Laken Riley
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - The father of slain nursing student Laken Riley filed a lawsuit Monday against the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the owners of the apartment complex where her convicted killer lived. The suit comes two years after her death.
‘Negligent acts and omissions’
What they're saying:
Jason Riley filed the lawsuit in Gwinnett County State Court naming the Board of Regents, apartment owners Azulyk Athens LLC and The Argo Apartments LP, and individual manager Omar Zavala as defendants. The suit alleges that "negligent acts and omissions" led to his daughter's 2024 murder. It seeks punitive damages and compensation for the "full value" of Laken Riley's life, including lost future earnings and the loss of companionship.
The murder of Laken Riley
The backstory:
This lawsuit was filed two years after Riley was murdered on the campus of the University of Georgia while going for a run. According to the complaint, UGA police responded to a 911 call at 7:57 a.m. from a student who reported an unknown assailant, later identified as Jose Ibarra, peeping through her dormitory window and attempting to open her door.
The lawsuit alleges that despite this reported threat, the university "failed to notify students and guests on Campus of the threat posed by Ibarra."
Shortly after that initial 911 call, Laken Riley went for her routine morning run near the UGA Intramural Fields. At 9:10 a.m., her phone was used to call 911 via an SOS function.
"The call connects and lasts for over a minute; a struggle can be heard on the recording but no voices other than the Athens-Clarke County 911 dispatcher are discernable," the complaint states. Ibarra's fingerprint was later found on the phone, indicating he disconnected the call.
Riley’s body was discovered later that afternoon in a wooded area off a running trail. Ibarra was convicted of her murder in December 2024.
Laken Hope Riley (University of Augusta)
‘The threat posed by Ibarra’
What they're saying:
The lawsuit levels specific accusations against the defendants, claiming the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia failed to maintain a safe campus and did not follow its own policies regarding the screening of employees. The complaint notes that Jose Ibarra’s brother was employed on campus, which it argues provided Ibarra with a familiarity with the grounds.
Regarding the private defendants, the complaint alleges that Azulyk Athens and Omar Zavala allowed Ibarra to live in an apartment complex adjacent to the campus "without regard to the legality of his status in the United States and without regard to his violent criminal history."
"Had Defendant Board of Regents warned the public, the Athens community, and students such as Ms. Riley of the threat posed by Ibarra, Ibarra would not have had the opportunity to assault and murder Ms. Riley," the filing alleges.
In an ante litem notice attached to the suit, Jason Riley’s attorneys expressed a demand for $1,000,000, the statutory cap for such claims against the state. The notice asserts that the university failed to take measures to secure paths "known to be frequently used by students."
UGA responds
The other side:
The defendants have not yet filed formal responses to the complaint in court.
In a statement, the University of Georgia wrote:
"Out of respect for Laken and her family, we have no comment on the recently filed lawsuit."
UGA sign in Athens, Ga, (FOX 5)
Jose Ibarra seeks new trial
Dig deeper:
Last month, convicted killer Jose Ibarra argued a motion for a new trial challenging how evidence was ruled upon and arguing that most of it was circumstantial. In addition, attorneys are arguing Ibarra may suffer from a "congenital deficiency," which was not raised during the original trial.
As of late February 2026, Ibarra continues to serve his sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Source: The details in this article come from the Gwinnett County State Court records.