Illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra is standing trial in Athens, Georgia, accused of murdering nursing student Laken Riley, 22, while she was running on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22.
The suspected killer has waived his right to a jury trial and is being tried by a judge. He faces life behind bars if convicted.
Laken Riley’s sister, Lauren Phillips, broke down in tears and was comforted by the slain 22-year-old nursing student’s roommates as a medical examiner testified about the gruesome details of her sibling’s autopsy.
Lauren sat in the first row of the courtroom gallery next to Riley’s three roommates — who all testified Friday — holding hands and linking arms as Dr. Michell DiMarco spoke about performing an autopsy on Riley’s body the day after her Feb. 22 murder.
“She has combination of abrasions which are scrapes as well as contusions … as well as lacerations,” DiMarco said from the witness stand as the sister sobbed.
“Her cause of death is the combined effects of blunt-force trauma and asphyxia,” the medical examiner said of Riley.
DiMarco added that “homicide” was her manner of death.
Riley’s mom, dad and stepdad were noticeably absent during the ME’s testimony. They have been present for the majority of the three days of trial so far but have been anguished through much of the testimony.