GUILTY IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, found deceased, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #51

[Seattle1]

Did they perform any DNA testing in this house to confirm if kidnapped people had been in the house? I assume that would be the easiest and quickest way to figure this out.

Mahaska County's sheriff said recently the kidnapping and sex trafficking allegations were never substantiated.

sbm

 

[katydid23]

During the search for Mollie, there was a point-of-interest map that included locations we now know are significant (385th Ave, carwash with footage, southern point where cell speed suddenly excelled, etc.) So I'm curious about the significance of the gas station...

Mollie Tibbetts search: Investigators highlight five possible points of interest
Following V18 Road south, the map highlights TA Truck Stop as another point of interest. The truck stop sits at 4124 V18 Road, just off interstate 80 and about 2 miles south of downtown Brooklyn.



Judge delays sentencing after twists in Iowa woman’s killing
The Freses said they learned Tuesday about a criminal investigation that centered on a 50-year-old man who allegedly met one of his sex trafficking victims in May 2018 at a gas station in Brooklyn, Tibbetts’ hometown of 1,700 people that is roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Iowa City.

But how do you explain the timeline the inmate described? He said they had Mollie bound and gagged, inside the trap house, while the search was going on. AND THEN they decided to try and frame a Hispanic man for her murder.

So if that ^^^ is true---how did Mollie end up being grabbed from the street by the Hispanic man that was supposedly being framed? Wasn't she already kidnapped and in the trap?

It doesn't make sense at all.

When did they start searching for her? I think it was quite awhile because no one noticed she didn't arrive home because she was staying alone, dog sitting.

So they started searching for her WAY after we saw her being grabbed off the street while jogging.

 

[skyedaze]

So now they are going for an additional version of what happened?
Please.
The Ninjas have a trap house and I guess CBR didn't regain consciousness with Mollie's earbuds in his lap sitting in his car in the middle of a road for how many days?
None of that matches the evidence.
BS

 

[Seattle1]

So now they are going for an additional version of what happened?
Please.
The Ninjas have a trap house and I guess CBR didn't regain consciousness with Mollie's earbuds in his lap sitting in his car in the middle of a road for how many days?
None of that matches the evidence.
BS

It's worse -- they have two trap houses!

 

[TL4S]

But how do you explain the timeline the inmate described? He said they had Mollie bound and gagged, inside the trap house, while the search was going on. AND THEN they decided to try and frame a Hispanic man for her murder.

So if that ^^^ is true---how did Mollie end up being grabbed from the street by the Hispanic man that was supposedly being framed? Wasn't she already kidnapped and in the trap?

It doesn't make sense at all.

When did they start searching for her? I think it was quite awhile because no one noticed she didn't arrive home because she was staying alone, dog sitting.

So they started searching for her WAY after we saw her being grabbed off the street while jogging.

Yeah, that's the part of the story that doesn't add up, I agree. Personally, the only way I see it fitting is if CBR was working for the ring and was the abductor, as evidence shows, and the "Hispanic man" the 50 year old sex trafficker suggested pinning it on was meaning CBR (not some random Hispanic man). I mean, honestly, who better to pin it on than an illegal immigrant who was already involved in the abduction, who had a young daughter they could threaten? The only thing in the story that refutes this idea is the guy who didn't speak English very well saying he knew a guy they could pin it on. Again, it's all hearsay, at best, though, if not a complete fabrication.

If, for a moment, we pretend there is some truth in this story, it's not surprising these two, supposedly unrelated, people came forward on the same day, the day CBR testified. I'm not saying they are righteous people, or aren't out to benefit themselves in some way, but the timing makes sense in regards to the trial. It could even be that this 21 year old guy really is claiming he did it and these two people are comming forward with what they think is a legitimate cause. Who knows?

I know what the evidence points to. I know CBR deserves to be in prison. However, I want this story looked into so there is no doubt in the minds of Mollie's loved ones that ALL responsible parties are served justice. Jmo

 

[mickey2942]

I hope that they are done putting Mollie's BF through the wringer. That poor guy, deserves nothing but respect. Hardworker, joined the military. Dragged through the mud. CB's "testimony" was nothing but garbage. "Jack", indeed...MOO!

 

[Niner]

Thursday, July 15th:
*Motions Hearing (@ 9am CT) – IA – Mollie Cecilia Tibbetts (20) (July 18, 2018, Brooklyn; found Aug. 21, 2018) – *Cristhian Bahena Rivera aka John Budd (24/now 27) arrested (8/21/18), charged (8/22/18) & arraigned (9/19/18) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $5M cash only bond. No bond (5/28/21) pending sentence.
ICE logged an immigration detainer on Rivera. Confessed to killing Mollie.
Trial began on 5/17/21 with jury selection & ended 5/18/21. Trial started on 5/19/21 & ended on 5/27/21). Trial moved from Poweshiek County to Scott County in Davenport. 12 jurors & 3 alternates (8 women & 7 men); Jurors: Hispanic/Latino/Spanish-3, White-12 (now 9-minus alternates), jurors ages range from 19 to 71. Jury instructions added 2nd degree murder, voluntary manslaughter & involuntary manslaughter.
5/27/21: Jurors started deliberations @ 1:30pm CT to ~4:30pm CT. Total: ~3 hours (+ 6 mins). 5/28/21: Jurors started deliberations ~8:30am CT to ~12:30pm (for lunch) (~4 hours). Started back @ ~1pm CT to ~1:10pm (10 mins). VERDICT Reached!
Total deliberations: ~7 hours & 16 minutes. Guilty of 1st degree murder. No bond pending sentencing. Sentencing was to be on 7/15/21 has been delayed.
Court hearings from 8/22/18 thru 5/13/21 & Jury selection (Days 1 & 2) 5/17 to 5/18/21 & Trial (Days 1-7) 5/19 thru 5/27/21 & Jury deliberations (Day 1-2) 5/27/21 & 5/28/21 see post #563 here:
GUILTY - IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #50
6/4/21 Update: Judge Joel Yates ruled on the motion on Friday. The ruling comes exactly one week after Bahena Rivera was found guilty of killing Tibbetts back in 2018. The Court was informed that a witness for the prosecution had viewed the livestreamed coverage of the trial on May 20 from a room outside the court. The court disclosed that information to attorneys & after conferring with his lawyers, Bahena Rivera requested a mistrial based on the livestreaming viewing. The Court used an oral ruling denying the motion, finding no party sought a sequestration order from the Court & no prejudice resulted from that witness viewing the livestream. In his written ruling, Judge Joel Yates noted under Iowa law, exclusion of witnesses isn't a right, only obligated upon court order. Without such an order, the witness who viewed the livestream didn't violate any court mandate. Judge Yates has denied a motion for a mistrial in the first degree murder conviction for Bahena Rivera in the death of Mollie.
7/8/21: Motion in arrest of Judgment, Motion for new trial, Order: Expert witness fees approved. 7/9/21: Motion for Writ of Habeas Corpus. There is a hearing at 9am Thursday. Judge Joel Yates granted a defense motion for one of the informants - a prison inmate (Arne Maki) housed by the Iowa Department of Corrections-to testify at the hearing. That informant had recounted a conversation with a second inmate-who allegedly confessed to Tibbetts' death. The informant & the second inmate were both incarcerated in Poweshiek County, Iowa. The second informant came forward to a local sheriff´s office, claiming she was in a car with the same man a month earlier when he pulled a pistol to her head. The 9am hearing is scheduled before the 9:30am sentencing.
7/14/21: According to court documents filed Tuesday, a search warrant obtained by the defense “corroborates the ‘trap house’ account” made by the inmate. The defense said the search warrant it received focuses on a sex trafficking ring allegedly operated by 50-year-old James Manuel Lowe out of New Sharon in 2018. A judge has delayed the sentencing of Rivera. He was set to be sentenced Thursday. Now the July 15 hearing will focus on a separate motion to compel prosecutors to turn over evidence (Defense lawyers want prosecutors to turn over more details about the investigation of the sex trafficking house in New Sharon & LE investigation of it) since the information about a nearby potential "trap house" could corroborate the new witnesses’ claims. And will pick a date to hear defense's argument for a new hearing that will focus on the defense's motion for a new trial. The second new witness came forward to a local sheriff’s office, claiming she was in a car with the same man (Inmate #2) a month earlier when he pulled a pistol & said, “that Mexican shouldn’t be in jail for killing Mollie Tibbett's because I raped her & killed her."

 

[rebel123]

Really good analysis and I mean that genuinely. We should always continue to ask questions and press the narrative no matter the case or the circumstances…..the BUT and you all knew it was coming is what’s the positive out of someone outing this especially from a jail house confession. It doesn’t benefit anyone. Said individual who confessed it….given the narrative(assuming it’s all true) would not only be behind bars presumably for a good chunk of time….but also be putting himself at risk if he were to be freed…even worse circumstances if stuck behind bars. Make no mistake the sex trafficking warlords or whatever you want to call them will extinguish a rat by any means necessary including incarcerated ones. I don’t see the motivation or viability of any of this. Even if you were willing to jump the shark and believe any of this…..it’s hard to
Fathom a random prisoner would come forward post conviction to tell said “truth” at the risk of his own neck. Following the narrative they clearly don’t give a blank about human life….i.e sex trafficking. Why the sudden need for truth and conscience now? It doesn’t add up in the slightest. Those that engage in sex trafficking usually sleep well at night without a worry in the world. They certainly don’t speak up as it will be some of the last words they ever utter. None of the mathematics of this adds up. Let alone statistically sex traffickers are more likely to pick on the homeless/runaways….the collegiate white(not trying to get on race debate) just in general garner them a lot of unneeded attention. They like most black market industries like to work under the radar. Mollie Tibbets is anything but under the radar. None of this current “story” adds up.

So are questioning the motives of the 'informant' and that sex traffickers wouldn't have selected Mollie Tibbets? (she doesn't fit into what you assume to be the type they would select)

 

[distracted]

My gut feeling is that this is an attempt to cause so much confusion, no one is found guilty of her murder. Since they will have to convince a judge that CBR deserves another trial, I am hopeful that the judge will see right through this attempt and move to sentencing.

From the beginning of the trial, the defense sounded like it was scripted straight out of Hollywood - pure fiction.

 

[FrostedGlass]

My gut feeling is that this is an attempt to cause so much confusion, no one is found guilty of her murder. Since they will have to convince a judge that CBR deserves another trial, I am hopeful that the judge will see right through this attempt and move to sentencing.

From the beginning of the trial, the defense sounded like it was scripted straight out of Hollywood - pure fiction.

Do you think the defense team was behind the attempt?

 

[distracted]

Do you think the defense team was behind the attempt?

The attempt to obfuscate? Only they know. I hope this is what their client told them and they are just trying to defend their client.

That said, someone - CBR or someone trying to keep him out of jail - came up with this absurd story and his attorneys have no choice but to use it in his defense.

I will NEVER forget their exit from the courtroom after he was found guilty. They couldn't get out of there fast enough. There were no goodbyes, no whispers of a promised appeal or anything else. They practically ran from that courtroom.

 

[TL4S]

I wonder if the supposed 21-year-old confessor is currently incarcerated for other crimes? Or if he was ever interviewed by LE in regards to this case?

IMO, the jailhouse informant claims to have heard CBR's testimony, so if he was going to come forward with a false claim (for recognition or other self-benefiting purposes), he easily could have made up a story that better matched the masked men testimony.

The second informant coming forward while highly emotional and possibly intoxicated is also no surprise, especially if she was potentially terrified of the repercussions.

It sort of makes me think these claims are legitimate, on the part of the informants, anyway. And if so, the question is what motivation did the 21-year-old have in confessing to these people? Was he involved? Does he wish he was involved because he's demented? He didn't confess to LE, himself, so what benefit did it have to say these things under the supposed conditions he did? Very stange...

 

[distracted]

I'm certainly not defending anyone involved here, but if we pretend for a moment that the sex trafficking story is potentially real, if CBR had a hand in that trade, he surely would not want that information known as it could lead to other charges. And, he'll claim those people threatened to traffick his daughter, so he better keep quiet about the whole thing, thus he claims to have driven straight to the cornfield. It's no different than leaving out the part about raping her. Jmo.

I can appreciate not wanting to dismiss this new information out of hand, I truly can, in the interest of fairness.

But I cannot pretend, even for a moment, that we don't know what we already know. He led them to her body! He told them she was in his trunk and that he took her earbuds, etc., etc., etc.

I believe he told LE the truth from the beginning, maybe thinking he might get a lesser charge. I don't believe any of his defense. And neither did the jury.

 

[rebel123]

The attempt to obfuscate? Only they know. I hope this is what their client told them and they are just trying to defend their client.

That said, someone - CBR or someone trying to keep him out of jail - came up with this absurd story and his attorneys have no choice but to use it in his defense.

I will NEVER forget their exit from the courtroom after he was found guilty. They couldn't get out of there fast enough. There were no goodbyes, no whispers of a promised appeal or anything else. They practically ran from that courtroom.

That's not quite 'true', if I remember correctly they stayed around to answer a whole load of questions, they clearly weren't upbeat. I'd even go as far to say, they probably didn't want CBR on the stand, but he was determined and insistent to speak on his own behalf.

 

[FrostedGlass]

I wonder if the supposed 21-year-old confessor is currently incarcerated for other crimes? Or if he was ever interviewed by LE in regards to this case?

IMO, the jailhouse informant claims to have heard CBR's testimony, so if he was going to come forward with a false claim (for recognition or other self-benefiting purposes), he easily could have made up a story that better matched the masked men testimony.

The second informant coming forward while highly emotional and possibly intoxicated is also no surprise, especially if she was potentially terrified of the repercussions.

It sort of makes me think these claims are legitimate, on the part of the informants, anyway. And if so, the question is what motivation did the 21-year-old have in confessing to these people? Was he involved? Does he wish he was involved because he's demented? He didn't confess to LE, himself, so what benefit did it have to say these things under the supposed conditions he did? Very stange...

About the 21 yo... the informant said he gave him bail money as he was afraid to go home because he was facing an indictment. He may have felt some bond with informant: they both have violence toward women issues. Why he told the girl that he raped and murdered? Maybe they were all high and she said something about the murder that set him off... maybe giving "that Mexican" credit for something he did?

Edited because the informant hasn't been named.

 

[rebel123]

I wonder if the supposed 21-year-old confessor is currently incarcerated for other crimes? Or if he was ever interviewed by LE in regards to this case?

IMO, the jailhouse informant claims to have heard CBR's testimony, so if he was going to come forward with a false claim (for recognition or other self-benefiting purposes), he easily could have made up a story that better matched the masked men testimony.

The second informant coming forward while highly emotional and possibly intoxicated is also no surprise, especially if she was potentially terrified of the repercussions.

It sort of makes me think these claims are legitimate, on the part of the informants, anyway. And if so, the question is what motivation did the 21-year-old have in confessing to these people? Was he involved? Does he wish he was involved because he's demented? He didn't confess to LE, himself, so what benefit did it have to say these things under the supposed conditions he did? Very stange...

The only thing that comes to mind is, boasting and bragging, trying to create a scary image so word gets around, easier to intimidate others.

 

[rebel123]

Has the Prosecutor got evidence / information that they aren't prepared to release to the Defence?, not without being forced too.

 

[FrostedGlass]

If the informant is Maki, given what we know I don't see motivation for him to make up a false claim. He's in a low level security facility that focuses on re-introducing folks back into society and due to be released in early December.

It seems like I read he went to his chaplain first with his claim; maybe be got religion while incarcerated.

 

[TL4S]

Maybe we have a name now?

Hearing regarding new allegations in murder of Mollie Tibbets set for Thursday

Court filings show the defense believes an inmate, Gavin Jones, actually killed Mollie Tibbetts.

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 15, 2021
Bahena Rivera hearing in Mollie Tibbetts case Thursday. Watch live. (desmoinesregister.com)
[...]

Thursday's hearing is on a motion to compel prosecutors to turn over evidence. On Tuesday, Bahena's attorneys filed a motion alleging prosecutors failed to disclose an summer of 2018 investigation into a man living less than 30 miles from Tibbetts' hometown of Brooklyn.

Thursday's hearing is being streamed live by the Law & Crime Network and can be watched live on DesMoinesRegister.com.

[...]

A hearing on the motion for new trial and a new sentencing hearing will be set at a later date.