Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #47

[Seattle1]

Here's how people in her hometown are honoring Mollie Tibbetts on what would have been her 21st birthday

The owner of Live Now Designs in Brooklyn, which helped print flyers and T-shirts during the search, landed on the answer: Tibbetts would spread kindness.

VanLandschoot and others decided on a couple of ways to remember Tibbetts, all of which will come together Wednesday at a birthday celebration in conjunction with a fundraiser for the Brooklyn Opera House, a building where many of Tibbetts' family members volunteered their time.

VanLandschoot also had 30,000 “kindness cards” printed with a quote from Tibbetts printed on the back.

"Everybody has their own talent," the cards say. "Whether it's a sport you are good at, or if you are good at dance, or if you're a great writer, even if you're just a good person. That's one of the best things you can be good at."

She said she's encouraging people to perform 21 random acts of kindness in Tibbetts' memory.

The cards are circulating not just around Brookyln, but across the state and country.

VanLandschoot sent a shipment to SPARK Kindness clubs in Pennsylvania and others to Illinois, California and New York.

"Really, it's about getting out and doing something good for somebody," she said.

 

[Seattle1]

Mollie Tibbetts' legacy: Iowa town celebrates a young life lost a year ago

Tibbetts was killed in July 2018, but on Wednesday – what would have been her 21st birthday – her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, celebrated her life and legacy.

A local nonprofit group is asking for donations to reopen the shuttered doors of the town’s 108-year-old opera house to honor Tibbetts. So far, more than $1.1 million has been raised to restore the dilapidated landmark, where theater and music once thrived in this Norman Rockwell-esque Midwestern town of 1,500 or so residents where movie icon John Wayne lived as a boy.

“This symbolizes a new life for our town,” said Brian Manatt, of the Brooklyn Community Development, the nonprofit group spearheading the restoration.

“We don’t want Brooklyn, Iowa, to be remembered for tragedy,” said Manatt, who knew Tibbetts. “Mollie was so involved in the arts and culture and we want all to remember her in a positive way.”

The new opera house – set to be unveiled in December – will also feature a memorial of statues capturing Tibbetts and her importance to so many in this central Iowa community. The two whimsical, bronze-coated metal renderings are abstract depictions of Tibbetts, one showing her running with the family dog, Buster, and another of the aspiring child psychologist surrounded by children.

“She loved helping others, and it was infectious to children,” said Chad Nath, Tibbetts’ former boss at a summer day camp.

“They were so drawn to her goofy spirit and the way she treated them – like they were equals,” he said. “She was a light you couldn’t steer away from.”

Tibbetts disappeared on July 18 during an evening jog through the streets of Brooklyn, a community where few residents thought to lock their doors. In the days that followed, her photo turned up most everywhere – on T-shirts and buttons; on stickers on trucks traveling the I-80 corridor; on flyers, in shop windows, and at stands at the Iowa State Fair.

Tibbetts was far more than a face on a poster, as the country would learn.

The stories that trickled out told the story of an extraordinary young woman, dynamic, selfless, kind.

And relatable.
[...]
Mollie’s Movement is soliciting donations of $21 for the rebuilding of the opera house in honor of Tibbetts' 21st birthday. It is also promoting its “Paying Kindness Forward” program, encouraging people across the nation to showcase 21 random acts of kindness in Tibbetts’ memory.

“If you don’t have money, that’s OK,” said VanLandschoot. “It costs nothing to show kindness in the way that Mollie did.”

As members of the community gather on Tibbetts’ birthday to celebrate her life, her family is trying to focus on the same spirit of celebration.

“This is exactly what we wanted,” said her older brother, Jake. “It’s obviously a harder thing to think about who she was rather than what happened because everywhere you look, it’s right there. It’s great that people are grasping onto the ‘who’ and not the ‘what.’”

Tibbetts’ younger brother, Scott, echoed the sentiment. “I’m not here to mourn anything or be upset,” he said. “I’m here to celebrate and be the person I usually am and if not, a better person.”

 

[PommyMommy]

Mollie Tibbett's mother continues to raise awareness

 

[Seattle1]

Family and friends remember Mollie Tibbetts with laughter, ice cream and acts of kindness

BROOKLYN, Ia. — Mollie Tibbetts always looked forward to the ice cream cake.

On her fourth birthday, decked out in a newly gifted chef’s hat and coat, Tibbetts peeked up at the frozen cake on the counter with excitement, her mother, Laura Calderwood, recalled Wednesday afternoon. She smiled at the memory.

There will be ice cream cake again this year as Tibbetts' family gathers privately to remember the young woman with an “infectious laugh and beautiful smile.” She was found stabbed to death last August following her disappearance while on a run and a monthlong nationwide search.

This small celebration will come after Wednesday, a day filled with speeches, embraces and intentional acts of kindness across Brooklyn as the community honored Tibbetts, who would have turned 21 on Wednesday.

A few years ago, Tibbetts’ birthday fell on the day of the district track meet.

Running 12 laps around the track was exactly how she wanted to spend her birthday, said Tibbetts' track coach, Shane Wilson, recalling Tibbetts sarcastically thanking him for such a thoughtful gift.
[...]
She began planning her daughter's 21st birthday months before Tibbetts went missing. Calderwood had in mind Tibbetts' favorite food — grilled cheese on sourdough cut into slices and dipped in tomato soup. She’d even planned a birthday playlist of Tibbetts' favorite hits.

But instead of celebrating with her daughter on Wednesday, she shared Tibbetts' passion for helping others with the community.

“We are forever indebted, and there are no words of gratitude for what this community has given our family,” Calderwood said after a public birthday celebration for her daughter, tied to a fundraiser for the local opera house.

As of Wednesday night, more than 450 contributors had helped raise more than $17,000 for the Brooklyn Opera House in honor of Tibbetts' family, who spent years volunteering for the historic site. The fundraiser will continue through the end of the month. People are encouraged to donate $21 for Tibbetts' birthday.
[...]
Models of two sculptures of Tibbetts were also unveiled at Wednesday's celebration: one of the young woman walking a dog and another of her surrounded by children.

The final 8 foot tall art pieces will be on display in Grinnell. The smaller replicas will stand outside the opera house in Brooklyn.

“Mollie was extraordinary in so many ways, but her gift was her genuine interest in the people she met," Tibbetts' father, Rob Tibbetts, wrote in a letter read during the unveiling. "She saw in us all our best qualities and characteristics — our most heartfelt desires and aspirations, and all the things we love about the world.

"Mollie took those things and made them her own, in her own distinct way. In doing so, her life was an evolving tapestry of the very best of us. Mollie was an irresistible reflection of everything we love in ourselves and why we will all love her so dearly for the rest of our lives.”

 

[lukass_6]

This is somewhat unrelated, so I apologize. However, has anybody been able to find Cristhian Rivera on PACER? I can find his case on Iowa courts online, but I tried every search that I could think of on PACER with no luck. If anyone was able to locate it, what did you search? Thank you!

 

[Alethea]

This is somewhat unrelated, so I apologize. However, has anybody been able to find Cristhian Rivera on PACER? I can find his case on Iowa courts online, but I tried every search that I could think of on PACER with no luck. If anyone was able to locate it, what did you search? Thank you!

PACER is the docketing system for the Federal District Courts in the US. Since this case is in state court, it would not be on PACER.

 

[Mica]

Delete

 

[lukass_6]

PACER is the docketing system for the Federal District Courts in the US. Since this case is in state court, it would not be on PACER.

Right, I guess I just access the district court site through PACER. I apologize. But regardless, I couldn't find the case on Iowa Southern District Court's CM/ECF. Was just wondering if anyone else had any luck :-/ thank you

 

[Niner]

This is where I look up his case:

Iowa Courts Online Search

and nothing new since what I posted last.

 

[PommyMommy]

'Fun and whimsical' statues of Mollie Tibbetts find homes in Grinnell
Two larger-than-life statues now stand in memory of a University of Iowa student whose life captivated the country as news spread of her disappearance and death.

The statues of Mollie Tibbetts were dedicated May 18 in Grinnell during a private ceremony with family and friends, according to a news release from UnityPoint Health issued on behalf of Tibbetts' family.

Chad Nath, director of Grinnell Regional Medical Center's youth day camp where Tibbetts spent two summers working with children, called the bronze statues by Dubuque artist Gail Chavenelle "breathtaking and absolutely amazing."

[...]

Smaller versions of the statues were unveiled on May 8 at the Brooklyn Opera House during a fundraiser honoring Tibbetts' family, who spent years volunteering for the historic site. The fundraiser coincided with what would have been Tibbett's 21st birthday.

The smaller statues will stand outside the opera house in Brooklyn. The young woman's parents were also given smaller replicas of the statues, Nath said.

[...]

Grinnell statues honor Mollie Tibbetts
[...]

One is in Aherns Park near the memorial flag pole. The second is in the Healing Garden at UnityPoint Health.

[...]

 

[girlhasnoname]

'Fun and whimsical' statues of Mollie Tibbetts find homes in Grinnell
Two larger-than-life statues now stand in memory of a University of Iowa student whose life captivated the country as news spread of her disappearance and death.

The statues of Mollie Tibbetts were dedicated May 18 in Grinnell during a private ceremony with family and friends, according to a news release from UnityPoint Health issued on behalf of Tibbetts' family.

Chad Nath, director of Grinnell Regional Medical Center's youth day camp where Tibbetts spent two summers working with children, called the bronze statues by Dubuque artist Gail Chavenelle "breathtaking and absolutely amazing."

[...]

Smaller versions of the statues were unveiled on May 8 at the Brooklyn Opera House during a fundraiser honoring Tibbetts' family, who spent years volunteering for the historic site. The fundraiser coincided with what would have been Tibbett's 21st birthday.

The smaller statues will stand outside the opera house in Brooklyn. The young woman's parents were also given smaller replicas of the statues, Nath said.

[...]

Grinnell statues honor Mollie Tibbetts
[...]

One is in Aherns Park near the memorial flag pole. The second is in the Healing Garden at UnityPoint Health.

[...]

Beautiful tribute to a beautiful, promising young woman taken way too soon. This area has some striking art sculptures at hospitals, the airports, universities, etc.

 

[Seattle1]

'Fun and whimsical' statues of Mollie Tibbetts find homes in Grinnell
Two larger-than-life statues now stand in memory of a University of Iowa student whose life captivated the country as news spread of her disappearance and death.

The statues of Mollie Tibbetts were dedicated May 18 in Grinnell during a private ceremony with family and friends, according to a news release from UnityPoint Health issued on behalf of Tibbetts' family.

Chad Nath, director of Grinnell Regional Medical Center's youth day camp where Tibbetts spent two summers working with children, called the bronze statues by Dubuque artist Gail Chavenelle "breathtaking and absolutely amazing."

[...]

Smaller versions of the statues were unveiled on May 8 at the Brooklyn Opera House during a fundraiser honoring Tibbetts' family, who spent years volunteering for the historic site. The fundraiser coincided with what would have been Tibbett's 21st birthday.

The smaller statues will stand outside the opera house in Brooklyn. The young woman's parents were also given smaller replicas of the statues, Nath said.

[...]

Grinnell statues honor Mollie Tibbetts
[...]

One is in Aherns Park near the memorial flag pole. The second is in the Healing Garden at UnityPoint Health.

[...]

It looks like Mollie's mom and dad both cut the ribbon. What an incredibly strong family -- Mollie didn't fall far from the tree.

 

[Tiger Stripes]

Here is an article from today with an update regarding this case:

Prosecutors: Blood found in trunk of murder suspect's car confirmed as Mollie Tibbetts'

 

[PommyMommy]

Court documents: Blood found in suspect’s trunk belonged to Mollie Tibbetts
[...]

“On August 20, 2018, officers obtained valid consent to search a black Chevrolet Malibu which was a vehicle that was used by the Rivera. The vehicle fit the description of a vehicle observed in a surveillance video that also showed a jogger believed to be Mollie Tibbetts on her run. When the vehicle was searched, blood was located in the trunk of the vehicle. DNA analysis confirmed that the blood was that of Mollie Tibbetts.”

[...]

Court documents show during the interview with law enforcement, Rivera offered information on the location of Tibbetts’ body before and after he was read his Miranda Rights.

[...]

According to court documents, Rivera was read his Miranda rights in Spanish.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Here is an article from today with an update regarding this case:

Prosecutors: Blood found in trunk of murder suspect's car confirmed as Mollie Tibbetts'

Thanks, Tiger Stripes. Noting from the article:

[...]

"The black Malibu was observed on multiple occasions in the surveillance video in an approximate 25-minute period after officers observed the jogger, believed to be Mollie Tibbetts," court documents read.

The surveillance footage was reviewed on August 15, 2018, and just a day later, a Poweshiek County Sheriff's Deputy spotted the car near the city of Malcom.

"[Deputy Steve Kivi] followed the Malibu but did not execute a vehicle stop. Rather, he waited until the driver stopped voluntarily before approaching him. When Kivi approached the driver, he identified himself and utilized the services of a neighbor to assist in interpreting for him," the Friday filing says. "Kivi asked for and was provided paperwork from the driver that identified the person speaking to him as Cristhian Rivera. Kivi explained to the Defendant that he was working on the Tibbetts investigation and asked him if he knew anything about her disappearance. The Defendant claimed to have no knowledge of Tibbetts's whereabouts."

[...]

Prosecutors continue with an explanation of why Rivera was interviewed in the first place.

"The Defendant was not confronted with specific evidence of guilt during the interview because, at that time, police had little evidence of guilt with which to confront Rivera. The Defendant was questioned because he drove a car that was similar to one seen on the video at the approximate time the jogger believed to be Mollie was observed."

According to the filing, Rivera was allowed to have his cell phone and told where the exits were before he was placed in custody several hours into the interview that began around 5 p.m. on August 20.

[...]

Prosecutors note that following Rivera's arrest, the extensive interview process that spanned over 11 hours did contain a total of 10 breaks. Rivera's attorneys cited the long, overnight hours following a full day of work as reasons to render any information obtained through the interview inadmissible.

A June 25 hearing will be held to address a pending motion to suppress statements from law enforcement.

 

[girlhasnoname]

Thanks, Tiger Stripes. Noting from the article:

[...]

"The black Malibu was observed on multiple occasions in the surveillance video in an approximate 25-minute period after officers observed the jogger, believed to be Mollie Tibbetts," court documents read.

The surveillance footage was reviewed on August 15, 2018, and just a day later, a Poweshiek County Sheriff's Deputy spotted the car near the city of Malcom.

"[Deputy Steve Kivi] followed the Malibu but did not execute a vehicle stop. Rather, he waited until the driver stopped voluntarily before approaching him. When Kivi approached the driver, he identified himself and utilized the services of a neighbor to assist in interpreting for him," the Friday filing says. "Kivi asked for and was provided paperwork from the driver that identified the person speaking to him as Cristhian Rivera. Kivi explained to the Defendant that he was working on the Tibbetts investigation and asked him if he knew anything about her disappearance. The Defendant claimed to have no knowledge of Tibbetts's whereabouts."

[...]

Prosecutors continue with an explanation of why Rivera was interviewed in the first place.

"The Defendant was not confronted with specific evidence of guilt during the interview because, at that time, police had little evidence of guilt with which to confront Rivera. The Defendant was questioned because he drove a car that was similar to one seen on the video at the approximate time the jogger believed to be Mollie was observed."

According to the filing, Rivera was allowed to have his cell phone and told where the exits were before he was placed in custody several hours into the interview that began around 5 p.m. on August 20.

[...]

Prosecutors note that following Rivera's arrest, the extensive interview process that spanned over 11 hours did contain a total of 10 breaks. Rivera's attorneys cited the long, overnight hours following a full day of work as reasons to render any information obtained through the interview inadmissible.

A June 25 hearing will be held to address a pending motion to suppress statements from law enforcement.

This defendant had more breaks during this interview than he would have had doing back breaking labor on the cow farm so let's get real defense.....GRRRRRRR

 

[TL4S]

This defendant had more breaks during this interview than he would have had doing back breaking labor on the cow farm so let's get real defense.....GRRRRRRR

Yeah, he certainly hadn't been too tired to go out and murder someone after a hard days work.

 

[SharonNeedles]

If all of this is legit (and I suspect it is) it more or less erases any argument that CR didn’t understand his rights.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Court documents: Blood found in suspect’s trunk belonged to Mollie Tibbetts
[...]

“On August 20, 2018, officers obtained valid consent to search a black Chevrolet Malibu which was a vehicle that was used by the Rivera. The vehicle fit the description of a vehicle observed in a surveillance video that also showed a jogger believed to be Mollie Tibbetts on her run. When the vehicle was searched, blood was located in the trunk of the vehicle. DNA analysis confirmed that the blood was that of Mollie Tibbetts.”

[...]

Court documents show during the interview with law enforcement, Rivera offered information on the location of Tibbetts’ body before and after he was read his Miranda Rights.

[...]

According to court documents, Rivera was read his Miranda rights in Spanish.

[...]

I had missed the approval & designated change of venue mentioned in this article.

“Rivera is scheduled to go on trial September 3 in Woodbury County after a judge agreed to move the trial due to pretrial publicity.”

I grew up half a freckle away from Woodbury County... He won’t find improved sympathy in western IA! He needs to stop grasping at straws & face the music already.

 

[glamourkitty1922]

I had missed the approval & designated change of venue mentioned in this article.

“Rivera is scheduled to go on trial September 3 in Woodbury County after a judge agreed to move the trial due to pretrial publicity.”

I grew up half a freckle away from Woodbury County... He won’t find improved sympathy in western IA! He needs to stop grasping at straws & face the music already.

If he did it, I hope they throw the book at him. He's a monster. Is there any word on whether it will be televised?