A man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley while she was out for a run earlier this year was found guilty Wednesday and sentenced to life without parole in a case that reignited the national debate over immigration and crime.

As the judge weighed his sentence, the family of Riley shared the promise of her life and the depths of their tragic loss.

For many students, Athens, Georgia, no longer feels like the safe haven they once thought it was, after the killing of Laken Riley.

Laken Riley‘s mother and stepfather begged the judge to have “no mercy” ahead of the sentencing of Jose Ibarra, who was convicted Wednesday morning of killing the nursing student. The judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole following testimony from Allyson and John Phillips.

An Athens-Clarke County judge found Ibarra guilty of all charges on Wednesday after hearing evidence in a four-day bench trial.

Jose Antonio Ibarra was found guilty Wednesday of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley in Athens, Ga., in February.

Riley called her mother at 9:03 a.m. that morning, and by the time her mother called back about 20 minutes later, the student had encountered Jose Ibarra on a wooded running trail, according to trial testimony. Prosecutors have said Ibarra killed Riley after a struggle, and data from Riley’s smartwatch shows her heart stopped beating at 9:28 a.m.

Jose Ibarra was born in Venezuela and entered the U.S. illegally, sparking a nationwide discussion about immigration reform.