Who Is Cristhian Rivera? New Details About The Man Charged With Murdering Mollie Tibbetts
He was charged with first-degree murder today.
Instagram Who Is Cristhian Rivera? In a press conference on Tuesday, police announced that the man responsible for the disappearance and murder of Mollie Tibbetts is 24-year-old Cristhian Rivera.
Five weeks ago, the 20-year-old Iowa college student was reported missing after going for an evening job around Brooklyn, where she lived with her boyfriend. Early Tuesday morning, police found a body dumped in a farm field in Guernsey, which is about 15 minutes away from Tibbetts' home.
Her father, Rob Tibbetts, confirmed the remains were his daughter, Mollie Tibbetts this morning.
During the press conference, investigators revealed that Rivera is in the U.S. illegally, and has been living in the Iowa area for four to seven years.
He's currently being held at a federal immigration detainer and is charged with first-degree murder. He faces life without the possibility of parole.
Police said security cameras from a neighbor of Tibbetts helped them identify a vehicle they believed belonged to Rivera. The footage also showed Tibbetts running.
Based on the video, they determined he was the last person to see her running on July 18, when she disappeared.
When police interviewed Rivera, he told them he approached Tibbetts during her run and even ran alongside or behind her. At one point, she pulled out her phone and told him to leave her alone or she was going to call the police.
She took off running and he chased her down. He said at some point he blacked out and when he came too, he was at the intersection where Tibbetts body was found.
After police interviewed Rivera, he reportedly let them to the location of Tibbetts' body.
Police have not yet released details about how she died.
Our hearts go out to the Tibbetts family and to the Brooklyn community. It is a loss for all of us,” Poweshiek County Sheriff Tom Kriegel said. “We appreciate the support for law enforcement community in their commitment to this investigation, and we thank the Brooklyn community for their support for the investigation.”
Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTango’s Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or on her website at www.emily-blackwood.com.