Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #49

[Alethea]

It seems unethical, to say the least. Especially if they came up with the idea themselves.

I would like an attorney's point of view as well. Is it unheard of for a defense attorney to make up a ridiculous story such as this?

Parts of the defense where they were insinuating someone else could have done it, like interrogating DJ, UF, the girl who reported her father - pretty normal.

But putting your really unsympathetic twitchy client on the stand to invent a really unbelievable story - incredibly rare.

You are not supposed to participate or facilitate perjury or fraud on the Court. But if your client from day one tells you their version and you have no reason to believe it is made up, you are not doing anything unethical by allowing your client to testify. It’s their right and you aren’t responsible. But helping them come up with something or participating in a narrative is questionable.

I told my partner about this and he was shocked too. He said I should let our firm take hard cases now and let him come up with good alien defenses. Everyone agreed they thought this was a bad idea.

 

[Seattle1]

WTH did he mean by this? What movement?!

MAY 26, 2021
Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial Day 6 (kcci.com)
[..]

Bahena Rivera got out and inspected the trunk where he found Tibbetts' body. He said there was a little movement but no signs of life.

He testified the body was fully clothed in sports clothing. He carried her into the cornfield and covered her body with corn stocks because he didn’t want to expose her to the sun.

[...]

Since CBR's testimony was blatantly being led by his attorney, I think it was lost in translation that he'd heard motion/movement in the trunk (aware of something back there).

Ms. Frese definitely wanted CBR to imply Mollie was dead as a doornail by the time CBR was alone with Mollie, and the two banditos swallowed by the green, fertile, earth of Iowa!

 

[justtrish]

I know. I was very disturbed by this but then realized he was just making up stuff as he went along...at least I hope so.

Right after that she asked him did he have any reason to believe she could be saved or something like that. I think she didn't expect him to say she had movement in that previous statement.

Odd he doesn't mention hearing any screaming. Surly someone being stabbed to death on the side of the road would be loud. He doesn't mention hearing anything except them putting something heavy in the trunk.

 

[PommyMommy]

He never elaborated but I wish the prosecutor had asked him about it. Did she move her hand? Her leg? How did he know she wasn't alive? I really wanted him to ask specific details to get CBR to say something stupid or contradict himself.

It's bothering me. Because in his confession, he said when he carried her to the cornfield, she felt like “a person who had just fainted.” MOO

 

[Alethea]

It seems unethical, to say the least. Especially if they came up with the idea themselves.

I would like an attorney's point of view as well. Is it unheard of for a defense attorney to make up a ridiculous story such as this?

I’ll also say: I wouldn’t do it! The first thing I do when I get a case is look at the actual evidence we have to see if it corroborates my client’s story and if it doesn’t, we have a serious and difficult conversation. Sometimes my client is actually right and we can prove it. But if not I never think “what can I make up next?” Not all facts are good facts and it’s your duty to do your job as well as you can with those facts.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Curious as to what the jury makeup is. Anybody have that info?

 

[Svemirka]

Is there a Spanish speaker in here? Mine isn't the best and I can't make out the last word CBR is saying. When CBR is asked by prosecution about MT bleeding, go to 3:07:32 in this video

CBR: Yo no vi la sangre n.....(I can't make out the last word but the first part literally translates to "I didn't see the blood"

Interpreter: "Ah, there was no more, there was no longer any blood on her"

This is why I wonder what the last word is because I didn't see blood and there was no longer blood are quite different. Saying there was no longer blood implies there was at some point.


Also, interesting that he didn't know how to get home from this cornfield and needed his phone to guide him back but he had no problem going back to the exact spot.

 

[TTF14]

Her poor body could have twitched, as an example, even after death. Or she still had some brain activity as she was dying that caused some movement to a limb, eyes, fingers... IMO

Well, it doesn't even matter because if they had stabbed her on the side of the road, then put her, even slightly alive, in the trunk, there would be more blood than there was. She was alive when in that trunk, and was killed IN the cornfield. The defense even pointed out what a weakling he must have been at 125 pounds, so it's highly unlikely he carried her into the field, dead or alive. He forced her into the cornfield, on foot, at knifepoint.

 

[PrairieWind]

It seems unethical, to say the least. Especially if they came up with the idea themselves.

I would like an attorney's point of view as well. Is it unheard of for a defense attorney to make up a ridiculous story such as this?

It would actually be illegal for an attorney to suborn perjury, to knowingly allow a client to commit perjury on the stand under oath. As well as a slew of violations of the rules of professional responsibility. We don't know what CB told his attorneys. That is all privileged and confidential. So maybe this is what he told them from the start. But, that CB never mentioned ANY of this before to LE just reeks of lies. Will anything come of it? No. That is not the way the system works.

 

[Copper]

Curious as to what the jury makeup is. Anybody have that info?

Found Deceased - IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #49

 

[AnnInOhio]

His story looks even more ridiculous in writing.

The amazing thing is that he just sat there nonchalantly answering the questions with the same emotionless expression he's had the entire time.

Just like he went to work the next day as if nothing ever happened.

Did he ever go on his date that night? Who looks at the body of an innocent murder victim, let alone physically touches them, with no emotion?

 

[PommyMommy]

If he said this (BBM) to investigators, it seems like we would have heard it before. No? MOO

MAY 26, 2021
Rivera trial: Cristhian Bahena Rivera’s testimony suggests other individuals involved in Mollie Tibbetts’ death - The Daily Iowan
“Like you said, I may have been in a safe place, but I didn’t know where my daughter was,” Bahena Rivera said. “… I told them I wasn’t going to say anything until I knew my daughter was safe.”

 

[Warwick7]

I feel for that woman and I would have also called the tip line to suggest he be investigated. However, putting her on to testify seems to me to be more about giving her an opportunity to trash her dad on a national stage than anything to do with this case, and the defense team should own that.

I know I am behind again. But... I think she was brought on to show It was probably that molested MT after Rivera put her in the cornfield. The defence is very underhanded. I can see them attempting this line of reasoning.

 

[MsBetsy]

Her poor body could have twitched, as an example, even after death. Or she still had some brain activity as she was dying that caused some movement to a limb, eyes, fingers... IMO

Or maybe it means she was alive when he removed her from the trunk. There are usually bits of truth within the lie. He also said she was still wearing her shorts and her top was in place. So it wasn't the ninjas who removed her shorts and underwear and assaulted her.

 

[AnnInOhio]

It would actually be illegal for an attorney to suborn perjury, to knowingly allow a client to commit perjury on the stand under oath. As well as a slew of violations of the rules of professional responsibility. We don't know what CB told his attorneys. That is all privileged and confidential. So maybe this is what he told them from the start. But, that CB never mentioned ANY of this before to LE just reeks of lies. Will anything come of it? No. That is not the way the system works.

Case in point, Jose Baez is still practicing law.

 

[MntnHiker]

So these "masked murderers" just decided to walk miles and miles back to town in sweaters and long pants in July rather than have you drive them back? They weren't too concerned about being in the car with you on the drive out there. And they were kind enough to leave you your phone and car keys. Not to mention, they could have left you in the cornfield and stolen your car to get back to town and then dumped your car somewhere.

I mean this story is obviously a lie but it isn't even a good or logical one.

 

[PommyMommy]

For anyone who needs to get caught up, jury selection began on May 17 and all of the articles, videos, and tweets since then have been posted in the media thread. So far, just 6 pages to read through.

MEDIA, MAPS & TIMELINES - NO DISCUSSION - Mollie Tibbetts,20, Poweshiek County | Page 26 (websleuths.com)

 

[Warwick7]

There is no way CB came up with that story on his own. He would have said it before. He needed the help of the defense team to come up with a story like that. I have to say, as a defense attorney, this is just ...... well, not sure what to say.

Exactly!!

 

[Seattle1]

Curious as to what the jury makeup is. Anybody have that info?

The selected jurors include eight women and seven men, of which most are white.

During jury selection, attorneys asked a pool of more than 180 people about an array of topics, including their opinions on Tibbetts' case, police and immigration.

When asked about Bahena Rivera’s immigration status, no prospective jurors indicated that they would hold the fact that he was in the country illegally against him.

West Des Moines attorneys Trever Hook, who is not involved in the case, said the prospective jurors’ responses did not surprise him.

“It's hard when you're talking race, you're talking major biases, it's hard to say ‘Yes,’ in front of a group that they don't (…) they're strangers to each other, let alone in a courtroom, Right?” Hook said. “So, it doesn't surprise me.”

Attorney Bill Kutmus, who also practices in West Des Moines, said questions regarding the prospective jurors’ opinions on immigration should have been asked differently.

“It should have been done individually because immigration is in the forefront of everybody's mind today,” Kutmus said.

Potential jurors who indicated they had already formed an opinion on the case were questioned privately, though doing so was not necessarily grounds for removal.

Jury seated in Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial

 

[PommyMommy]

So these "masked murderers" just decided to walk miles and miles back to town in sweaters and long pants in July rather than have you drive them back? They weren't too concerned about being in the car with you on the drive out there. And they were kind enough to leave you your phone and car keys. Not to mention, they could have left you in the cornfield and stolen your car to get back to town and then dumped your car somewhere.

I mean this story is obviously a lie but it isn't even a good or logical one.

It's a steaming pile of horse manure, IMO.