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

Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, of Athens, Georgia, was indicted on charges including three counts of murder and murder with intent, kidnapping with bodily harm, aggravated assault with intent to rape and “voyeur.”

Riley’s killing and Ibarra’s arrest set off a political firestorm, with Republicans including Donald Trump pointing to Riley’s death in calling for tougher border policies as part of a broader crackdown on immigration.

In a judicial trial, the judge will ultimately decide whether the suspect is guilty or innocent, without the assistance of a jury. The trial is expected to begin at 9 a.m. Friday.

Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Riley, 22, was found dead with “visible injuries” on Feb. 22 in a wooded area behind Lake Herrick on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. She had gone jogging and when she didn’t return, her friends called the police.

Police said at the time that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

There was no indication the suspect knew the victim, University Police Chief Jeff Clark said at the time. He also said the suspect did not have an extensive violent criminal background.

Clark described Riley’s murder as a “crime of opportunity, where he saw an individual and bad things happened,” and said the killing appeared to be a solo act.

Attorneys for Ibarra did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.

According to the school, Riley was a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing campus in Athens. The University of Georgia said Riley had been a student for the entire spring semester of 2023 before transferring to Augusta University.

At the time of Riley’s murder, Ibarra lived in an apartment complex less than a mile from the University of Georgia campus.

Ibarra is a Venezuelan citizen who illegally entered the U.S. near El Paso, Texas, in 2022, officials said.

Riley’s father, Jason Riley, told NBC News in March that he felt this fact distracted from who his daughter was and that he feared her death was being exploited as a political talking point ahead of the presidential election.

“I think it’s being used politically to get those votes,” he said. “It makes me angry. I feel like they’re just using my daughter’s name for that. And she was way better than that, and she should be raised for the person she is. She was an angel.”

“She was only 22. She still had a lot of life to give to the world,” he said. “If everyone could live like Laeken, it would make the world a better place.”