THE MAN FOUND GUILTY OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS WAS BACK IN POWESHIEK COUNTY DISTRICT COURT TUESDAY.
ATTORNEYS FOR CRISHIAN BAHENA RIVERA WANT A NEW TRIAL FOR THE MAN CONVICTED OF THE STABBING DEATH OF THE 20-YEAR-OLD BROOKLYN IOWA WOMAN IN 2018.
THEY CONTINUE TO SAY THAT OTHER PEOPLE ABDUCTED AND KILLED TIBBETTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO USE THE YOUNG WOMAN FOR SEX TRAFFICKING.
ARNE MAKI, A 46-YEAR-OLD PRISON INMATE, TOOK THE STAND TO TESTIFY ABOUT HOW ANOTHER INMATE NAMED GAVIN JONES TOLD HIM THAT HE KILLED TIBBETTS,WHO WAS BOUND AND GAGGED AT THE TRAP HOUSE:
MAKI1 OC……AND SET HIM UP. :24
PROSECUTOR SCOTT BROWN TOLD MAKI THAT GAVIN JONES WAS ONLY 17 AND IN CUSTODY IN 2017 AND 18 NEAR THE TIME OF TIBBETTS MURDER IN JULY OF 2018.:
MAKI2 OC……….NONE OF THAT. :26
THERE WAS ALSO TESTIMONY TRYING TO TIE THE CASE TO THE RECENT DISAPPEARANCE OF XAVIOR HARRELSON IN POWESHIEK COUNTY.
BROWN COUNTERED BY STATING THERE IS ZERO EVIDENCE TO CONNECT THESE OTHER PEOPLE TO THE CASE.
JUDGE JOEL YATES ADJOURNED THE HEARING SAYING HE WOULD SOON ISSUE A WRITTEN RULING ON THE VARIOUS MOTIONS BY RIVERA’S DEFENSE TEAM ASKING FOR A NEW TRIAL.
