Athens-Clarke District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez is facing backlash after Jose Antonio Ibarra, the man who killed Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, escaped the death penalty and was instead sentenced to life without parole. Gonzalez had appointed a special prosecutor to handle Ibarra’s case amid criticism for her prosecutorial record and soft-on-crime reforms. She had previously stated that her office would no longer seek the death penalty and would take into account the collateral consequences to undocumented defendants when considering charges.
Ibarra, an undocumented migrant from Venezuela, was convicted on 10 charges, including murder and kidnapping with bodily injury. He brutally killed Riley while she was jogging, hitting her in the head with a rock and asphyxiating her. This decision has enraged GOP lawmakers, with some calling for Attorney General Chris Carr to intervene and demand the death penalty for Ibarra.
Georgia State Representative Houston Gaines criticized Gonzalez for not pursuing the death penalty in a case where he believes it was appropriate. Other lawmakers, such as Sen. Colton Moore and Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, have also expressed their support for seeking the death penalty for Ibarra.
Laken Riley’s family, friends, and community are left disappointed by the outcome and feel that justice has not been served. The case has sparked debate over the death penalty and the role of prosecutors in seeking justice for victims and their families.
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