Tag: mollie tibbetts

Mollie Tibbetts’s Killer Sentenced to Life in Prison

The illegal immigrant who murdered a college student in Iowa was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Iowa District Judge Joel Yates handed down the sentence to Cristhian Bahena Rivera before relatives of Mollie Tibbetts, 20, who was found dead in a cornfield in Poweshiek County on Aug. 21, 2018….


Judge Hears Request for New Trial in Mollie Tibbetts Case

IOWA CITY, Iowa—The lead investigator in the 2018 death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts expressed confidence Tuesday that the right man was convicted, rejecting defense claims that her abduction could be tied to two other local men. Division of Criminal Investigation agent Trent Vileta said that had they known, detectives searching for Tibbetts…


Judge Delays Sentencing After Twists in Mollie Tibbetts Case

IOWA CITY, Iowa—A judge on Wednesday delayed sentencing for the man convicted of killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts after defense lawyers said they needed time to investigate new information pointing to other potential suspects. Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 27, was scheduled to be sentenced to life in prison without parole Thursday before his lawyers…


Illegal Immigrant Found Guilty in 2018 Stabbing Death of Mollie Tibbetts

IOWA CITY, Iowa—A jury found an illegal immigrant guilty of murder Friday in the abduction and killing of a University of Iowa student who vanished while out for a run in 2018. The 12-member jury unanimously found Cristhian Bahena Rivera guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Mollie Tibbetts, who is remembered as…


Iowa Murder Suspect Blames Mystery Men for Runner’s Slaying

IOWA CITY, Iowa—The man on trial for the 2018 abduction and stabbing death of a University of Iowa student testified in his own defense Wednesday and claimed for the first time that two masked men were responsible for the crime but forced him to take part. In a surprise development, the defense called Cristhian Bahena…


Mollie Tibbetts’s Murder Suspect Blames Mystery Men for Her Slaying

IOWA CITY, Iowa—The man on trial for the 2018 abduction and stabbing death of a University of Iowa student testified in his own defense Wednesday and claimed for the first time that two masked men were responsible for the crime but forced him to take part. In a surprise development, the defense called Cristhian Bahena…


Mollie Tibbetts Murder Trial: DNA Analyst Testifies Blood in Suspect’s Trunk Belonged to Tibbetts

DAVENPORT, Iowa—Blood found in the trunk of a farmhand’s car was an exact match for a University of Iowa student who was abducted and killed while out for a run in 2018, a DNA analyst told jurors Friday. Tara Scott, a criminalist in the DNA section of Iowa’s crime lab, said she analyzed a swab…


Mollie Tibbetts’s Boyfriend Testifies in Murder Trial, ‘Wholeheartedly’ Believes Suspect Is Guilty

The boyfriend of a University of Iowa student testified Wednesday that he had nothing to do with her 2018 abduction and stabbing death, saying he had been out of town for work and was heartbroken by her slaying, and he “wholeheartedly” believes the suspect is guilty. Dalton Jack, the longtime boyfriend of Mollie Tibbetts, was…