Judge orders mental evaluation in appeal for Laken Riley's convicted killer

Mihaela Chircă

July 8 (UPI) -- A Georgia judge ordered a mental evaluation for Jose Ibarra, the man convicted in the 2024 murder of 22-year-old university student Laken Riley. It will determine if Ibarra, a native of Venezuela, was mentally competent at the time of the crime and later at trial, including whether he understood the legal consequences of waiving a trial by jury and if he is mentally equipped to assist in his own appeal. In November, Ibarra was convicted of malice murder and other related charges