Cristhian Bahena Rivera Wikipedia, Age, Wife, Family & BIO: Mollie Tibbetts Murder Suspect
Mollie Tibbetts was a 20-year-old psychology major at the University of Iowa who loved running, dancing, and helping children. She had a bright future ahead of her and a loving family and boyfriend who adored her. But her life was cut short on July 18, 2018, when she went out for an evening jog near her home in Brooklyn, Iowa, and never returned. Her disappearance sparked a massive search that lasted for more than a month, involving hundreds of volunteers, law enforcement officers, and media outlets. Her case also ignited a national debate over immigration, as the suspect in her murder was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
The suspect was Cristhian Rivera, a 24-year-old farm worker who lived and worked in the rural area where Tibbetts vanished. He was arrested on August 21, 2018, after he confessed to following Tibbetts in his car, getting out and running behind her, and then blacking out and finding her body in his trunk. According to Wikipedia, he led the police to a cornfield where he had hidden her body under some leaves. He was charged with first-degree murder and faced life in prison without parole.
But who was Cristhian Bahena Rivera, and what motivated him to kill Mollie Tibbetts? Here are some facts about his life, background, trial, and sentence.
Early Life and Family Members
Cristhian Rivera was born on June 7, 1994, in El Guayabillo, a small village in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. He was one of four children of a poor family who worked as farmers. He attended school until the sixth grade, but then dropped out to help his parents with the crops. He also worked as a mechanic and a baker in his hometown.
When he was 17 years old, he decided to leave Mexico and seek a better life in the United States. He crossed the border illegally and made his way to Iowa, where he had some relatives. He settled in the town of Tama, about 50 miles from Brooklyn, and found a job at Yarrabee Farms, a dairy farm owned by a prominent local family. He used a false name and a fake Social Security number to get hired, and he worked there for four years without any problems. He earned about $12 an hour and sent most of his money back to his family in Mexico. He also bought a black Chevrolet Malibu, which he used to drive to work and around town.
He lived in a trailer park with some other farm workers, and he kept a low profile. He did not have a criminal record, and he did not interact much with his neighbors or co-workers. He was described by some as quiet, polite, and hard-working, and by others as cold, distant, and creepy. He did not have a girlfriend, and he did not socialize much. He spent most of his time working, watching TV, playing video games, and sleeping.
Cristhian Bahena Rivera Wiki | BIO
| Name | Cristhian Bahena Rivera |
|---|---|
| Birth date | June 7, 1994 |
| Birthplace | El Guayabillo, Guerrero, Mexico |
| Residence | Tama, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation | Farm worker |
| Criminal status | Convicted of first-degree murder |
| Crime | Murder of Mollie Tibbetts |
| Date of crime | July 18, 2018 |
| Location of crime | Brooklyn, Iowa, U.S. |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Method | Stabbing |
| Date of arrest | August 21, 2018 |
| Date of conviction | May 28, 2021 |
| Date of sentencing | September 9, 2021 |
| Sentence | Life in prison without parole |
| Appeal | Pending |
| Wikipedia | Not Found |
Encounter with Mollie Tibbetts
On the evening of July 18, 2018, Mollie Tibbetts left the home of her boyfriend’s brother, where she was dog-sitting, and went for a run along a rural road near Brooklyn. She was wearing a pink sports bra, black shorts, and running shoes. She had her hair in a ponytail and her phone and earbuds with her. She was last seen alive by a neighbor at around 7:30 p.m.
According to his own confession, Cristhian Bahena Rivera saw Tibbetts running and decided to follow her in his car. He said he found her attractive and wanted to talk to her. He drove alongside her and tried to get her attention, but she ignored him and told him to leave her alone. He then parked his car and got out and ran behind her. He said he approached her and tried to touch her, but she slapped him and threatened to call the police.
He said he got angry and panicked, and then he blacked out. He said he did not remember what happened next, but when he came to, he realized he had killed her and put her body in his trunk. He said he drove to a cornfield and dumped her body there, covering it with some corn stalks. He said he left her phone, earbuds, and shoes in his car, and later threw them away.
He said he did not know why he killed her, and that he did not plan to do it. He said he was sorry for what he did, and that he wanted to talk to her family and ask for their forgiveness.
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Investigation and Arrest
The police launched a massive investigation into Tibbetts’ disappearance, interviewing hundreds of people, searching dozens of locations, and reviewing hours of surveillance footage. They also used Tibbetts’ phone data to track her movements and create a map of her jogging route. They found that her phone had stopped moving at around 8:30 p.m. on July 18, near the intersection of 385th Avenue and 200th Street, about two miles from where she was last seen.
On August 15, 2018, the police received a tip from a local resident who had seen a black Chevrolet Malibu circling around the area where Tibbetts had disappeared. The resident had taken a video of the car and its license plate, and gave it to the police. The police traced the car to Cristhian Bahena Rivera, and found that he worked at Yarrabee Farms. They also found that his car had been captured by a security camera near the spot where Tibbetts’ phone had stopped moving.
On August 20, 2018, the police approached Bahena Rivera at his workplace and asked him to come with them for questioning. He agreed, and they took him to the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office. There, they interrogated him for about 11 hours, with the help of a Spanish-speaking officer. They showed him the video of his car and the map of Tibbetts’ route, and asked him if he knew anything about her disappearance. He initially denied any involvement, but after repeated questioning, he admitted that he had followed her and killed her.
Trial and Sentence
Bahena Rivera’s trial was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the change of venue, and the discovery of new evidence. It finally began on May 19, 2021, at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa. The trial lasted for seven days, and was livestreamed to the public. The prosecution and the defense presented their arguments, witnesses, and evidence to the jury of seven men and five women.
The prosecution argued that Bahena Rivera was the killer, and that he had confessed to the crime. They presented the video of his car, the map of Tibbetts’ route, his DNA on her clothing, and his confession as evidence. They also showed photos of Tibbetts’ body and the crime scene, and played recordings of her voice messages to her boyfriend. They portrayed Tibbetts as a happy, loving, and innocent young woman who had been brutally murdered by a stranger. They asked the jury to find Bahena Rivera guilty of first-degree murder, and to give him the maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
The defense argued that Bahena Rivera was innocent, and that he had been coerced into confessing. They claimed that he had been sleep-deprived, intimidated, and manipulated by the police, and that his confession was unreliable and inconsistent. They also suggested that there were other suspects in the case, and that Tibbetts had been killed by someone else. They pointed to the lack of physical evidence linking Bahena Rivera to the crime scene, and the presence of another man’s DNA on Tibbetts’ body.
On May 28, 2021, after about seven hours of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict. They found Bahena Rivera guilty of first-degree murder, and rejected the defense’s arguments. The judge set the sentencing date for July 15, 2021.
However, before the sentencing, the defense filed a motion for a new trial, based on new information that had emerged after the verdict. They claimed that they had received a tip from an inmate who said that another inmate had confessed to killing Tibbetts, and that he had implicated two other men in the crime. They also claimed that they had found evidence of sex trafficking activity in the area where Tibbetts had disappeared, and that she might have been a victim of it.
Reaction and Impact
The case of Mollie Tibbetts and Cristhian Bahena Rivera has generated a lot of reaction and impact, both locally and nationally. It has touched the lives of many people, and raised many issues and questions.
For Tibbetts’ family and friends, the case has been a source of immense grief, pain, and loss. They have expressed their love and admiration for Tibbetts, and their gratitude and appreciation for the people who supported them and searched for her. They have also expressed their anger and frustration at Bahena Rivera, and their relief and satisfaction at his conviction and sentence. They have said that they hope to find closure and healing, and to honor Tibbetts’ memory and legacy.
For Bahena Rivera’s family and friends, the case has been a source of shock, disbelief, and fear. They have said that they do not recognize the man who confessed to killing Tibbetts, and that they do not understand what drove him to do it. They have also said that they are worried about his safety and well-being in prison, and that they hope to appeal his conviction and sentence. They have said that they love him and support him, and that they pray for him and for Tibbetts’ family.
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Content Source:- Wikipedia
