FBI director Wray ‘heartbroken’ over Laken Riley murder

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks at the University of Georgia

By Joe Johnson

FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke Tuesday about the death of Laken Riley during a lecture series at the University of Georgia.

Authorities say that Riley was killed Feb. 22 on the UGA campus by Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who was in the country.

During his remarks at the lecture series Wray said that he grieved for the slain student's family and the community.

I want to tell you how heartbroken I am—not just for the family, friends, classmates, and staff who are grieving Laken’s loss,” Wray said. “But for Augusta University and the entire UGA community, which many members of my own family are a part of. A lot of people—students, alumni, and community members alike—see Athens as a kind of safe haven from what ails

“I want to tell you how heartbroken I am—not just for the family, friends, classmates, and st

A lot of people—students, alumni, and community members alike—see Athens as a kind of safe haven from what ails so much of the rest of the country.”

He said he was sad to see the sense of peace be broken as a result of the incident.

“I’m saddened to see that sense of peace shattered by Laken’s murder and the subsequent arrest of a Venezuelan national who’d illegally entered the country in 2022,” he said.