Sophie Raboud read the messages aloud. Riley wasfound dead near a lake on the University of Georgia’s campus. She died from "blunt force trauma," according to official police reports.