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

[JudgeJoe]

Prosecution:
“So Mollie Tibbetts blood was inside the trunk.”

Defense expert microbio witness:
“Apparently so.”

No further questions…

 

[usnuzuloose]

Yeah, the only 'reasonable doubt' the defense is going to leave the jury with is how many other injured women did he throw into his trunk?

No way to know what the previous owner put in the trunk.

 

[californiagem]

No way to know what the previous owner put in the trunk.

Or the current owner.

 

[JudgeJoe]

No way to know what the previous owner put in the trunk.

Good point! Defense should have thought of that- the prior owner of the Malibu put MT in that trunk eons ago!

 

[PrairieWind]

Prosecution on cross: “Would that mean that another female had been in the trunk?”

That is a problem for the Defense. Now the jury may indeed be wondering if another woman had been put in that truck at some time.

 

[Al Hoffman]

No way to know what the previous owner put in the trunk.

Or how many other bodies, aside from his child's DNA..M

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 25, 2021
Defense makes opening statements in Cristhian Bahena Rivera trial (kcci.com)
[...]

Freese stated that the trial is about Tibbetts and Bahena Rivera and that the jury should consider justice for both parties.

“…Your heart should break for Mollie Tibbetts,” she said. “Your heart should break for her family. Mollie Tibbetts deserves justice. Her family deserves justice, but so does Cristhian Bahena Rivera.”

Freese said the defense will call on witnesses in addition to relying on the “failure of the state to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

She stated that the jury will learn more about the circumstances surrounding Bahena Rivera’s immigration from Mexico and his work ethic.

Freese also claimed in her opening statement that the idea of “blacking out” during Tibbetts’ death may have been put in Bahena Rivera’s head.

[...]

 

[Al Hoffman]

Sick and disturbing thought!

Yes, how man others?

 

[Al Hoffman]

Me too

Left your DNA...M

 

[justtrish]

Prosecution:
“So Mollie Tibbetts blood was inside the trunk.”

Defense expert microbio witness:
“Apparently so.”

No further questions…

Apparently so is not so professional wording IMO. How about Yes, it was.

 

[Bravo]

Morning all. Thanks for all the tweets and thoughts. Caught up now.

 

[Seattle1]

Say what? I don't think I've heard that! He stalked teens after?

‘Something about him was off’: Other women say Mollie Tibbetts' suspected murderer messaged them repeatedly on social media over the years

After Bahena Rivera was arrested, two of Bestell's friends told her that he had also messaged them and Bestell said she wondered "how many other girls he probably was trying to talk to."

New Details About Cristhian Rivera's Unsettling History — Including How He Followed Another Teen Girl In His Car Before Killing Mollie Tibbetts

And it seems like this isn't the first time Rivera has approached a woman in his car. Bailey Gibson, 18, said he once "creeped out" her younger, 17-year-old sister.

Gibson, who is also a resident of Brooklyn Iowa, said that at first, her sister thought Rivera was nice.

"I know Cristhian from my sister. She thought he was a nice, well-spoken person. They hung out a few times but nothing really happened romantically," Gibson said.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

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.

I’m starting late today and trying to catch up.
Just how does this work?
LE convinces the innocent CBR he blacked out....and then he leads LE to her body. Don’t see that working.

 

[JudgeJoe]

CB’s aunt, by marriage, is on the stand with an interpreter. Can’t imagine how she could help!

 

[PommyMommy]

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
Alejandra Cervantes is the defense's next witness.
@KCCINews #bahenariveratrial
10:01 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
*Cervantes Valle
10:02 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Defense calls Alejandra Cervantes. Is married to CBR's uncle. Cervantes is speaking through a Spanish interpreter.
10:02 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Gothner KCCI on Twitter
She is an aunt-by-marriage.@KCCINews #bahenariveratrial
10:02 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[justtrish]

‘Something about him was off’: Other women say Mollie Tibbetts' suspected murderer messaged them repeatedly on social media over the years

After Bahena Rivera was arrested, two of Bestell's friends told her that he had also messaged them and Bestell said she wondered "how many other girls he probably was trying to talk to."

New Details About Cristhian Rivera's Unsettling History — Including How He Followed Another Teen Girl In His Car Before Killing Mollie Tibbetts

And it seems like this isn't the first time Rivera has approached a woman in his car. Bailey Gibson, 18, said he once "creeped out" her younger, 17-year-old sister.

Gibson, who is also a resident of Brooklyn Iowa, said that at first, her sister thought Rivera was nice.

"I know Cristhian from my sister. She thought he was a nice, well-spoken person. They hung out a few times but nothing really happened romantically," Gibson said.

I never heard these things! Wow! I see these were things that happened before he killed Mollie, but they came out after he killed her! Still unsettling and disturbing. Thanks for the links!

 

[StarryStarryNight]

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

Fair is fair.

JMO

Defense might have “opened the door” there. How can the prosecution refute that without talking about or showing the suppressed part of the confession.

 

[PommyMommy]

Shannon Moudy on Twitter
Has been a family spokesperson w/defense team as she speaks some English.
10:02 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Came to U.S. from Mexico after her father got a visa for the family.
10:03 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

That was in 2003 when she was 17. They moved to Marshalltown.
10:04 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

Says CBR did not come to U.S. by "lawful means" but she can't really say how he came. Says she doesn't have that type of experience, but knows he walked across the border, crossed w/the help of a coyote.
10:07 AM · May 25, 2021·Twitter Web App

 

[geevee]

Hmmm...the defense wants the jury to 'put aside' CBR being here illegally, but they're going to put on witnesses to attest to that fact?

 

[dixiegirl1035]

I think he's right handed. He used his right hand to take a sip of his water at the beginning of day 3 of the trial.

I will discount such, as if a cup is on one side, (and normally such is placed on such side). I'm left handed, but would not pick up a cup on the right side cross body. MOO. Also, we have discussed in many many cases here, that if someone writes with their (e.g.) left hand.. they do everything else with their right.

e.g. I am "left writing, left eating with a fork" EVERYTHING else is right handed. Shooting, archery, bowling, batting, skiing, etc.