Where is Mollie Tibbetts’ Killer Cristhian Bahena Rivera Today? – Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old college student from Brooklyn, Iowa, was reported missing while out for a jog near her home. Despite a chronic lack of leads from the start of the investigation, a CCTV surveillance film eventually led authorities to Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who appeared to be the murderer with each passing day.
The terrible murder case of 20-year-old Iowa University student Mollie Tibbetts will be revisited in Episode 1 of Dateline: The Last Day, the highly anticipated spin-off true-crime show from Dateline. The show will premiere on Peacock on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
In an unfortunate Iowa murder case, Mollie Cecilia Tibbetts was murdered in cold blood by Cristhian Bahena Rivera, a 24-year-old Mexican man.
Let’s look into the specifics of this incident and figure out where Rivera is right now.
Recommended: Mollie Tibbetts Murder Case: Who Killed Her and Why?
Who Is Cristhian Bahena Rivera and How Did He Kill Mollie Tibbetts?
Cristhian Bahena Rivera claimed throughout his trial that he is a Mexican national who entered the United States illegally. Rivera built a peaceful life after arriving in Brooklyn, Iowa, and avoided putting himself in the spotlight. According to sources, he was a former farmhand who was working under an assumed name at a local dairy farm at the time of Mollie’s abduction. Rivera’s origins and position as an illegal immigrant were unknown to the dairy farm owner, according to the show.
Mollie, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, was at her boyfriend’s brother’s house on July 18, 2018, while her boyfriend was in Dubuque, Iowa, for business. Mollie had even given him a Snapchat the same evening, according to the lover, showing her in an indoor setting. Mollie decided to go for a jog around the neighbourhood shortly after sending the Snapchat. The young woman, however, was never seen again and seemed to vanish without a trace, much to everyone’s surprise.
When Mollie failed to show up for work the next morning, her worried relatives informed authorities of her absence and even joined the search groups that explored the neighbouring districts. The police put all of their resources into the case, including sniffer dogs, but to no avail. Mollie’s family members began to dread the worst as days went by with no news of her.
Authorities discovered that they would be able to follow Mollie’s itinerary on the night of July 18 using CCTV footage a few days into the inquiry. As a result, detectives looked through hours of surveillance film before detecting that the woman was jogging when a Chevrolet Malibu kept passing her. Because it was evident from the video that the driver was keeping an eye on Mollie, authorities decided to track down the vehicle’s license plate.
Surprisingly, the plate went straight to Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who at first denied any involvement in the disappearance. After receiving clearance, the police conducted a comprehensive check of Rivera’s vehicle, which showed blood traces. Rivera was charged with the crime when his blood was found to be a perfect match for the victim. When confronted with the facts, Rivera eventually gave in and admitted to killing Mollie. He even led the cops to the spot where he buried the victim following his arrest.
“It’s taken a long time to get here,” she says,” “Bart Klaver, the Poweshiek County Attorney, told reporters. “It’s like a weight has been lifted from everyone’s shoulders, I believe. The fact that we were able to achieve the results we did adds a bit more emphasis to that.”
After court, Klaver and Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown spoke with the Tibbetts’ loved ones, according to Klaver.
Brown stated, “They’re relieved, they’re satisfied with the judgement.” “All we can do is wish them the best.”
Chad and Jennifer Frese, both defense attorneys, thanked jurors for their service and accepted the result.
Seven men and five women, ranging in age from 19 to 71, made up the panel. Nine people were white, and three were of Hispanic or Latino heritage.
“In this case, we’re really happy that the jury took the time to consider the evidence and deliberate,” says the attorney. Jennifer Frese expressed her thoughts. “Finding a jury who hadn’t heard about this case would be impossible.”
“He led them to the body and admitted that he had blacked out during the crucial moment and was stalking her on video, circling her in his automobile. All of these factors combined.” She claimed that it made for a compelling case.
What Has Happened to Cristhian Bahena Rivera and Where Is He Now?
Rivera pleaded not guilty after being brought to court, claiming that he had blacked out and had no recollection of murdering Mollie. When he awoke, he claimed he discovered Mollie dead in his car and buried her in a cornfield. Shortly after, he changed his story and claimed that he was forced to do the crime by two unknown individuals. Despite this, the court found no truth in Rivera’s statement and found him guilty of first-degree murder.
As a result, in 2021, he was sentenced to life in jail without the possibility of parole. Rivera’s information is disguised on official prison records, but given his status as a non-parolee, it’s safe to presume he’s still incarcerated in an Iowa prison.
Mollie’s mother, Laura Calderwood, reportedly said to Rivera in a victim impact statement:
“Mollie was a young woman who simply wanted to go for a quiet run on the evening of July 18, and you chose to violently and sadistically end that life.”
Don’t miss Episode 1 of Dateline: The Last Day, premiering on Peacock on June 14, 2022.
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