Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #48

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese says we'll hear about the differences between U.S. and Mexico, where CBR is from. "It's a fraction of what a person can make down there," Frese says of income in Mexico.
8:36 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

"You heard Ms. Romero and I quibble about interrogation vs. interview." Frese says CBR is a "yes man" who volunteered for the police questioning "until it was put in my client's head 'perhaps you blacked out.'"
8:40 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Lots of construction noises in the background today. It's been an issue throughout but I haven't heard it picked up on the mics like this yet.
8:41 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

There's work being done in the courthouse.
8:41 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese: "It's our job, our obligation to Mr. Bahena, to bring forth anything that might cast doubt."
8:43 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Defense will call their own DNA expert along with character witnesses for CBR.
8:43 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[JudgeJoe]

Proper protocols were followed; no issues with transfer or cross-contamination, but there are interpretation issues. Paraphrased…

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Defense calls Dr. Michael Spence.
8:46 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

If you followed along in our coverage of the Jerry Burns trial, the convicted killer of #MichelleMartinko, you'll recognize this witness. He was the only defense witness in that case.
8:46 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Spence is exclusively a DNA consultant.
8:50 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Spence has testified for Indiana State Police, but says usually he testifies for defense or civil litigation.
8:53 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

He says usually prosecutors have their own DNA labs/experts they work with, which is why he doesn't usually testify for them.
8:54 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese points out it wouldn't work for someone from a crime lab to be asked by defense to critique their own work.
8:54 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Spence says what he does is "tie everything together and make sure the science makes sense."
8:56 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Spence was contacted in October 2019 to look at this case.
9:01 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

He looked at several lab reports, along with police reports and other documents on the case.
9:03 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Says those reports had "e-grams" on 26 evidentiary items. Dr. Spence says he saw no problems in the analyzation of the evidence in terms of handling, contamination, protocols.
9:05 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Sometimes there can be interpretation issues especially with mixtures" on those e-grams, Dr. Spence says. "I saw on various items, just generally speaking, there were mixtures." Says a lot of labs will interpret mixtures of DNA as inconclusive.
9:07 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

"I wouldn't label those as inconclusive."
9:07 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[Seattle1]

Ms Freese alleges LE introduced “blackout” suggestion & that’s why CB said that.

Wow. That's a new twist but I think it's about two years too late! More like this defense was born in the last week.

 

[Megnut]

Ms Freese alleges LE introduced “blackout” suggestion & that’s why CB said that.

Can we hear the entire questioning then so we can hear for ourselves who said blackout first?

Fair is fair.

JMO

 

[MsBetsy]

Not sure what that means.

She probably wouldn't have ripped it out herself? I guess it could have come out while he was stabbing her, too. Imo

 

[justtrish]

I think even if the interviewer suggested a blackout, CRB still admitted to following her, his car is seen going back and forth on that camera, at that time, in that area.. he admitted he thought she was hot, then he knew she had earbuds because they were in his lap when he remembered she was in the trunk and he knew exactly where he left her and took them to her.. he also knew she had blood on her neck and at this point the police had no idea what happened or that she was in his trunk (where blood was found) or in a corn field that he lead them too. I think police say things like that all the time. If they suggested to him the exact scenario and where she was I could believe it was coerced, but just to say maybe you blacked out is not a suggestion that he murdered her, put her in the trunk, and dumped her somewhere.

 

[Warwick7]

A toe bone was also missing, so the question was whether animals carried them away, but I agree - the tooth should be firmly implanted in the jaw bone, not carried away by animals unless it was loosened by a blow to the face.

Yes, this is exactly what my husband snd I were talking about.

 

[TL4S]

She probably wouldn't have ripped it out herself. Imo

I think it was a headband, not hairband.

 

[PommyMommy]

Dr. Spence says if you're looking at the known items of a person, like the defendant, you're not looking for that person's DNA but foreign DNA. Same goes for any victim.
9:08 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Says DNA won't definitively tell you if someone was involved in crime, but can tell you that individual was maybe near the location of the crime.
9:09 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter TwitterNow looking at the trunk liner. Spence now going on his interpretation differences. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
9:10 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Talking about the Malibu trunk liner now. Dr. Spence's interpretation of the evidence differs. "There were 17 unaccounted for alleles. The only two individuals we're comparing this to are the only two people that were typed in this case (Tibbetts and CBR.)"
9:11 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Says it appeared to be a female source that wasn't Tibbetts.
9:12 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Spence says there were 17 unaccounted for alleles. Says only CBR and #MollieTibbetts were counted for in state’s testing. Clear indication there was female DNA in there other than Miss Tibbetts. @KCCINews
#bahenariveratrial

9:12 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

 

[californiagem]

Smoke and mirrors.

 

[Megnut]

Am I hearing this right? There MAY have been extraneous, unmatched DNA in the trunk of the car? The state failed to match it to every possible person....

Seriously.

Sheesh a couple denigrated alleles could be from others who used the fishing poles ten years ago or someone who loaded groceries into that trunk four years ago or.....

When there is no defense....

JMO

 

[geevee]

Good morning all. I got a screen cap of "area 58" of the trunk, showing the staining:

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Spence other areas of presumptive blood had unaccounted for alleles that weren't from Tibbetts or CBR, with one coming from an unknown male.
9:14 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Another area had 14 unaccounted for alleles "it was a little iffy to say male or female."
9:16 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
In other samples, Spence says there were other DNA profiles that weren't from #MollieTibbetts or CBR. Says he agreed with state that some samples were Tibbetts' DNA. @KCCINews #bahenariveratrial
9:14 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

"To summarize, you have no issues with how the procedures were followed right?" Yes. But lab oversimplified various mixtures. @KCCINews
#bahenariveratrial
9:17 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[Seattle1]

I don't know how the defense can overcome the fact that CBR led authorities directly to Mollie's body hidden in the cornfield -- her body disguised with cornstalks draped over her body -- just as he told investigators.

I don't think any of these facts came to CBR in a dream and nobody introduced this information to him. He told us he did it. Let your client stand by his words and accept his fate.

 

[Megnut]

Find me a trunk that DOESN'T have unknown DNA...

When you have no defense....

JMO

 

[usnuzuloose]

State chew them up

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"You have no issues w/how procedures were followed, steps were followed in analyzing DNA?" "No."
9:17 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

"But when it comes to details of specific interpretations...what is your interpretation?" "I'd say it's typical of a lot of labs that they're going to be written off as uninterpretable or not suitable for comparison."
9:19 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Says an inclusion could be done on those unaccounted for samples.
9:19 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[MsBetsy]

Smoke and mirrors.

I'm wondering if they will have the store owner testify who said Rivera seemed like a "clean cut American person."