Jose Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally​, is charged with murder in the February killing, which helped fan the immigration debate during this year's presidential campaign.

It was an emotional first day in court for the murder trial of Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. President-elect Trump used her killing as part of the national immigration debate and his campaign.

The man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley has waived his right to a jury, paving the way for his bench trial, which is expected to begin Friday morning.