The Patriot Post® · Justice for Laken Riley

There is a contract between the people and their government when it comes to the Rule of Law. We entrust our lives and livelihoods to a governing body that, in return, has promised to uphold justice on our behalf. The story of Laken Riley’s murder is an example of where that trust in government has both succeeded and failed utterly.

Let’s start with the failure because it was the complete and utter failure of the federal government that led to the murder of this innocent young woman. President Joe Biden, “border czar” Kamala Harris, and the Department of Homeland Security have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to cross the border. Then they used taxpayer dollars to fly these illegals all around the U.S. interior.

That is how Laken Riley’s murderer, Jose Ibarra, even got to Georgia in the first place. Ibarra is an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang — a vicious, bloodthirsty, diabolical crew from the bowels of Venezuela. He made his way across the border, was flown to New York, and from there transported to Georgia, where he was living with his two brothers in Athens. There were even signs that he had predatory tendencies before the murder took place.

This derelict refusal to secure the border and protect the American people from the predations and failings of other countries is why 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, did not return from her morning run on February 22, 2024.

Brave Laken fought for her life for 18 minutes as her attacker attempted to violate her; she wasn’t going to submit quietly. As columnist Gary Bauer notes, “Have you ever thought about 18 minutes? It can go by in the blink of an eye if you’re doing something really fun. But sometimes 18 minutes can seem like a long time if you’re sitting in the dentist’s chair or stuck in a traffic jam. … Eighteen minutes was the time it took for Jose Ibarra, an illegal alien and a monster, to brutally murder Laken Riley.” This illegal immigrant, who should not have even been in the United States, bashed her head and strangled her. He left her body in the woods without dignity and covered with leaves.

After Riley’s murder, other government entities failed her.

Biden wouldn’t even acknowledge the case until forced to do so during his State of the Union Address. But even then, he referred to “Lincoln” Riley, and later apologized for calling her murder an “illegal.”

The Democrat mayor of Athens, Kelly Girtz, was more concerned about avoiding the issue of illegal immigration and the crime that comes with it than the fact that toxic empathy for those who have come here unlawfully just got a young woman killed.

Moreover, radical District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez refused to seek the death penalty against Ibarra. Her reasoning? “Our utmost duty is to ensure that justice is served and that the victim’s family is an integral part of the deliberation process. We understand that there will be those outside this office who will disagree with our decision and seek to exploit this case for political gain. However, the integrity of our judicial process and the pursuit of justice must always transcend political considerations.”

This disproportionate pursuit of justice has devastated Riley’s family and friends. Now, young women like Riley’s roommate, Connolly Huth, are afraid to run outside, fearing that the same thing could happen to them. This failure has destroyed the peace and freedom of this college town community.

Although it’s unfortunate that the death penalty was quashed, the story of Laken Riley doesn’t end with complete failure. Yesterday, Ibarra was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Riley had fought and scratched her attacker, providing the DNA evidence that helped track him down. Ibarra also left behind a fingerprint on her phone and was caught on video trying to get rid of evidence.

Today, we honor the life of a beautiful, vivacious young woman. Laken Hope Riley was well-liked, a strong Christian, and loved helping others. By all accounts, she was an incredible woman of character. She was dreaming of her future.

Riley’s stepfather shared this journal entry of hers during his impact statement:

To my future husband. I want you to know that I’m thinking about you.

I’m working every day to become the best wife I can be by working through my current relationships to best prepare me for ours and our kids.

I am focusing on God and what he defines as a faithful Christian wife so that I can best embody those characteristics.

I pray that you know that is with my full faith and trust in God, that I know this relationship has been handcrafted by him.

I pray that we continue to glorify the Lord, prioritize him in every aspect of our lives, and raise our family, our future family, to be God-fearing Christians as well. I pray God is the center of our relationship as it is, as it is a gift from him.

I thank him for you before I even know you and can’t wait to love you in the best way.

No matter what challenges we face, I pray that our trust in God and love for one another overrules the obstacle.

May our relationship last forever, your future wife.

There can be no better way to honor Riley’s life and bravery than by fighting to ameliorate the failures that led to this monster being put in her path. Rest in the hands of your perfect Savior, sweet Laken. The first step on the path toward justice has begun.