Man indicted in killing of Laken Riley, a Georgia case at the center of national immigration debate

By JEFF MARTIN
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man has been indicted on murder charges by a grand jury that said he intended to rape a nursing student whose body was found near a running trail on the University of Georgia campus. It is the first time such a motive has been revealed in the February killing of Laken Hope Riley. The case has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration reform. A Georgia grand jury this week handed down an indictment accusing Ibarra of repeatedly striking Riley in the head with a rock and asphyxiating her, and also pulling up her clothing with the intention of raping her.