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Testimony continued on Monday in Athens, Georgia, for the trial of Jose Ibarra, who is facing charges for the murder of nursing student Laken Riley. Officers described their search of Ibarra's apartment and their questioning of Ibarra and other residents. Ibarra, 26, is also facing additional charges in connection with Riley's killing in February. Opting for a bench trial, Ibarra has left the decision in the hands of Judge H. Patrick Haggard of Athens-Clarke County Superior Court.

According to FBI testimony, Ibarra took selfies on the day of the killing, showing him in a black Adidas baseball cap and a dark hooded jacket. Surveillance footage from a University of Georgia housing complex captured a man in similar attire near the scene. A female student reported hearing someone at her door and peering into her window on the same day.

Initially, police questioned Diego Ibarra, who was also seen wearing a black Adidas cap, but he showed no signs of involvement. Questioning of other residents revealed that Jose Ibarra had visible scratches, which he attributed to the cold but could not explain further.

Security video showed a man discarding an item in a trash bin while wearing a shirt with a distinctive pattern. Although no direct evidence of that shirt was found in the apartment, police did retrieve a dark hooded jacket with Riley's blood from the trash bin. Rosbeli Elisbar Flores Bello, a resident, identified Jose Ibarra as the man in the video and attested to previously seeing him in the jacket.

Flores Bello testified via an interpreter, recounting how she and Ibarra moved to Georgia from Queens, New York. Ibarra had relocated to join his brother Diego in Athens upon the latter’s suggestion of better work opportunities.

The trial, which began on Friday, has seen emotional testimonies from Riley's friends and family, establishing a detailed timeline of Riley's final hours. Defense attorney Dustin Kirby argued that the evidence presented is insufficient to definitively link Ibarra to the crime.

Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, faces multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and other crimes. The case has intensified the ongoing national debate over immigration policies.