Rally for justice in murder of Laken Riley held by Georgia county Republican Party

On Saturday, demonstrators took to the parking lot of the Columbia County, Georgia, Republican Party headquarters to hold a rally seeking justice for slain nursing student Laken Riley.

In a post, Republican candidate for Georgia House District 125 and former PragerU personality CJ Pearson said, "Just a little over an hour away from my home, Laken Riley’s life was stolen from her by an illegal alien." He added, "Today, we rallied to demand action that will ensure that what happened to Laken Riley NEVER happens again." 

In announcing the rally on Friday, Pearson wrote, "If the Left can shut down America to rally for George Floyd, it is time for patriots to rally together to demand justice for Augusta University student Laken Riley." 

Chairman of the Columbia County Republican Party Joe Edlemon and honorary Chairwoman of Tea Party Action Jenny Beth Martin were scheduled to speak at the rally alongside Pearson. 

Laken Riley's body was found on February 22 in a wooded area of the University of Georgia Athens campus during her morning run. On February 23, illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra was arrested and charged with her murder. Ibarra is suspected of using blunt force trauma to the point where Laken’s skull was disfigured.  

The arrest affidavit alleges that Ibarra "did commit the offense of aggravated battery when he maliciously causes bodily harm to another by seriously disfiguring her body or a member thereof by disfiguring her skill." It also revealed that he allegedly, "did conceal the death of another person, and/or hinder discovery by dragging the victim to a secluded area." 

A neighbor of Ibarra recently revealed that he was captured on security and doorbell cameras disposing of evidence of the murder. "He took all of the evidence," she said. "He’s on camera with his bloody clothes in a bag." 

Ibarra's charges include felonies of malice murder, murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and concealing the death of another, as well as the misdemeanor of physically hindering a 911 call.