In the nine months since Laken Riley was killed while jogging at the University of Georgia, her death turned into a lightning rod over crime and illegal immigration and cast an ominous shadow over the college town of Athens.

Friday morning, Jose Antonio Ibarra’s trial for the murder of Laken Riley in Athens is set to begin with opening statements, but the court setup will be different than most trials.

The defendant’s decision this week to waive his right to a jury could be because ‘the facts are so outrageous that they don't want the jury to rush to