Twenty-six-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant, was arrested after police identified him as a suspect in the tragic murder of college student Laken Riley, who was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February. Riley was found dead with signs of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.

Today, Sheryl McCollum and Nancy Grace discuss the recent conviction of Jose Antonio Ibarra for the brutal murder of Laken Riley in Athens, Georgia. They reflect on the courtroom proceedings, the lack of remorse from Lbarra, and the heart-wrenching impact statements from Laken's family and friends. Nancy shares her personal experience with loss and the long-term effects of dealing with the murder of a loved one. This episode will close with an 18-minutes of silence in honor of Laken's fight for her life.

Show Notes:

• (0:00) Welcome! Nancy and Sheryl introduce this week’s crime roundup   

• (0:20) Justice served - conviction of Laken Riley's Killer 

• (1:00) Emotional impact the trial had on the family 

• (4:00) Nancy shares personal reflections  

• (6:00) “Her friends and family have a life sentence.” 

• (9:00) Discussion on the term “Peeping Tom” and its trivialization of crimes

• (12:00) Concerns about the sufficiency of the life without parole sentence

• (14:00) Reflections on grief and moving forward

• (15:45) Eighteen minutes of silence in Laken’s memory 

• (34:30) Thank you for listening!

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Nancy Grace is an outspoken, tireless advocate for victims’ rights and one of television's most respected legal analysts. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor. She is the founder and publisher of CrimeOnline.com, a crime- fighting digital platform that investigates breaking crime news, spreads awareness of missing people and shines a light on cold cases. 

In addition, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, a daily show hosted by Grace, airs on SIRIUS XM’s Triumph Channel 111 and is downloadable as a podcast on all audio platforms - https://www.crimeonline.com/

Connect with Nancy: 

X: @nancygrace

Instagram: @thenancygrace

Facebook: @nancygrace

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. 

Connect with Sheryl:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum