ATHENS, Ga. — When President Joe Biden addresses the nation Thursday night during the State of the Union, a Georgia congressman said he will honor slain nursing student Laken Riley by keeping his guest seat open.
United States Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) said via a press release that he had invited the parents of the 22-year-old Riley to be his guests for his speech Thursday night at the United States Capitol but that they will not be attending. Collins said that he would instead leave his guest seat open to honor Riley.
Riley was tragically killed while going for a morning run on the University of Georgia campus near the school's intramural fields last month. When the State of the Union address is given on Thursday, it will mark exactly two weeks since her alleged murder by 26-year-old suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra.
Authorities have said that Ibarra unlawfully entered the country from Venezuela and had past run-ins with police that included theft.
Collins, who represents Georgia's 10th district in Athens, has been vocal about legal change related to Riley's killing. He spearheaded the proposed legislation called the Laken Riley Act.
In general, the bill aims to toughen penalties for undocumented individuals accused of criminal activities. Under its provisions, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be mandated to detain them upon facing criminal charges. Furthermore, state attorney generals would gain the authority to litigate against the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, denouncing what they perceive as shortcomings in federal immigration policies.
Ibarra is charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, concealing the death of another and hindering a 911 call.
Evidence suggests the alleged crime was a solo act and that Riley was killed from blunt force trauma, according to the UGA Police chief.