During Cristhian Bahena Rivera’s trial, graphic images depicting Mollie Tibbetts body, clothes, and underwear were presented, as it is alleged that Rivera left her bloodied body in a rural cornfield after stabbing her in the chest, ribs, neck, and skull.
The court was informed that items of clothing were discovered scattered around Tibbetts’ remains, which were found on the outskirts of Brooklyn, Iowa, in 2018.
According to a pool reporter from Court TV, jurors were shown disturbing images, including one where Tibbetts’ remains and hair were visible, causing some to look away in horror.
The previous day, former Officer Pamela Romero testified that Rivera confessed to leaving Tibbetts’ body to decay at the scene.
Today, crime scene investigator Amy Johnson was questioned about the investigation after the jury watched the video of Rivera’s alleged confession, and Romero testified again while Rivera observed the proceedings.
Where was Mollie Tibbetts’ body discovered?
Mollie Tibbetts’ body was discovered in a field near Guernsey, close to the Iowa County line, about 400 feet away from the road.
Her running shoes were visible, and she was covered by bent corn stalks while wearing black socks and a pink sports bra but no Fitbit.
Crime scene investigators also found black shorts, a possible headband, and “striped” underwear about 34 feet away from Tibbetts’ remains.
The jurors were presented with a rough sketch to demonstrate the distance between these items of clothing and Tibbetts’ body.
Amy Johnson, a part-time crime scene technician, stated that she collected samples from stained areas in Cristhian Bahena Rivera’s black Chevy Malibu to conduct presumptive testing for potential blood.
Four areas tested positive for blood, which DNA expert Tara Scott later confirmed.
Johnson added that stained areas on a football and two pieces of a fishing pole were also found to be positive for blood.
Additionally, another suspected bloodstain taken from the trunk seal was collected and processed on August 22, 2018, at the DCI crime lab.
Crime scene investigator Amy Johnson provided further disturbing details on the discovery of Mollie Tibbetts’ body during the third day of Cristhian Bahena Rivera’s trial.
The murder trial
The football and two pieces of the fishing pole were found to have stained areas that were positive presumptive for blood.
Another suspected bloodstain taken from the trunk seal was collected and processed at the DCI crime lab on August 22, 2018.
Johnson also revealed that two long strands of brown hair were allegedly found in Rivera’s trunk.
Scott confirmed that investigators were able to compare samples of Tibbetts’ DNA taken from a water bottle and, later, toenails taken during the 20-year-old’s autopsy.
She said that the bloodstain on the Malibu matched Tibbetts’ DNA profile, with a roughly 8.2 nonillion chance it didn’t match, which Scott acknowledged was “a lot of zeroes.”
The samples found on the football and fishing rod in the trunk were too weak to be conclusive.
During the trial, former Officer Pamela Romero also took the stand and alleged that Rivera had confessed to seeing Tibbetts, whom he described as “attractive” and “hot,” after being shown a still from a neighbor’s video showing his car following her.
Rivera allegedly admitted to flying into a rage and blacking out when he approached Tibbetts jogging, prompting her to scream, slap him, and try to call the cops.
Romero said that Rivera led the police to where Tibbetts’ body was found in the early hours of August 21, 2018.
The defense tried to claim that Rivera was sleep-deprived after hours of interrogation. Still, the judge ruled that Rivera was alert when Romero entered the room and was there voluntarily.
Romero said that Rivera waved his Miranda rights to confess on August 21, 2018, and led them to the cornfield where Tibbetts’ body lay decomposing for weeks.
During the trial, a student journalist was also ousted, and her organization was banned for taking pictures of the jury, which Judge Joel Yates said would not be released.
He seized the news camera and initially threatened the pool photographer with jail.
The court proceedings are underway three years after Tibbetts was brutally attacked and killed while going for her routine jog in Brooklyn, Iowa, on July 18, 2018.
Rivera was identified as a suspect a month later after surveillance video revealed a dark Chevy Malibu appearing to circle Tibbetts as she ran. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole.
