Democrat DA in charge of Laken Riley murder stands down from case amid wave of criticism of her office which has 'failed to land a single guilty verdict'

The Democrat district attorney in charge of prosecuting Laken Riley's alleged killer has stepped down amid criticism that she has failed to secure a single guilty verdict on her own in a criminal case.

Athens-Clarke County DA Deborah Gonzalez announced on Monday she will appoint a special prosecutor, veteran lawyer Sheila Ross, to handle the murder case against undocumented immigrant Jose Ibarra for the 22-year-old nursing student's murder.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp, as well as lawmakers and lawyers, have raised concerns that Gonzalez would be unable to handle the high-profile case.

Athens attorney Kevin Epps told Channel 2 that he does not have confidence in Gonzalez, who had no experience prosecuting criminal cases before she became DA in 2020.

'Gonzalez has failed to achieve one guilty verdict in a jury trial involving any type of criminal case,' said Epps, who is suing Gonzalez on behalf of an Athens bar owner who claims she is unwilling to do her job.

Athens-Clarke County DA Deborah Gonzalez announced on Monday she will appoint a special prosecutor to handle Laken Riley's murder case

 Riley, 22, had been out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked

Jose Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student

Gov Kemp also questioned the DA's ability to handle the case when asked if he believed she would get justice for Riley.

'Well, she best do that, I can tell you,' said Kemp. 'Because the whole country and the world is watching this case. Small crimes, we see it every day, lead to big crimes. And that’s what we’ve seen in this instance.'

Three victims have successfully filed cases against Gonzalez claiming her office did not inform them before their victimizers were offered plea deals, or when cases were dismissed, as the law requires.

Meanwhile , a letter sent by Superior Court judges in October 2022 expressed concern about the 'efficacy, preparation, and procedural readiness' of the assistant Das in court, citing a growing backlog of cases.

Gonzalez, on her part, has claimed the criticism against her office is motivated by politics and aims to prevent her from implementing progressive reforms she ran on such as eliminating cash bail. 

'I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues from across Georgia who have supported our circuit during this tragic event at our flagship institution,' she said in a statement. 

'We will not allow this or any other case to be used for political gain. Our top priority is the safety of every citizen, and we are fully committed to ensuring that justice is served for the loss of every life.'

Gonzales' tenure has seen her office not prosecute 46 percent of charges and 130 felonies plead down, according to 11alive. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to Gonzalez' office for comment on this story. 

Sheila Ross will now oversee the case against Venezuela native Ibarra, 26, who is accused of using a mystery object to beat Riley to death on the UGA campus

Athens attorney Kevin Epps told Channel 2 that he does not have confidence in Gonzalez. He is suing her on behalf of a business owner

Sheila Ross will now oversee the case against Venezuela native Ibarra, 26, who is accused of using a mystery object to beat Riley to death on the UGA campus. 

Ibarra was arrested at his apartment complex near the running trail close to where Riley's body was found last week.

Residents of the complex told NewsNation's Alex Caprariello that their security cameras captured Ibarra disposing of evidence in the building's dumpster, which they turned over to police.

'He was out here all hours of the night and day,' the neighbor said.

The complex is a former hotel converted into studio apartments and Ibarra is said to have lived in one unit with four or five other migrants.

The 26-year-old has been charged in Riley's killing with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another.

Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student and preventing her from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9am and 1pm on Thursday February 22.

Riley's body was found the same day on the University of Georgia campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers. The student had been out jogging when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra.

 Ibarra, 26, was arrested at his apartment complex near the running trail close to where Riley's body was found

Riley's body was found the same day on campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers

Police said Riley died from 'blunt force trauma' after being beaten and that she suffered a 'disfigured skull'.

They added that Ibarra dragged her body to a secluded area to conceal the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News.

Local police said Friday that Ibarra, who lived in Athens, apparently did not know Riley and acted alone. Video from campus security and other technology led officials to Ibarra.

The day of the murder, her suspected killer uploaded a selfie onto his TikTok account in which he stared into the camera and grinned.

Five months before Riley's murder, Ibarra was arrested in New York City and charged 'with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,' according to ICE.

The NYPD released him 'before a detainer could be issued,' the agency said.

Ibarra crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 but had been released from a detention center due to a lack of space.