Jury gets case after hearing contrasting claims of how Mollie Tibbetts was killed wbal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wbal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Testifying in court Wednesday, Cristhian Bahena Rivera denied killing Mollie Tibbetts, instead blaming two masked and armed men for her disappearance and death. He claimed they forced him at gunpoint to participate, and then threatened his family, which he says prevented him from alerting law enforcement.
Mollie Tibbetts case: Closing arguments underway in Cristhian Bahena Rivera murder trial
By Kelly Hayes
DAVENPORT, Iowa - Closing arguments were underway Thursday in the murder trial for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who is charged in the 2018 stabbing death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts.
The defense rested its case Wednesday after 26-year-old Bahena Rivera took the stand and gave a far different narrative than presented by the prosecution. In a surprise development, Bahena Rivera reversed his confession to killing the University of Iowa student and blamed the murder on two armed, masked men during his testimony.
But Prosecutor Scott Brown said in his closing argument that the testimony revealed overwhelming evidence that Bahena Rivera is guilty of murder.
Man accused of killing Mollie Tibbetts says armed men forced his involvement Share Updated: 8:47 AM CDT May 27, 2021 Chris Gothner Share Updated: 8:47 AM CDT May 27, 2021
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Show Transcript WILL GO ON AS SCHEDULED, ALONG WITH THE ICE CREAM SOCIAL SATURDAY AFTERNOON. RFO THE FIRST TIME TONIGHT, WE ARE HEARING FROM THE MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING MOLLIE TIBBET.TS CRISTHIAN BAHENA RIVERA TOOK THE STAND TODAY AND TOLD THE JURY TWO ARMED, MASKED MEN FORCED HIM TO FOLLOW THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT BACK IN 2018. KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S JOSE ZOZAYA IS LIVE WITH THE TESTIMONY. JOSE? JOSE: YEAH, ALEXANDRA,AHAEN B RIVERA TESTIFIED THE TWO MEN HELD HIM AT GUN AND KNIFE POINT, THREATENING TO HURT HIS DAUGERHT AND THE CHILD’S MOTHER IF HE DIDN’T DO AS HE CLAIMS THEY SAID. AT ONE POINT, AS HE DROVE ON JULY 18, 2018, CRISTHIAN BAHENA RIVERA SAYS THE MAN SITTINING THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT GOT OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE RD.OA HE THEN CAME BA