IA - Mollie Tibbetts,20, Poweshiek County - MEDIA, MAPS & TIMELINES - NO DISCUSSION

[PommyMommy]

MAY 21, 2021
Who has testified in the Cristhian Bahena Rivera trial? | weareiowa.com
The state has called 13 witnesses so far in the trial of Mollie Tibbetts' accused killer.

Wednesday, May 19

• First witness: Blake Jack, the brother of Mollie Tibbetts’ boyfriend. He discussed when he found out Mollie was missing and how he tried to get ahold of her.
• Second witness: Dalton Jack, Mollie’s boyfriend. He testified about dating history, relationship with Mollie, where he was when she disappeared, and states that he believes Cristhian Bahena Rivera is guilty.
• Third witness: Deputy Matt Simpson with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office. He described what he found at the home where Mollie was known to stay.
• Fourth witness: Jillena Scheck, a coworker and family friend of Mollie’s. She recalled trying to get ahold of her when she didn’t show up for work.
• Fifth witness: Christina Steward, owns a beauty salon in town. She saw Mollie running the night she disappeared and went looking for her the next day.
• Sixth witness: Arely Nunez-Lorenzana, cousin of Cristhian Bahena Rivera. She talked about an agreement to buy him a car, a black Chevy Malibu, and their family gatherings.

Thursday, May 20

• First witness: Deputy Steve Kivi, with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, who testified about a black Chevy Malibu caught on surveillance video, likely in the area when Mollie was running through.
• Second witness: Logan Collins, a Brooklyn, Iowa resident whose surveillance cameras caught the Malibu driving by.
• Third witness: Iowa DCI Agent Derek Riessen, testified about surveillance video that shows a runner and a Malibu that appears on camera multiple times.
• Fourth witness: Special Agent Michael Fischels, with the Department of Homeland Security, canvassed the farm where Cristhian Bahena Rivera worked and spoke with him in Spanish, discussing his car and whether he knew anything about Mollie Tibbetts.
• Fifth witness: Special Agent Scott Green, with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, canvassed Bahena Rivera’s workplace, collected DNA samples
• Sixth witness: Pamela Romero, former police officer, testified about Bahena Rivera leading her to the body of Mollie Tibbetts and the details he gave surrounding an interaction he had with her how the body was left in a cornfield.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Judge telling jury he banned a news photographer and her news organization from the courthouse for the rest of the trial. She was caught taking pictures of the jury. Judge says he has the memory card, the pics were deleted, and they will not be released.@wqad #MollieTibbetts
1:20 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Jury is now asking questions about other cameras in the room. There is very limited media in the actual courtroom.
1:21 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Judge Yates announces the photographer was with the Daily Iowan.
1:21 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
We're back after a short break. Amy Johnson still on the stand.
1:26 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Johnson says the entrance to the actual corn was 430 feet from the road and you couldn't see the road from there.
1:29 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Amy Johnson DCI back on the stand showing the alternate view of the body site - distance to the road was about 400 feet.

1:29 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Amy Johnson is back on the stand, explaining the location of Mollie's clothing relative to her body. The jury saw photos of those items - her shorts, her underwear and what they believe to be a headband, several feet from her body.
@KCRG
1:32 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
The suspected blood stain from the trunk seal was collected August 22nd at the DCI crime lab.
1:32 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Cross-exam now. "What does cross contamination mean?" defense atty Jennifer Frese begins.
1:36 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks about lab protocol to avoid cross contamination.
1:37 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Have you heard of cases where a police officers' DNA has been found with the items that have been submitted?" Johnson: Y.
1:39 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Johnson says she was aware a "person of interest" was being interviewed at the same time she was searching cars in Poweshiek Co.
1:41 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asking about children's items in the trunk.
1:44 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Additional items in the trunk:@SpongeBob plastic bag, car seat, and a child's toy, Johnson testifies during cross.@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
1:44 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
A gray Latex glove was found in the trunk. Johnson says it was behind the football so it's not in the picture shown (I've added that in the thread above) but there are pics of it.
1:45 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Johnson says she was keeping in touch about her search of the car with the special agent in charge. Her search was going on as Bahena Rivera is being interviewed. Johnson says she informed the agent that long brown hairs were found in the trunk. @wqad #MollieTibbetts
1:45 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks if Johnson is ever called on missing persons' cases to go over scenes. Johnson: Y.
1:49 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
"Have you ever heard of the term 'working inside-out'?" -- J Frese asks. Defines it as looking at the people closest to the victim first. Johnson says no - she's not an investigator. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
1:50 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks if best practice is to take a buccal (cheek) swab from everyone involved in the case to check DNA.
1:51 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese now wants to know exactly what items were submitted for fingerprinting. Johnson is listing them off (basically everything in the trunk that wasn't tested for possible blood).
1:53 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese now on to crime scene, asking how far the underwear was from the body. "Is there additional testing that was requested for DNA or seminal fluid?" "We don't specify, we just request testing for DNA."
1:57 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Johnson says she's not a DNA expert so she can't get too far with how that's tested.
1:58 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Re-direct. Brown asks if Johnson searched Bahena Rivera's trailer. She did - right after the cornfield. She says she collected a knife that day "and I believe someone went back and did a further search" and submitted a second for testing.
1:59 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Johnson also collected a napkin that appeared to have blood on it.
2:00 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown on redirect, asking Johnson about Bahena Rivera's trailer: Were there knives found? Johnson: Found one, a second was found after searching further.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:00 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter: "Brown
Brown: "Did you find anything in the trailer that belonged to #MollieTibbetts?" Johnson: "Not that I'm aware of."@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:01 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"There were a couple areas we screened for blood that were presumptive negative" in the trailer. Found nothing belonging to #MollieTibbetts that she's aware of.
2:01 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown: "Would you have had any item in your possession that would have been inadvertently placed in the Malibu that had #MollieTibbetts' blood on it?" Johnson: "No."@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:02 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Johnson says the vehicle was sealed inside the Sheriff's office and there was no evidence of any sort of tampering. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:02 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Criminalist Tara Scott up next for the state.@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:05 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Tara Scott, who specializes in DNA analysis for the DCI, is now on the stand.
@KCRG
2:07 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott was called to Brooklyn on Aug. 20 to examine Blake Jack's house and garage for signs of struggle.
2:08 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Brown: "Did you find any [signs of struggle?]" Scott: "No."
2:08 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"We're looking for overturned furniture, if there's body fluids, hair, clumps of hair, anything to indicate a struggle occurred."
2:10 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott says Mollie's wallet and water bottle were in the house.
2:10 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Water bottle was taken for evidence - "We were looking for anything that might contain her DNA."
2:11 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Scott says she found #MollieTibbetts' wallet and water bottle at the Jacks' home and collected the water bottle. Says she collected it for DNA purposes.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:11 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Also collected some drink cans and a toothbrush. The water bottle was used to develop a presumptive DNA profile of Tibbetts (can't say w/100% certainty it is Mollie until collecting known samples from parents).
2:12 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Also took a toothbrush and drinks to try to find DNA. Scott says water bottle contained the presumptive DNA profile. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:12 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
The water bottle collection for DNA was done July 19, the day Mollie was reported missing.
2:15 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
I'm a little confused about dates here. Thought at the beginning of this testimony Scott said Aug. 20 but Brown says July 19 while reading a stipulation on this evidence. I'll have to double check.
2:16 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Ok just corrected: it is July 20, 2018.
2:17 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Brown says analysis of DNA by a DCI criminalist of the body found in the cornfield matches the DNA profile from the water bottle. @KCRG
2:20 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Going over some technical DNA stuff here.
2:22 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott talks about protocols to ensure accurate results on DNA tests, including control tests.
2:25 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott had known DNA profiles from #MollieTibbetts and Bahena Rivera.
2:26 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
DNA analysis done on shorts, underwear, and headband from field. Also analyzed for sperm.
2:27 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Black shorts: 15 areas tested, NEG for sperm, inconclusive for blood Pink fabric: No stains so no tests Underwear: Presence of blood but not sperm on one area, blood sample too weak for DNA test
2:29 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Brown asks about weak samples. Scott says we don't leave DNA that easily, depends on how often you touch something, if there's friction or pressure. Says if you put your hand in your mouth then touch something that will have more DNA
2:31 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
DNA analysis was performed on the shorts, underwear and headband. They also screened for semen. Screening tests showed no semen on all items, but blood was detected on the underwear. The blood sample on the underwear was "too weak" for DNA comparison.@KCRG
2:31 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Napkin w/red stains: Indicated presence of blood, DNA profile matched known profile of Mr. Rivera
2:32 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Taking a 10 min break
2:33 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Screening tests didn't detect blood on a folding knife found in Bahena Rivera's trailer. The court will take a 10 minute recess. @KCRG
2:34 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Back w/Tara Scott's testimony.
2:49 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Talking about suspected blood stain from trunk now. Scott says the DNA profile from that blood matched known profile of #MollieTibbetts. Less than 8.2 nonillion chance it would come from any unrelated person.
2:52 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Tara Scott says the blood stain on the seal of the Malibu's trunk matched the known DNA profile for Mollie Tibbetts.@KCRG
2:53 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott says she also developed a known profile of #MollieTibbetts from toenails taken at autopsy.
2:53 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Football from trunk: Presence of blood indicated, DNA sample too weak Fishing pole: Same as above
2:55 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Football, fishing equipment samples were too weak to be conclusive.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:56 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Screening tests were negative for blood and semen on stains found in the cab on the car. Tests were "too weak" for conclusive DNA on blood found on a ball in the trunk. The same goes for stains on a fishing pole. @KCRG
2:57 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Angenette Levy on Twitter
Tara Scott, Criminalist, tested blood stains found in Cristhian Bahena Rivera's trunk for DNA @LawCrimeNetwork

3:02 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
"So #MollieTibbetts blood is in the trunk of the Malibu, is that a safe conclusion?" - Brown. Yes. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
3:03 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Analysis of trunk liner from Malibu: Major contributor to blood stain was Mollie Tibbetts
3:03 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown done with Scott. Defense Atty Chad Frese now conducting cross-examination. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
3:04 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Cross-exam. Chad Frese asks about guns Scott saw in Blake Jack's home. She says she saw 13 long guns in a gun safe.
3:07 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott says she also saw several knives and a loaded pistol in a hanging wood shelf case.
3:08 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
During cross-examination, Attorney Chad Frese is asking about guns found in a gun safe in Blake Jack's home. There were also a number of knives in a hanging wood shelf case and a loaded pistol. @KCRG
3:09 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks if Scott got any DNA from anyone else living at Blake Jack's home. Scott: No. She was not asked to or sent any.
3:11 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
"Did you ever get the DNA of anyone else at 622 West Des Moines St.?" (Jack residence.) (paraphrased from here) "No one requested it." "Why not?" "I don't make the requests." @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
3:11 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Investigators took swabs from Mollie's brothers in case her father wasn't available (he lives in California). They did not collect a DNA sample from Blake Jack, Blake's fiancé and Dalton Jack.@KCRG
3:13 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
A Dr. Pepper can from Blake Jack's home was tested for DNA. Major unknown male contributor. Scott says she was not asked to find out whose DNA that was.
3:13 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
DCI had hairs and a fingernail from the Nissan Altima (Bahena Rivera's other car). None matched Mollie's DNA. @KCRG
3:18 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asking about fingernails of #MollieTibbetts that were submitted to crime lab. Scott says they were submitted to get known DNA profile of the Jane Doe (at that time) but Frese wants to know why they weren't tested for someone else's DNA.
3:22 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Scott took swabs of Mollie's inner thigh to look for foreign DNA. No profiles were found, even Mollie's, from the swabs that were taken from her body. @KCRG
3:24 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Did any DNA at all, foreign to Mollie Tibbetts, show up on her body?" (Paraphrased a bit) "From those swabs [on inner thighs] I was not even able to get a profile."
3:25 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese: "We do not have Cristhian Bahena Rivera's DNA on that piece of evidence [presumed underwear]?" Scott: "I cannot include or exclude anyone." *Positive for blood, DNA sample too weak
3:29 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Scott is repeating that there was no blood found on either knife found in Bahena Rivera's trailer. A murder weapon in this case has not been found, but Mollie's autopsy said she died from "sharp force" injuries. @KCRG
3:34 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
No blood present on Cristhian Bahena Rivera's knives, Scott said.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
3:35 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
10 min break here
3:38 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
We're back. Frese and Scott are going through more evidence she tested for DNA. Seems like he's going down every item she tested.
3:52 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Frese being thorough about each item Scott tested.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
3:53 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Most mixtures of DNA found in the Malibu trunk could not yield a DNA profile or even say male/female. Frese asks about the sample of the trunk that did have Mollie's DNA (one out of 8.2 nonillion referenced above) that was a mixture of three DNA samples.
3:54 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Scott says she could not exclude or include CBR in that sample.
3:54 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Re-direct. Scott Brown asks how Mollie Tibbetts' own DNA couldn't be found in the swab from her thighs. Scott says DNA can be weakened by UV rays, soil, other factors.
3:56 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter Scott says there was only one source for that blood: #MollieTibbetts" / Twitter
Brown points out the stain from the trunk seal. Scott says there was only one source for that blood: #MollieTibbetts
3:57 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
More from defense. Frese asks if anything about that trunk sample could tell us how it got there. Scott: "No."
3:58 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
That's it for today and the week. Recess until Monday at 8:30 am. Judge is now reminding jury their oath remains over the weekend.
4:00 PM · May 21, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 21, 2021
Who has testified in the Cristhian Bahena Rivera trial? | weareiowa.com
Wednesday, May 19

• First witness: Blake Jack, the brother of Mollie Tibbetts’ boyfriend. He discussed when he found out Mollie was missing and how he tried to get ahold of her.
• Second witness: Dalton Jack, Mollie’s boyfriend. He testified about dating history, relationship with Mollie, where he was when she disappeared, and states that he believes Cristhian Bahena Rivera is guilty.
• Third witness: Deputy Matt Simpson with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office. He described what he found at the home where Mollie was known to stay.
• Fourth witness: Jillena Scheck, a coworker and family friend of Mollie’s. She recalled trying to get ahold of her when she didn’t show up for work.
• Fifth witness: Christina Steward, owns a beauty salon in town. She saw Mollie running the night she disappeared and went looking for her the next day.
• Sixth witness: Arely Nunez-Lorenzana, cousin of Cristhian Bahena Rivera. She talked about an agreement to buy him a car, a black Chevy Malibu, and their family gatherings.

Thursday, May 20

• First witness: Deputy Steve Kivi, with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, who testified about a black Chevy Malibu caught on surveillance video, likely in the area when Mollie was running through.
• Second witness: Logan Collins, a Brooklyn, Iowa resident whose surveillance cameras caught the Malibu driving by.
• Third witness: Iowa DCI Agent Derek Riessen, testified about surveillance video that shows a runner and a Malibu that appears on camera multiple times.
• Fourth witness: Special Agent Michael Fischels, with the Department of Homeland Security, canvassed the farm where Cristhian Bahena Rivera worked and spoke with him in Spanish, discussing his car and whether he knew anything about Mollie Tibbetts.
• Fifth witness: Special Agent Scott Green, with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, canvassed Bahena Rivera’s workplace, collected DNA samples
• Sixth witness: Pamela Romero, former police officer, testified about Bahena Rivera leading her to the body of Mollie Tibbetts and the details he gave surrounding an interaction he had with her how the body was left in a cornfield.

Friday, May 21

• Pamela Romero, a former Iowa City police officer, testified about Bahena Rivera leading her to the body of Mollie Tibbetts and the details he gave surrounding an interaction he had with her how the body was left in a cornfield.
• Amy Johnson, a criminalist with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, testified it took about three hours to examine the black Chevy Malibu, with four areas on the vehicle getting tested for blood. The day after looking at the car, Johnson returned to Poweshiek County to see what is later confirmed to be Tibbetts' body.
• Tara Scott, a criminalist in the DNA section at the Iowa State Crime Lab, testified that blood found on the trunk liners of the black Chevy Malibu matched the DNA profile of Mollie Tibbetts.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 21, 2021
Cristhian Bahena Rivera trial: Day 3 updates, watch live | weareiowa.com
[...]

On Friday, the jury was shown video from the interview, with Bahena Rivera appearing to put his head down and fall asleep. Romero maintained he was "very active" in conversation.

[...]

Amy Johnson, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalist, testified about traveling to Yarrabee Farms on Aug. 20, 2018 to examine the black Chevy Malibui allegedly driven by Bahena Rivera.

The next day is when she traveled back to Poweshiek County to a cornfield where it was confirmed Tibbetts' body was.

[...]

Friday afternoon, Iowa State Crime Lab criminalist Tara Scott told the jury about blood found on the trunk liners of the car.

"The screening tests indicated the presence of blood on those swabs, and the DNA profile that I developed matched the known DNA profile of Mollie Tibbetts," she said.

On cross-examination, Scott said there was a mixture of three people's DNA total in the trunk: Tibbetts and two others.

"I can neither include or exclude [Bahena Rivera]," she testified of the other two pieces of DNA.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 21, 2021
Suppressed Confession In Killing of Mollie Tibbetts Trial | COURT TV
KILLING OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS: "I brought you here, didn't I?"

The "confession" of #CristhianBahenaRivera was deemed inadmissible in court due to a botched reading of his rights by investigators during his interrogation.

What do YOU think? Were his statements about the killing of #MollieTibbets legally obtained?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=475271073539930

New Disturbing Details Uncovered in Court in the Killing of Mollie Tibbetts | COURT TV
Forensic investigators testified to what was discovered at the crime scene, showing graphic photos to the jury.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=534833601259923

 

[Seattle1]

WATCH: Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial resumes

May 24, 2021

Witnesses return to the stand Monday in the Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial.

During Friday's proceedings, witness testimony focused on DNA evidence in the case.

[..]

DCI criminalist Amy Johnson said Tibbetts' body was covered in corn stocks and some of her clothing was found 24 feet away. Johnson also examined Bahena Rivera's Chevy Malibu and testified that four stains found in the truck tested presumptive positive for blood.

Tara Scott, with the Iowa Crime Lab, confirmed that some of that blood matched Mollie Tibbetts.

Prosecutors presented DNA evidence, surveillance video showing Bahena Rivera's Chevy Malibu driving near where Tibbetts was running and Bahena Rivera's partial confession to build their case.

The defense tried to cast doubt, including pointing the finger at Tibbetts' boyfriend. Legal analysts said that this is likely to be a failed strategy for the defense. They said the prosecution presented strong evidence that will be difficult for the defense to overcome.

Testimony resumes at 8:30 a.m. in Davenport. Watch the trial on KCCI's website, mobile app, YouTube or Facebook. KCCI's Chris Gothner will be providing updates on Twitter .

 

[Seattle1]

Mollie Tibbetts trial: Blood in suspect's trunk came from slain Iowa woman, DNA analyst says

May 24, 2021

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Blood found in the trunk of a farmhand's car was an exact match for a University of Iowa student who was abducted and killed while out for a run in 2018, a DNA analyst told jurors Friday.

Tara Scott, a criminalist in the DNA section of Iowa's crime lab, said she analyzed a swab taken from a bloodstain found on the trunk seal of Cristhian Bahena Rivera's Chevy Malibu after investigators recovered the body of Mollie Tibbetts.

[..]

Investigators say Bahena Rivera, who faces life in prison if convicted, led them to the cornfield where Tibbetts' body was found in the early morning of Aug. 21, 2018. He told an officer at the scene that he approached Tibbetts while she was running and fought with her after she threatened to call the police. He said he didn't remember how he killed her but that he hid her bloody body in the field underneath cornstalks, former officer Pamela Romero testified.

Bahena Rivera's defense lawyers made the case Friday that the confession was false and coerced as a result of sleep deprivation and harsh interrogation techniques. They played videos for jurors showing their client sleeping during the 11-hour interrogation.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 24, 2021

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Testimony has resumed in the #BahenaRiveraTrial. To start week 2 is Trent Vileta with the DCI. He works in Zone 4, which covers southeast Iowa. @KCRG
8:38 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Mollie Tibbetts was extremely low-risk." "A lot of our victims...there's drugs, alcohol, there's abusive relationships." -- #MollieTibbetts had none of those. She "probably had the nicest text messages we've ever read," Vileta says.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial

@CGothnerKCCI
Scott Brown: Were the steps you took in hope of finding her alive? Vileta: Yes.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial

Brown: Would you characterize (the Jacks' home) as a crime scene? Vileta: No.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Agent Vileta says in any missing persons' case, they start w/people closest to missing person, try to create victimology or snapshot of the person. Says #MollieTibbetts was no "high-risk" : no drugs, alcohol, abusive relationships.
8:41 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Mollie Tibbetts probably had the nicest text messages we've ever read. We had a hard time finding something negative."
8:41 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"There were three crime scenes in this case and 622 W. Des Moines [home of Blake Jack] wasn't one of them," Agent Vileta says.
8:47 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Breaking here already to fix issues w/sound system.
8:48 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Initially we were kind of thin," Agent Vileta says. "I think it was July 23rd the FBI showed up." Talking about investigative team.
9:04 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown: Did you have contact with Dalton Jack? Vileta: Yes Brown: Was Dalton Jack interviewed on multiple occasions? Vileta: Yes @KCCINews
#BahenaRiveraTrial
9:06 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"We could not find anything that would place him in Brooklyn, Iowa on that day," Agent Vileta says of Dalton Jack's phone. Investigators cleared Dalton based on his being in Dubuque July 18th.
9:10 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Talking about search area based on Mollie's phone data. Agent Vileta says the search reached "a few miles south of Guernsey."
9:15 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Weather hindered investigation, Agent Vileta says. There was rain and a tornado in Marshalltown July 19.
9:16 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Were you going farmhouse to farmhouse trying to get any information?" Scott Brown asks. "Yes."
9:18 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Ultimately you were at the location where Mollie was discovered." "That's true. [...] I think relatively close, I think maybe quarter to half mile away."
9:19 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown: Were there other POIs/suspects DCI talked to over the course of the investigation? Vileta: Yes. Brown: Do you remember Wayne Cheney? Was he interviewed? Vileta: Multiple times. Brown: Was he eliminated as a suspect? Vileta: Yes. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
9:20 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
A pool reporter in the courtroom says the prosecution hopes to wrap up its case today.
9:21 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"The footage on Logan Collins' cameras broke open the case for us," Agent Vileta says. Says it showed the black Malibu and a "brief glimpse of Mollie Tibbetts" running past.
9:24 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"We had Fitbit data that showed previous routes," Agent Vileta says it showed the route taken July 18th was one of Mollie's previous ones.
9:25 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Agent Vileta says the investigation hit a snag after Deputy Kivi first made contact w/CBR as they lost some FBI resources to a missing person case in Wisconsin. They didn't have Spanish speakers to be able to make contact w/CBR again.
9:29 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"If everybody remembers back in 2018 our political environment was pretty hostile with our immigrant population," Agent Vileta says of why they talked to all workers at Yarrabee Farms. Investigators wanted to make workers comfortable but also be able to identify them.
9:32 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"No, we never found them," Agent Vileta says of Mollie's phone and Fitbit.
9:35 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Also never able to locate a weapon.
9:38 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"To your knowledge, was a firearm ever associated w/the death of Mollie Tibbetts?" "No." Scott Brown asks if a knife assoc. w/the death was ever found. No. "Did you look?" "All over the place."
9:39 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Looked in CBR's home and cars. Knives from his home were not associated with the death. Also looked near Tibbetts' body.
9:40 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Cross-exam from Chad Frese now.
9:42 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese: Brooklyn was a media frenzy, wasn't it? "People don't believe us when we...we didn't pay a lot of attention. I guess it was."
9:42 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"This was a case w/a lot of attention. The whole town was circling the wagons trying to find Mollie?" "Yes."
9:43 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Did you ever go back to [Blake Jack's home] to look for weapon?" "We would've had no reason to."
9:43 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese asks who made decision to have sheriff publicly clear Dalton Jack on TV. "Media decisions were way out of my decision-making process. We gave a lot more press conferences than we were used to."
9:44 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Generally, press conferences are distractions for investigators." Says investigative team would have probably given OK.
9:45 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese asks about Dalton Jack interviews where he wasn't "forthright" about previous affairs.
9:47 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Now asking about Mollie's phone activity. "She didn't use profanity in there or anything. Very benign sort of text messages. She always appeared to be trying to help out friends."
9:47 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"If she didn't know you but saw you needed a hand she'd offer a hand," Frese asks. "Truly an innocent victim." She "truly gave everybody a fair shot."
9:49 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

10 min break here.
9:50 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Cross continues. Talking about Dalton Jack interviews.
10:06 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese asked what the next step of the investigation would be based on Dalton's admission of a sexual relationship w/another girl. Agent Vileta says the girl was likely interviewed but not sure. Says Mollie knew but "had forgiven [Dalton]."
10:08 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Frese now asking about affair. Vileta:My recollection was that it was no surprise to Mollie and that she forgave him Frese: Were you aware that it happened again? Vileta: Yes. -- it was my perception that she knew about the entirety & had forgiven him@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:09 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Is it your assertion that Mollie was killed on 385th St?" Vileta: Not sure where she was killed.
10:10 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Vileta agrees the crime was "violent" and force was used. State objects to question on if it was done in rage.
10:11 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese asks about motivation of crime. Agent Vileta says he'd have to speculate but there are many reasons people act as they do. Agrees anger could be one.
10:13 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Lots of objections in this line of questioning. Frese asks about Dalton Jack's history of anger.
10:13 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"As case agent, you would want to know if this man who was close to Mollie had anger problems?" "Yes." Frese asks about how often victims are killed by known person. "High percentage of time victim knows the attacker."
10:14 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks about relevance of Tibbetts wanting to break up with Dalton a month before disappearance. "Yes but I also thought they were talking about getting engaged that weekend, weekend after."
10:16 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"You ruled him out because his boss told you [Dalton was in Dubuque?]" "His boss and his roommate." Frese asks if Agent Vileta recalls Dalton's interview that the roommate was out of the room "until five in the morning smoking pot?"
10:17 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Frese: If #MollieTibbetts talked about severing the relationship, that would be relevant, right? Vileta: Yes.
10:17 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese now pressing Vileta on Jack's presence in Dubuque during the time of #MollieTibbetts' disappearance. Questions why Jack had no receipts from Dubuque.
10:18 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese: "Nothing from (DJ's) bank records showed him in Dubuque that night?" Vileta: "That's not true at all."
10:19 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Kristin Rogers on Twitter
Jack testified he was outside a hotel in Dubuque playing bags & drinking beer the night Mollie went missing. Frese asked: “His testimony here at trial was different than what he told officers?” Agent Vileta says: “It was my understanding that he was in his room that night.” @KCRG
10:22 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks about inconsistent stories between what Dalton told police (in his room watching movies) and testimony Wed (playing yard games, drinking beer). Wants to know if surveillance was viewed. "I don't think the hotel had surveillance video," Agent Vileta says (did ask).
10:20 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Now asking about another suspect/person of interest: Peksa.
10:21 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese says records indicate a tip about Ron Peksa came in July 22nd. "I know his name and I know we've been out to his house," Agent Vileta says. "I know when we got leads like that they were assigned and run out."
10:23 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Angenette Levy on Twitter
Chad Frese now asking about Wayne Chaney another man named Ron Peska (sp?). Two men they received tips about. Chaney leaved in the southeast portion of the county where MT's body was found. @LawCrimeNetwork
10:22 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

The defense clearly wants to the jury to believe Dalton Jack had the opportunity to return from Dubuque where he was working that night. They have already brought up the fact that MT was thinking about breaking up with him and Dalton had had an affair @LawCrimeNetwork
10:23 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"I can confidently say Ron Peksa's name was talked about a lot after that tip came in," Agent Vileta says. Not sure an official interview was done.
10:26 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Canvas report says Peksa "harmed women and children in the past." "Yes, the report here says there was a hidden room," Agent Vileta confirms of Peksa's home.
10:28 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Ron Peksa's body was quarter mile from where Mollie was found?" Frese says. "That'd be close, yes," Agent Vileta says. "You didn't talk to Ron Peksa after Mollie's body was found?" "We didn't need to. [...] I'd say Christian Rivera cleared Peksa."
10:29 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"This is all speculation provided by someone else," Scott Brown objects to question about 'torture room' in Peksa's home.
10:31 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"We didn't find a torture room or anything like that," Agent Vileta says, but agrees there is no report on that.
10:32 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Are there other people you interviewed that you didn't create a report on?" Vileta: "No." Interviewed hundreds, says it wasn't really an interview but more of a canvas. Says they didn't tell Peksa why they were there "he kind of guessed why we were there."
10:33 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
A tip on August 1 said this man's home had a hidden room and he had threatened his ex-wife's life in the past. He lived about a quarter mile from where Mollie was found. Vileta said he wasn't interviewed after the body was found... @KCRG
10:30 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

...because Bahena Rivera cleared him in the case. @KCRG
10:30 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
On to another suspect/person of interest: Jackson Eichorn (sp?)
10:35 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"When he was interviewed he admitted he was in the cemetery, correct? He gave some excuse, explanation I should say, he was helping a friend mow?" Frese asks. Y. Vileta agrees Eichorn stopped the interview, then changed story in next interview.
10:36 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese now asking about other people who knew Mollie who were interviewed, asking about their stories.
10:38 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Frese also questioned Vileta about a teenager who was in the cemetery on the east edge of Brooklyn on July 18. He continues to ask about various people investigators "looked at" during the case. @KCRG
10:39 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Now asking about a man named Curtis Laver (sp?) -- whom Vileta says had friends at a pool party who might have met #MollieTibbetts there. Also Timothy Tometich (sp?), whom Vileta says had done some "unusual things" around the disappearance. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:38 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Now Frese is asking about Michael Scott, whose car broke down in Brooklyn, and bought a new one, which Vileta says was unusual "How did you exclude him" "He made it out to Omaha." "There were only a couple we excluded, we revisited ppl several times." @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:40 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
One man drove into Brooklyn, car broke down, he "bought another one and kept on traveling," Frese asks. Agent Vileta says it was unusual but that man was cleared. Says there were only a couple cleared and many revisited several times. "Except Dalton Jack?" Frese asks.
10:40 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"We did revisit Dalton Jack," Agent Vileta says.
10:41 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese asks if Mollie's Macbook was investigated. Agent Vileta says they didn't "dump or copy" it but they were on it every day and had software engineers to analyze.
10:43 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks about a penpal Mollie had. "Wasn't there some concern Mollie was sharing personal information with this penpal?" "I can't remember exactly. [...] We tried to figure out everybody in Mollie's life." Says might be a better question for FBI.
10:45 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Agent Vileta says the purpose of looking for blood in trunk was to verify CBR's statement about taking her out of trunk when she was bleeding.
10:47 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Agent Vileta says DNA wasn't found on Tibbetts' body because she was "very decomposed."
10:48 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Frese: When did #MollieTibbetts investigation end? Vileta: When we were able to corroborate all the statements from CBR. Frese: Were you aware of 3 different people's DNA in the trunk. Vileta: We looked for DNA in trunk bc he said she was in there. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:47 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Vileta: CBR didn't say anyone else helped him. Frese: Would you agree that CBR's DNA was found on #MollieTibbetts body? Vileta: It was too decomposed at that point.. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:48 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Getting the buccal swabs was purely for identification purposes. [...] Took very careful steps that it wasn't about immigration," Agent Vileta says of why they got DNA from all Yarrabee workers. Says this is a migratory population that sometimes uses false names to work under.
10:50 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Frese asks what other workers said about CBR. "I just don't remember hearing anything negative, I guess."
10:51 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Vileta said they took DNA from all employees at Yarrabee Farms (where Bahena Rivera worked) in case they would leave area. They said it was the most reliable way to identify the employees, some of whom were working under false names (including Bahena Rivera). @KCRG
10:51 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Now going back to Pamela Romero interview. Frese: Were you aware she was an officer for 2.5 years/16 hours of training? Vileta: Yes. I knew she had little experience. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:53 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese now wants to know about Pamela Romero. "Did you know she was an officer for two years?" Y. "Did you know she had 16 hours of interrogation training?" "Yes."
10:54 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Of all the people that were there it was your decision to send Pamela Romero? Why did you choose the officer with the least amount of training. Vileta: That's how it evolved. CBR seemed to engage with her. Sometimes you have to make a gut call. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:55 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Agent Vileta says Romero is fluent in Spanish, but Sgt. Fink was "proficient." He says CBR was comfortable w/Romero and engaged. Says her level of training was somewhat of a concern but he was able to control interview from behind the scenes.
10:56 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
They took several breaks during Bahena Rivera's interview so Officer Romero could share information with Vileta and others. He says foreign language interviews are difficult - utilizing an experienced person is best - Romero had relatively little experience. @KCRG
10:57 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
10 min break now.
10:58 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Prosecutor Scott Brown starts redirect.
11:11 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Did you receive any information [Dalton Jack] was in Brooklyn around 7:45 pm?" "No," Agent Vileta says.
11:12 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Were any of those men associated with a vehicle that was seen repeatedly in the area where Mollie Tibbetts was seen jogging?" Brown asks about men of interest the defense brought up. "No."
10:14 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Agent Vileta says none of those men said they saw Mollie on 385th. Says CBR did, and even said he fought with her.
10:15 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown: Were any of those men (defense named) associated with a black Chevy Malibu with chrome mirrors/doors/etc? Vileta: No.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:14 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Brown: Did any of those men indicate they were angry with #MollieTibbetts? Vileta: No. Brown: Did CBR? Vileta: Yes. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
11:15 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Brown asks if any of those men said they were angry w/Mollie Tibbetts? Vileta: No, only CBR. Brown hits the table for emphasis asking if any of those men said Mollie was "in the trunk of their car?" "No, only Rivera did."
10:16 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Brown: Did any of these men make any admissions that #MollieTibbetts was in the trunk of their car (lightly pounds on table for emphasis) Vileta: Just Cristhian Rivera. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:16 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Brown: Did any other men besides CBR bring you to the location of #MollieTibbetts body? Vileta: No. Brown: Did any other men describe how she would have been found? Vileta: No. Just CBR. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:17 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Did you find any other lead or find any other reason that Mollie Tibbetts' blood would have been connected to the vehicle exclusively driven by the defendant?" "No." Brown getting very animated here, emphasizing with his hands and pointing at CBR.
11:19 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Now back to re-cross. Frese asking about 11 hour interrogation.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
10:18 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
During re-cross, Frese points out that there's no physical evidence that shows Bahena Rivera stabbed Mollie Tibbetts, only the confession. @KCRG
11:22 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
State calls Kevin Horan, supervisory special agent w/FBI.
11:21 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Horan covers the western US from Ohio to Hawaii. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
11:22 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Horan handles cell phone tracking for @FBI. @KCCINews
11:24 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Angenette Levy on Twitter
@FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Horan on the stand. He handles all things cell phones, he says. From Ohio to Hawaii. He works out of Dayton, Ohio
Supervisory Special Agent Kevin Horan on the stand. He handles all things cell phones, he says. From Ohio to Hawaii. He works out of Dayton, Ohio
@LawCrimeNetwork

11:23 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Agent Horan was involved in looking into cellular data of #MollieTibbetts.
11:25 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"Essentially it's telling us a story" of what a person does, who they talk to, etc.
11:27 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Initially went through call detail records (all calls and texts.)
11:30 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Also looked at data that pointed to cell's location relative to cell towers.
11:31 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Agent Horan was looking at July 18th starting at 8 pm (the info he got on when Mollie was last seen on 385th).
11:35 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
He requested additional data beyond the initial set of records from Sprint (which would have been calls/texts). The additional data would show phone location.
@KCRG
11:32 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Horan says he was told to review the time Mollie would've been jogging on July 18. The jury is looking at a map of the Sprint cell tower in Brooklyn and the direction of Mollie's phone. @KCRG
11:40 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Agent Horan developed a graphic showing where Mollie's phone utilized a tower between 8:15 and 8:28 pm.
11:38 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Agent Horan could pinpoint which side of the tower the phone was using. It pointed them anywhere east of that area.
11:41 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Agent Horan pulled Mollie's cell phone data. He's showing how it works with this diagram, how the phone is moving east from 8:15-8:28pm away from Brooklyn, Iowa @wqad #mollietibbetts

[URL='https://twitter.com/DeniseWQAD/status/1396869477871112197']11:43 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App[/URL]

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Horan says there were “multiple hits” from Mollie’s phone to the tower in the black arc on this map. This tells him how the phone is moving. @KCRG

11:44 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"We don't know exactly where, we know the distance" the phone is from the tower.
11:42 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

"The phone was clearly moving, it was moving in an easterly direction," Agent Horan says.
11:43 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Horan also looked at Mollie's Fitbit data. "In this case Fitbit did not have her current route" because she hadn't uploaded, which is done after a run Horan says.
11:45 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

He could use the cell data w/her previous route and say it matched her usual route in this area.
11:46 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Also has Mollie's FitBit records, connected to her phone. FitBit didn't have her current route, because she never completed it. So he compared this data to other routes in her history. @wqad #mollietibbetts

[URL='https://twitter.com/DeniseWQAD/status/1396870234120888320']11:46 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App[/URL]

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Horan says using past FitBit data, #MollieTibbetts had taken this running route many times before. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
11:45 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Red arrow shows past route. Horan says cell phone data shows #MollieTibbetts was likely taking the same route as she was before. @KCCINews
#BahenaRiveraTrial

11:47 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
After 8:28p, Horan says we see the cell phone depart from the tower -- much farther south, 4 or 5 miles away. Arcs coming from a different sector of the tower, he says. He says speed estimate was 60mph.@KCCINews
#BahenaRiveraTrial
11:49 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Brown: Is it accurate to say that after that time, Mollie's phone was heading 60mph+ in a southerly direction? Horan: Yes. @KCCINews
#BahenaRiveraTrial
11:50 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"After 8:28 pm we see the phone depart from this tower," Horan says. Mollie was running about a 10 min mile, but starting around 8:35 to nearly 9 pm, the pace picked up to 60 MPH.
11:50 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Heading south this time.
11:50 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Breaking for lunch now.
11:51 AM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 24, 2021
Defense attorney focuses question on other suspects in Tibbetts’ murder « KJAN | Radio Atlantic, IA – AM 1220
[...]

... ”You didn’t find it a bit ironic that this man you’d received at least two tips on, her body was found a quarter mile from his house?” Frese asked. Vileta replied: “No, not at all.”

Agent Vileta testified that Rivera’s confession had cleared the neighbor to the field where Tibbetts had been buried under corn stalks.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 24, 2021
Bahena Rivera murder trial resumes with expert testimony (kcci.com)
[...]

Special Agent Trent Vileta, with Iowa DCI, took the witness stand first. ...

[...]

He testified that the home of Blake Jack, where Tibbetts and her boyfriend, Dalton Jack, stayed in 2018, would not be characterized as a crime scene. Vileta said during testimony that investigators eliminated Dalton Jack as a suspect following several interviews.

[...]

During cross-examination, the defense questioned Vileta about additional suspects considered during the Iowa DCI’s investigation, including a Poweshiek County man alleged to have a “torture room” in his basement.

Vileta said no such room was located at the man’s home and that a report was not created during his interview.

[...]

Horan testified that phone and FitBit data showed Tibbetts running east along one of her common running routes on July 18, 2018.

After 8:28 p.m., Horan said Tibbetts’ cell phone departed from a tower much farther south at an estimated speed of 60 mpg.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 24, 2021
Iowa DCI agent takes the stand in Bahena Rivera murder trial (kcrg.com)
[...]

During cross-examination, defense attorneys brought up Dalton Jack’s anger and the fact that he cheated on Tibbetts.

Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown said based on their information, Dalton Jack was eliminated as a suspect.

Prosecutors then turned to Wayne Cheney, a farmer who had been convicted of stalking previously in two other cases. Cheney also lived in the area near where Mollie Tibbetts was located.

DCI agent Vileta said Cheney was interviewed multiple times and law enforcement paid a lot of attention to him, but he was also ultimately eliminated as a suspect.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Back. Agent Horan says he was able to have investigators look in two areas where the phone was heading and where it was last known to be.
1:18 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
We're back from lunch. Horan back on the stand. @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
1:19 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy (@ShannonMoudyTV) / Twitter

1:19 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Kevin Horan from the FBI is still on the stand following lunch recess. The prosecution is asking him about the areas of interest based off Mollie's cell phone data (abduction area and last known "ping"). @KCRG
1:21 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Agent Horan says last hit of Mollie on certain tower is 8:28 pm. around box 1 (above.) "The next one after that was at 8:35 and it was much farther south [...] you're basically doing a calculation, time distance, and you'll get the speed of whatever she was in."
1:22 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Says that was in the low 60 MPH range around box 2.
1:22 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Horan testifying that data shows at 8:28pm her phone starts heading south, off her normal running route. Next data point shows phone was traveling > 60mph
@wqad #mollietibbetts

1:22 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Cross-exam. Chad Frese asks about what else Fitbit records. Agent Horan says it can determine heartrate, but he wasn't sure on that info.
1:26 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese asks if that info could tell time of death. Horan says he's worked a case where he used that.
1:27 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
State calls Dr. Dennis Klein, state medical examiner.
1:29 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
Next up is Dr. Dennis Klein, IA State Medical Examiner @wqad
#mollietibbetts

1:30 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Klein says recovery of Tibbetts' body included "layered" photographs (w/vegetation, w/o vegetation, area w/o body).
1:36 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"The thing we saw was just the outline of her body. It was clear her body had been decomposing in that area for some time," Dr. Klein says.
1:36 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

July in Iowa would be a more rapid decomposition, Dr. Klein says.
1:37 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Being in the cornfield would add more humidity, mud that would accelerate decomp.
1:38 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Klein says decomp can destroy fingerprints or other elements. Blood can be difficult to get even w/in a few days.
1:39 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

No blood could be recovered from Tibbetts.
1:39 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Dr. Klein says decomposition can destroy DNA on the body. He said Mollie's body was in moderate to severe decomposition. A DNA expert previously told the jury that no DNA, even Mollie's, was found on her body.@KCRG
1:41 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Forensic autopsy started Aug. 22. First stage took about 3 hours. Dr. Klein says they also needed an expert in bones for other stage.
1:42 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Klein says they couldn't determine anything of significance in relation to Tibbetts' injuries in X-rays.
1:44 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Usually he says that would show fragments from a bullet or a knife tip sometimes.
1:45 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Graphic photos/descriptions being shown right now of #MollieTibbetts' body.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
1:46 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Dr. Klein says x-rays didn't show anything of significance. He's now explaining his first autopsy photo to the jury. We aren't seeing it on the livestream, but that doesn't mean we won't see any photos, so again, use caution if you're watching.
@KCRG
1:48 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Sharp-force or stab wound found in left cheek.
1:46 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Another wound near right ear. Consistent with single-edged blade, Dr. Klein says. This wound goes all the way through the skull.
1:49 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
One image showed a penetrative wound in her skull. Klein says it's indicative of a sharp-force injury (knife). @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
1:50 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
More sharp-force injuries found in cervical vertebrae of the neck.
1:51 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Klein says there are two "defects" in two vertebrae midway up the neck. A blood vessel called the vertebral artery runs through this area right next to one of the wounds.
1:53 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Klein says these wounds are consistent with a stabbing or large slashing.
1:54 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Klein says depending on where the weapon entered the jugular and carotid are also near these injuries.
1:54 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Angenette Levy on Twitter
Dr. Klein says #MollieTibbetts body had a sports bra around the neck area. She also had socks. No underwear and no shorts and no headband were on her body.
@LawCrimeNetwork
1:57 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

(What I heard was that the sports bra was "rolled up"...)

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
"Sharp-force defect" found on Tibbetts' sports bra.
1:57 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Klein says there doesn't appear to be blood on the bra; says it could've decomposed or is hidden by the pink fabric.
1:58 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Many more stab wounds on the back left side of the bra.
1:58 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Five on the left back side, one on the front.
1:59 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Angenette Levy on Twitter
Dr. Klein said there is a cut in the front of #MollieTibbetts sports bra that could be from a stabbing mark. Blood could have decomposed. It would need chemical analysis to tell whether blood had been on it @LawCrimeNetwork

2:00 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Dr. Klein says Mollie's sports bra was lifted up toward her neck, but was still on her body. There's a tear in the side of the bra consistent with a stab wound. There are multiple similar cuts on the back of the bra. @KCRG
2:00 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Five on the left back side, one on the front.
1:59 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Klein says some of these would've likely gone through the chest and damaged internal organs.
2:02 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Rib bones in those areas show "kerf marks" or marks left by knife or other sharp blade.
2:10 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Back of right hand shows another wound.
2:13 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
This was the only hand wound, but Dr. Klein says decomposition could play a part of that.
2:14 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Klein says genital area couldn't be swabbed because of decomposition.
2:15 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Dr. Klein says abdomen/genital area was too decomposed to get any kind of samples from. Did a toxicology report -- it was negative for any alcohol/drugs.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:17 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Cross-exam. Chad Frese: "Did you take her fingernails?" Dr. Klein: "Yes." Part of regular protocol so DNA tests could be run.
2:18 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
Dr. Klein said swabbing for DNA was difficult given the severe decomposition. He says multiple sharp force injuries caused Mollie's death by way of homicide.
@KCRG
2:18 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Tibbetts was 5'2, 5'3". Dr. Klein says he can't exclude more than one weapon, but the wounds all appear to come from the same weapon.
2:19 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
During cross-examination, Dr. Klein explains that they took finger nail samples from the body as standard protocol. He says the injuries are all consistent with one weapon, but he can't exclude more than one weapon. @KCRG
2:20 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Couldn't tell position of assailant from wounds.
2:20 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nine definitive wounds, suspects up to 12.
2:21 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Cannot tell size of the assailant from these wounds.
2:21 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Frese: "You'd expect to find significant blood [...] let's say in the trunk of a car?" w/neck injuries Dr. Klein: "Correct."
2:23 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Re-direct. "There would be a significant amount of bleeding?" "Yes." Brown: Would it be readily apparent on the ground. Dr. Klein says no, not after rain.
2:25 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

10 min break now
2:25 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
State calls final witness: Dr. Heather Garvin, associate professor of anatomy with Des Moines University.
2:41 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
We're back with the state's next (possibly final?) witness, Heather Garvin, a forensic anthropologist and associate anatomy professor at @DesMoinesUniv
2:42 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Denise Hnytka on Twitter
State indicates this is it's last witness. Dr. Heather Garvin, forensic anthropologist. @wqad #MollieTibbetts

2:43 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
She's also a board-certified forensic anthropologist.
2:44 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Garvin is board certified as a forensic anthropologist and has a PhD from
@JohnsHopkins @KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:44 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Assisted on #MollieTibbetts autopsy starting Aug. 22.
2:48 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Started her examination August 23.
2:49 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Garvin says she was missing one tooth, the hyoid bone, and toe toes.
2:52 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

(Tweet should read "toe bones" per live testimony)

Says they were likely not recovered at the scene. They're small and could also have been lost to scavenging animals.
2:52 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Dr. Garvin says w/the one penetrating head wound, she couldn't determine if it hit the brain.
2:55 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
She's talking about the injury the jury saw earlier of the "sharp force trauma" (stab wound) to the head.@KCRG
2:56 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Garvin is going through photos of Tibbetts' bones, pointing out stab wounds.
@KCCINews #BahenaRiveraTrial
2:56 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
On the vertebrae, there are four different defects on the right side of the neck but Dr. Garvin says this could be caused by a minimum of one stab wound. There's another defect on the left side.
2:57 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Garvin says the wounds to the right her opinion is it's consistent with a shallow slashing.
2:58 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Dr. Garvin says she examined all of Tibbetts' bones, both by eye and under microscope.
3:01 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Nicole Agee on Twitter
She said injuries to the neck could be from the tip or side of the blade of a sharp object. Dr. Garvin says she examined the entire body. @KCRG
3:03 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
The State of Iowa rests.
3:13 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

No cross-exam for Dr. Garvin.
3:14 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

Recess until 8:30 am tomorrow.
3:14 PM · May 24, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 24, 2021
WATCH LIVE: Prosecution rests in trial of man accused of killing Iowa college student (ktiv.com)
The prosecution has rested in the case again Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who is accused of killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts.

[...]

According to the state medical examiner, Tibbetts was stabbed in the head and neck, specifically, she sustained injuries to the top parts of her spine. The medical examiner said the stabbing could injure a few major arteries in her neck.

Tibbetts was also stabbed several in the chest. In total, the autopsy showed possibly a dozen stab wounds.

[...]

Other than questioning the evidence, the defense raised multiple persons of interest, including those with a supposed history of violence and stalking.

Rivera's Attorney, Chad Frese, brought up supposed text messages were Tibbetts' boyfriend admitted to having anger issues. The prosecution responded by pointing out there's only one person who has admitted to fight with Tibbetts that day and who led them to her body, and that is Rivera.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 21, 2021
Murder trial of Cristhian Bahena Rivera: Day 3

MAY 24, 2021
DAY 4: Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial in death of Mollie Tibbetts