XPost: alt.fan.states.iowa, alt.politics.immigration, alt.journalism.newspapers XPost: sac.politics

IOWA (KTIV) -- It's been two years since the body of 20-year-old
University of Iowa student, Mollie Tibbetts was found in a
cornfield in a rural area outside of Brooklyn Iowa.

The University of Iowa student was last seen jogging on July 18,
2018. She had been staying at a nearby home dog sitting for a
friend of her boyfriend when she disappeared. Her boyfriend
reported he was last in touch with her via Snapchat that night.

For over a month, communities across the nation put her face on
posters and t-shirts in an effort to find her. Local and federal
Investigators followed hundreds of tips from across the state
and nation to find Mollie.

A reward for her safe return grew to over $400,000.

Eventually, the investigation led to 24-year-old Cristian Bahena
Rivera, a Mexican national in the country illegally.

Surveillance video showed Rivera was following Tibbetts the
night of her disappearance. Rivera told authorities he
approached Tibbetts during her jog, on a rural part of 385th
Street in Brooklyn.

When Tibbets threatened to call the police, Rivera says he
"blacked out."

Rivera eventually led authorities to a rural stretch of 460th
Avenue in Brooklyn where Mollie's body was found. Authorities
say it was an area they had searched several times during their
investigation.

Autopsy results showed Tibbetts died from multiple injuries
resulting in sharp force.

On Aug. 21, 2018, Rivera was charged with first-degree murder in
her death.

The trial was set to take place in Poweshiek County. But that
would change as attornies felt they wouldn't be able to get a
fair and partial jury in the county.

The trial was then moved to Sioux City in March of last year,
with it scheduled to begin in September of 2019. After several
delays, the trial was set to begin in September of 2020.

But COVID-19 played a role in another delay and eventually moved
the trial out of Woodbury County. Court documents filed in July
claimed with the number of cases in Woodbury County and the
hurdles both sides would face with COVID-19 restrictions, that
moving the trial would be beneficial.

The trial is now scheduled to begin on Jan. 25, 2021 in Scott
County.

https://ktiv.com/2020/08/21/its-been-two-years-since-mollie- tibbetts-body-was-found-in-a-cornfield/
 

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)