No Justice For Mollie! Tibbetts' Accused Killer Wants His Own Confession Thrown Out
Jan. 17 2020, Updated 11:06 p.m. ET
Attorneys for Cristhian Rivera, the man suspected of killing Mollie Tibbetts, are arguing in a pre-trial hearing that his confession should be thrown out because he wasn't immediately read his Miranda rights.
As Fox News has reported, at today's suppression hearings in Poweshiek County, Iowa, a judge heard arguments from both sides on whether the confession from Tibbett’s alleged killer Rivera, 25, will be used in court.
In July 2018, Tibbetts, 20, vanished during a routine jog in her secluded hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa.
After a month-long search by both state and federal authorities, the University of Iowa student was found dead in a cornfield and immigrant Rivera was arrested for the crime. He was charged with first-degree murder. Rivera has pled not guilty.
Tibbetts' autopsy results revealed that she died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”
Now, during the pre-trial hearing in the case, authorities have admitted that Rivera was not properly given his Miranda rights the first time he was read them during more than 11 hours of questioning last summer.
But investigators said Rivera was correctly read his Miranda rights a second time when he led the police to Tibbetts' body.
His lawyers have filed motions to suppress Rivera’s confession, saying it was coerced.
According to the murder in the first degree arrest warrant, police captured Rivera after viewing video footage from an area on the east side of Brooklyn, Iowa on July 18, 2018.
A black Chevrolet Malibu believed to be driven by Rivera was spotted on surveillance circling Tibbetts as she jogged.
Documents showed that when cops asked Rivera if the vehicle was his, Rivera said, "Yes, that's my car."
On Wednesday morning, Poweshiek County Deputy Steve Kivi testified that he couldn't communicate with Rivera due to a language barrier, but someone else was able to translate.
DCI Agent Trent Vileta testified that he was present for Rivera's interview with police.
He said they had a fluent Spanish-speaker from the Iowa City P.D. help conduct the interview to prevent anything from getting "lost in translation."
Kivi testified that Rivera led them to Tibbetts' body in a cornfield on August 21, and she was lying on her back in her pink jogging top and black shorts, her legs spread, and her body partially covered with corn leaves and stalks.
Vileta said in court at the hearing that Rivera admitted to police that he spotted Tibbetts when she was jogging and liked the way she looked.
DCI Special Agent Scott Green testified that Rivera could have left the sheriff's office at any time before his arrest. No police officer sat near Rivera in the lobby, he was allowed to keep his phone, and the doors to the office were not locked, Green claimed.
Tibbetts' mother, Lauren Calderwood, looked on during the Nov. 13 hearing.
In the wake of her death, Tibbetts' grieving father Ron defended the Iowa Hispanic community and has said, "Mollie is nobody's victim. Mollie is my hero."
RadarOnline.com broke the story when suspect Rivera begged taxpayers for $5,000 to help get him off the hook.
Rivera reportedly told police he "got mad" and "blocked his memory."
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He is expected to stand trial in February 2020.
