ATHENS, GA — A judge has rejected a request for a new trial for the Venezuelan man convicted of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus.

Jose Ibarra’s defense argued his constitutional rights were violated when the judge declined two defense motions before trial.

One request sought to delay the trial to allow an expert witness time to review and analyze DNA data. The other motion would have excluded some cellphone evidence.

A Clarke County Superior Court judge denied the request, saying that the evidence presented by the state was “overwhelming and powerful.”

Ibarra was found guilty of murder and other charges during his November 2024 trial.

He was sentenced to life in prison.