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Kelly Girtz, the mayor of Clark County in Athens, Georgia is receiving calls to resign after comments he made about Laken Riley’s murder.
In a press conference held Wednesday to discuss public safety, Girtz was heckled by community members after he said that illegal immigration was not to blame for the 22-year-old student’s death.
Laken Riley’s body was found in the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22. Authorities identified the prime suspect in her death as Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan immigrant. As per their report, Laken and Ibarra had no prior acquaintance.
Ibarra, who had illegally entered the U.S. in 2022, was living in an apartment in Athens. He was arrested on Feb. 23 and was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, hindering a 911 call, malice murder and felony murder.
However, at Wednesday’s press conference, mayor Kelly Girtz denied Athens was a sanctuary city, implying the government there has not agreed to cooperate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to implement immigration laws.
Girtz’s speech was interrupted by community members, who called him a “liar” and accused him of being guilty of Laken Riley’s murder. Many protesters called for his resignation. One X user commented on Collin Rugg's post on the matter and called Girtz out for gaslighting the public.
Georgia's Clark County mayor Kelly Girtz faces criticism and impeachment calls over Laken Riley's murder
Laken Riley’s death sent a shockwave across the country, enraging people both within and outside the Athens community.
Her death has also been politicized by leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties. Some blamed President Biden and his supporters for being lenient on immigrants.
Kelly Girtz, meanwhile, tried to shift the blame on former President Donald Trump. He also defended the city of Athens:
"The only appropriate number of murders in this community, the number that we are gonna be working our tails off every day for, is zero."
One of the community members at the conference yelled at the mayor:
“You are guilty and got blood on your hands for this murder, sir.”
The protester also called for Girtz's resignation, and others joined in.
Democratic mayor Kelly Girtz tried to address immigrants and concerning crimes at Wednesday's press conference.
He provided the conference attendees with information about migrants settling in Clark County and the declining murder rate in the community. Girtz said:
“I caution against conflating immigration and crime. The data demonstrates that the two are not connected.”
Although Athens has no official sanctuary city policies, Girtz’s noncritical stance on immigration was strongly called out. In 2019, a signed resolution declared that Clark County would welcome people from all backgrounds and lands.
