Mollie Tibbetts Wiki, Age, Bio, Height, Boyfriend, Career, and Net Worth

Mollie Tibbetts attended the University of Iowa. Cristhian Bahena murdered Mollie Tibbetts with stabbing wounds.

Wiki, Bio, Family, Siblings, Childhood & Education

Mollie Tibbetts was born on May 8, 1998, in San Francisco, California, United States. Her parents are Rob Tibbetts (father) and Laura Tibbetts (mother).

When her parents split while she was in second grade, she moved to Iowa with her mother and two siblings. Tibbetts was a psychology major at the University of Iowa and a resident of Brooklyn, Iowa, a small town about 70 miles (110 kilometers) east of Des Moines at the time of her abduction.

Disappearance

Tibbetts, a former cross-country runner, went for a late-night jog from her boyfriend’s Brooklyn home on July 18, 2018. Her family reported her missing when she did not show up for work the next day.

She was last spotted at approximately 7:30 p.m. CDT. According to the police, she had a brief phone discussion with her three-year lover immediately before leaving for her jog. Her partner was in Dubuque, Iowa, 210 kilometers (130 miles) away, on business. He stated that later that evening, he received a Snapchat message from her that appeared to show her inside.

Over the next few weeks, investigators from multiple states investigated hundreds of leads in the case, including an unverified sighting at a truck stop in Kearney, Missouri, but were unable to locate Tibbetts. Over 2,300 tips were received, and over 500 interviews were conducted during the investigation.

Similarly, “multiple sharp force injuries” were recorded as the cause of death. The Iowa State Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be “homicide” following an autopsy on August 23.

Suspect Mollie Tibbetts

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, lived and worked in the remote Poweshiek County region where Tibbetts vanished at the time of the incident. He had previously worked at another farm before starting at Yarrabee Farms near Brooklyn, Iowa, in August 2014. Rivera also went by the name John Budd to identify himself and acquire his money.

In addition, after getting video from a nearby security camera showing a Chevrolet Malibu driving back and forth in the area where Tibbetts was jogging, investigators focused their attention on Rivera.

After tying him to the car, police approached him without incident. He allegedly acknowledged kidnapping, killing, and disposing of her body after the incident. In a declaration, the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office stated that he led them to the body in an isolated section of a cornfield.

Immigration Situation

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, none of its databases revealed Rivera “has any lawful immigration status.” Rivera was allowed permission to live rent-free on the Lang family’s property as part of his duties. When asked about Rivera’s legal status, Yarrabee Farms initially claimed to have used the government’s E-Verify program.

Yarrabee Farms confirmed that Rivera had submitted incorrect information after E-Verify stated that the company was not participating in its program. And claimed to be using the Social Security Administration system.

Mollie Tibbetts – Legal Action

On August 22, 2018, Rivera was charged with first-degree murder. The judge upped his bond from $1 million to $5 million after the prosecutor classified him as a flight risk. Rivera switched lawyers on August 24. Rivera’s family members privately hired married couple Chad and Jennifer Frese, who works at the same law firm, to represent him. On September 19, Rivera pleaded not guilty.

Similarly, Rivera’s criminal trial began on May 17, 2021, after multiple delays caused by other court cases and the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. On May 28, 2021, Rivera was convicted of first-degree murder. The judge ordered that he be held without bond.

Furthermore, Rivera was sentenced to life in jail without the possibility of parole. Iowa does not have the death penalty. Similarly, Rivera was sentenced to life in prison with no prospect of parole until August 30, 2021. He will serve the remainder of his life sentence at a maximum security institution.

Reactions, Tributes, and Memorials

Tibbetts’ younger brother and his football team paid tribute to her by putting her initials on the squad shirts. Some runners used the hashtag #MilesforMollie to call attention to the safety and harassment issues that female runners face in the aftermath of her attack.

Furthermore, her friends formed the Mollie Movement, which promotes kindness amongst one another and soon gained popularity on social media. Mollie would have been the maid of honor at their wedding.

Tibbetts’ death was politicized.

Politicians used the case to justify stricter immigration policies. Despite evidence showing undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans, opponents of illegal immigration emphasized that the suspect had entered the country illegally.

Liberals labeled the politics of Tibbetts’ death as disinformation. On August 15, when speaking to a crowd of President Donald Trump supporters in Des Moines, Vice President Mike Pence mentioned the matter and promised to continue offering “any and all federal support” to the case.

Similarly, after Tibbetts’ body was discovered in August 2018, his family made a statement demanding time and isolation. In reaction to Donald Trump Jr., Tibbetts’ father called the use of his son’s death for political gain “heartless” and “despicable,” particularly its use against immigrants.

Furthermore, according to Tibbetts’ father, the Hispanic community is an Iowan group. The values they maintain are Iowan values. In my opinion, they’re Iowans with better food. People who “appropriate Mollie’s soul in advancing views she believed were profoundly racist” were criticized.

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