MSNBC.com revised its headline on an analysis piece regarding Jose Antonio Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant found guilty on Wednesday of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, following criticism of its original title, “Laken Riley’s killer never stood a chance.”
The updated headlines, “The guilt of Laken Riley’s killer was never in doubt.” The piece, published on Thursday, outlined how Ibarra’s legal defense team had little chance due to overwhelming evidence against him.
MSNBC’s initial headline faced backlash on social media, with many criticizing it for appearing sympathetic to Ibarra.
Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, interpreted the headline as showing sympathy towards Riley’s murderer, stating, “Laken Riley’s killer is now the victim, according to MSNBC.”
Jose Ibarra appears at his trial at the Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Athens, Ga. ((MSNBC/Screenshot)/(Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool))
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MSNBC’s article highlighted that the outcome for Ibarra, who received a life sentence without parole for multiple charges, was never in question, as the defense faced a challenging case.
MSNBC has not yet responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Donald Trump Jr. also criticized the original headline.
He shared on X, “You literally can’t make up this level of depravity. These people are sick. The guy is a murderer. He’s an illegal alien that killed an innocent young woman, but MSNBC would rather go to bat for him. However, much you hate MSNBC, it’s not enough!”
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“Sometimes defense counsel just gets handed a truly awful, unwinnable case. The defense’s choice of a bench trial not only saved the state the resources of a wasted jury trial; it also likely avoided unnecessarily prolonging this traumatic experience for the victim’s family,” the final paragraph of MSNBC’s analysis read.
“And this is why MSNBC, the brand, is being sold off for pennies,” The Spectator contributing editor Stephen Miller wrote, referencing recent news that NBC News and MSNBC parent company Comcast is planning to spin off several NBCUniversal networks, including MSNBC.
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Fox News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
