Father Sues Georgia University System Over Daughter's Campus Murder

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The father of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student killed on the University of Georgia campus in 2024, has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the state's public university system. The lawsuit alleges the Board of Regents failed to provide a safe campus, notify students of a nearby threat, and properly screen employees, which allowed the undocumented immigrant charged with Riley's murder to live in an apartment complex near campus.

Why it matters

This case highlights ongoing debates around campus safety, immigration policies, and the responsibilities of public universities to protect students. Riley's killing heightened tensions in the national discussion over immigration, and this lawsuit seeks accountability for alleged failures that may have contributed to her death.

The details

Just over an hour before Riley was killed, the suspect, Jose Ibarra, had looked into a graduate student's apartment window and tried to open the front door before fleeing. The lawsuit alleges the Board of Regents failed to notify students of this threat and provide a reasonably safe campus. It also claims the board failed to properly screen employees, allowing Ibarra's undocumented brother to work on campus. Prosecutors say Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2022, encountered and killed Riley during her morning run.

• Ibarra looked into a graduate student's apartment and tried to open the front door about an hour before Riley's killing on February 22, 2024.
• Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was killed on the University of Georgia campus on February 22, 2024.
• Ibarra, 28, had entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was allowed to stay while pursuing his immigration case.

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to allow the lawsuit to proceed to a jury trial, where Riley's father is seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as reimbursement of legal costs.