Feb. 22, 2024. This marked the day that Laken Riley, a 22 year-old young woman, would be brutally murdered while on a run. Laken Riley had dreams. Dreams of becoming a nurse. Dreams of becoming a faithful wife and creating her own family. All of those dreams would be ripped from her all in 13 minutes.
Attending the University of Georgia, Riley embarked on her daily morning jog throughout campus when she encountered the man of every woman’s nightmares. Jose Ibarra, a 26 year-old man, attacked Riley as he was ‘hunting’ for college girls to attack.
The next 13 minutes would consist of Riley fighting for her life as Ibarra would attempt to do heinous acts against her. Unfortunately, this fight would end with Riley’s innocent life being taken from her and Ibarra attempting to walk off guilt free.
One of Riley’s roommates, Lilly Steiner, testified to say that Riley was on the same route she ran on almost everyday. It was a populated route in which she had never faced any problems running on. However, this would change after Ibarra’s attempt of raping and brutally murdering her with blunt hits to the head with a rock.
After heartbreaking pleas from her family, which included her step father reading her letter to her future husband, the court finally ruled in favor of justice. Jose Ibarra was convicted on three counts of felony and malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, and aggravated assault with intent to rape and “peeping Tom.”
However, this is not the first victim of a sickening murder such as this. Alyssa Lokits. 34 years-old. Avid runner. Those two phrases share a common factor with Riley’s case as she was not only a young girl, but just trying to pursue a passion that brought her joy.
Lokits was running on her usual trail when a 29 year old male, Paul Park, attempted to rape her and then shot her when she tried to escape. This fate occurs too often to women around the nation. Even though their attackers are prosecuted and met with consequences, these cases still instill fear and a sense of endangerment to young runners around the world.
Here at Charter, sophomore Isabella Benavides is a cross country runner who loves the thrill and excitement that comes with this passion of hers. However, after learning about the recent tragedy with Laken Riley, Benavides fears for what this means for not only her future, but also her fellow runners that share the same passion as her.
“It’s very scary, especially being a young girl trying to just do something I genuinely enjoy doing. Just knowing that these horrible things are happening and it could be occurring more and more just scares me,” comments Benavides as she reflects on the tragedy. “It just shows how many extra precautions we have to take as young girls running.”
Aside from the impacts this case has had on women across the nation, this also brought attention to the rising debate on illegal immigration. As this case was put on trial throughout the months of the 2024 election, Laken Riley’s murder was a hot topic between the two parties.
Ibarra is an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant who resides in the United States illegally. President-elect Donald Trump frequently brought up Riley’s tragedy as a talking point to distinguish the faults of the White House under the Biden Administration. Riley’s name was a rallying cry for conservatives who agreed on securing the border and tightening restrictions on immigrants coming into the country.
Blake Stewart, junior at Charter, sees both sides to the story. When it comes to accepting both perspectives, it is also essential to stay sensitive to the tragedy and remember the lives we lost.
“I understand why this would come up during debates and especially election season, but I think it’s also important to remain sensitive to the situation. We should be remembering Laken Riley’s life instead of using her to campaign against political opponents,” Stewart says.
At the end of the day, it is essential to remind our country that we must stand united. United against the tragedies that unfold in our communities. United against the evil that stands amongst us. Laken Riley’s story will not go unheard and will remain prominent in the minds of thousands as a fighter, not a victim.
