For Laken Riley’s mom, the pain of losing her daughter in such a horrific way is made even worse by hearing about those last moments of Laken’s life.
But Allyson Phillips is determined to seek justice, which is why she’s been sitting in a Georgia courtroom every single day for the murder trial of suspect Jose Ibarra, right there on those cold benches.
The prosecution wrapped up its case on Tuesday, and the defense will start calling their witnesses again on Wednesday. By later that day, the judge might be ready to make a decision.
Phillips, along with her husband John and Laken’s dad Jason Riley, have endured hours of heart-wrenching testimony and evidence. Meanwhile, Ibarra—who’s an undocumented migrant from Venezuela—has mostly kept his emotions in check throughout the trial.
Just a few feet away, though, Riley’s mom has broken down in tears multiple times, especially when an officer talked about missed calls between her and Laken on that tragic morning. It’s been an incredibly intense trial so far with some shocking moments:
Security footage records Riley’s last run.
Riley, who used to be a cross-country runner, was last spotted alive jogging close to Oconee Forest Park at the University of Georgia on the morning of February 22.
She had been a student at UGA until the spring of 2023 before transferring to Augusta University’s College of Nursing in Athens. Surveillance footage from UGA captured Riley jogging with her phone in her left hand, which would become an important piece of evidence in the trial.
It was heartbreaking for Phillips as she watched the video of her daughter on that tragic day. A few hours after Riley set out for her run, the footage shows two of her roommates and their dog looking for her near a trailhead.
They eventually left about 20 minutes later, but there was still no sign of Riley.
According to the prosecution, Riley struggled against her assailant.
According to the prosecution, forensic evidence indicates that Riley fought hard to survive and maintain her dignity before her tragic death.
Ashley Hinkle, a scientist from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, testified on Tuesday that genetic tests on fingernail clippings taken from Riley matched Ibarra’s DNA. Hinkle explained that for someone’s DNA to end up under another person’s fingernails, there usually needs to be some sort of scratching or direct contact with the nail bed.
On Monday, UGA police Sgt. Joshua Epps shared his encounter with Ibarra the day after Riley was killed. He noticed what appeared to be scratches on Ibarra’s fingernails.
While I was talking to him, I saw a scratch on his right bicep, Epps recounted. He also had a scratch on his left forearm that looked very much like it could have been from fingernails.
Additionally, he pointed out a puncture wound just below Ibarra’s left wrist that seemed quite fresh—about half an inch wide—and reminded him of injuries he’d experienced playing high school sports.
As Epps described these injuries in detail, Riley’s mother couldn’t hold back her tears and wiped them away as she listened.
Overlooked messages and urgent phone calls
One of the most touching moments happened on Tuesday when UGA police Sgt. Sophie Raboud shared the last messages Riley sent from her phone.
Just minutes before she passed away, Riley reached out to her mom with a call and a text, hoping to reconnect. That missed call turned out to be the final time she tried to contact someone close to her.
In court, Phillips couldn’t hold back her tears as she listened to the sergeant, who also seemed moved while outlining what happened next.
8:55 a.m.: Riley sent her final text to her mother: “Good morning,” she wrote. “About to go for a run if you’re free to talk.”
9:03 a.m.: Riley called her mother, but she did not answer.
9:11 a.m.: Riley called 911.
9:12 a.m.: The 911 operator called Riley back twice within one minute.
9:24 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter back, but Riley didn’t answer.
9:37 a.m.: Riley’s mother texted her daughter: “Call me when you can.”
9:51 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again.
9:53 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again.
9:58 a.m.: Riley’s mother texted her daughter: “You’re making me nervous not answering while you’re out running. Are you OK?”
11:04 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again.
11:12 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again.
11:15 a.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again.
11:19 a.m.: Riley’s sister tried to call.
11:47 a.m.: Riley’s mother texted her daughter: “Please call me, I’m worried sick about you.”
12:07 p.m.: Riley’s mother called her daughter again.
12:20 p.m.: Riley’s stepfather tried to call.
At 12:38 p.m., police found Riley’s body in a wooded area near Lake Herrick.
The medical examiner reported that Riley suffered from asphyxiation and sustained blunt-force injuries to the head.
Riley’s dad, mom, and stepdad walked out of the courtroom right before a medical examiner was set to talk about their daughter’s injuries and what led to her death.
Dr. Michelle DiMarco, an associate medical examiner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, revealed that the 22-year-old passed away due to a mix of blunt-force trauma to her head and asphyxia.
Asphyxia means there wasn’t enough oxygen getting to her body, which can happen from things like hanging, being strangled by hand, or having something pressed against you.
DiMarco mentioned she couldn’t determine exactly how Riley experienced asphyxia. On top of that, Riley had facial injuries and a skull fracture—injuries that could have been caused by something like a rock, according to DiMarco.