ATHENS, Ga. — Attorneys for the man accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus are requesting the court to delay an upcoming hearing.
Jose Ibarra is currently scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 1 for a motions hearing regarding DNA evidence.
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Court documents filed in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Tuesday show that attorneys want that hearing moved.
“Neither Defendant, nor the State, have been provided the underlying data concerning DNA testing in this case despite repeated requests by both. Without that data, Defendant, cannot properly evaluate whether scientific methods were properly applied to this case. The State does not oppose a continuance,” the motion reads.
As of Thursday, a judge has not made a ruling yet on whether the hearing will be moved.
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What evidence was submitted?
Some of the evidence that prosecutors say they have against Ibarra include a thumbprint on Riley’s cell phone, video of a man dumping a bloody jacket and gloves into a dumpster just a half mile from where her body was discovered, and DNA from her fingernails.
Prosecutors say a fingerprint expert identified Ibarra’s thumbprint on Riley’s cell phone.
They say he was recorded on video cameras around a UGA student’s dormitory and near the intramural running fields that Riley used before she was killed.
Attorneys for Ibarra want the court to suppress evidence from two cell phones, Ibarra’s social media accounts, and his DNA sample. They say police had no reason to suspect him of a crime when he was detained.
But prosecutors say Ibarra was detained because police had a reasonable suspicion that he was involved with Riley’s death.
When is the trial starting?
Jury selection for the Ibarra trial is currently set to begin on Nov. 13 with opening statements scheduled for Nov. 18.
If there are any changes to the trial schedule, they will be updated on the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court records website.
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