(NewsNation) —A roommate of Jose Ibarra, the man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, testified on the second day of his trial.
The woman, who shared a one-bedroom apartment with Jose Ibarra, his two brothers Diego and Argenis as well as one other man, said that when she told her roommates about the crime that had been committed near their residence, they did not show any emotions or signs of distress.
Everyone was really calm and collected, the woman said in Athens-Clarke County courthouse Monday.
Special Agent Annie Moorman of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also took the stand and described law enforcement’s search of Jose Ibarra’s apartment.
While she did not see any items with blood during the eight-hour search, Moorman testified that she did find gloves that appeared like the ones officers had found outside the apartment near the crime scene.
Prosecutors say Jose Ibarra’s DNA was found under 22-year-old Riley’s fingernails. Jose Ibarra’s defense attorneys, meanwhile, argue all of the evidence the prosecution has is circumstantial.
An investigation began after a friend reported Riley missing on Feb. 22 when she didn’t return home from a run. Investigators later discovered her body in a forested area on the University of Georgia campus.
UGA Police arrested Jose Ibarra in connection to Riley’s death the following day. Jose Ibarra 26, who waived his right to a jury trial, is charged with murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, battery and tampering with evidence. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Ibarra’s brothers to testify
NewsNation obtained copies of court documents showing Ibarra’s attorneys plans to call Diego and Argenis Ibarra, to testify in court this week.
On Friday, the defense showed photographs that reveal Diego Ibarra was wearing the exact same baseball hat Jose Ibarra was said to have been wearing on the day Riley was killed, as well as similar clothes.
Diego and Argenis Ibarra are charged with possessing fraudulent green cards and are in federal custody. They are set to be taken to the courthouse on Wednesday. Authorities say all three brothers are Venezuelan citizens who are in the United States illegally.
First Day of Jose Ibarra’s Trial
Nine witnesses were called to testify Friday.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross said on the first day of the trial that Jose Ibarra “went hunting for females on the University of Georgia’s campus.”
“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly,” Ross said Friday.
Defense attorney Dustin Kirby called the evidence in the case graphic and disturbing but said none of it proves his client is a killer.
“People have used this case for their own personal gain — financial gain, political gain,” Kirby said.
Riley’s parents, roommates and other friends and family packed the courtroom on Friday. They returned on Monday.
NewsNation digital producers Rich Johnson and Katie Smith contributed to this report.
