Suspect in college campus killing of nursing student Laken Riley files motion to suppress evidence

ATLANTA (Atlanta News First/Gray News) - The man accused of killing a nursing student on the University of Georgia’s campus has filed a motion to suppress pieces of evidence in the case, according to court documents.

Jose Ibarra, 26, is accused of killing Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley on Feb. 22 in a wooded area behind Lake Herrick on the school’s campus.

Ibarra has been charged with multiple crimes, including malice murder, three counts of felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with the intent to rape, aggravated battery, tampering with evidence and hindering or obstructing a person from making an emergency telephone call.

The court documents claim two cellphones, social media information, location data and “genetic and physical information” were seized without probable cause.

The University of Georgia Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, FBI and other law enforcement agencies obtained multiple search warrants in connection with the case. Officials searched 10 electronic devices and collected “buccal swabs and photographs of marks” from Ibarra, as well as location data and social media information from Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.

According to the documents, the evidence “must be suppressed as fruit of the poisonous tree.”

The documents also claim that Ibarra was “detained without reasonable suspicion” when officers entered his Athens apartment without a warrant the day after Riley was found dead.

The judge overseeing the case recently said he expects trial to start in November.

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