Home Local News JUDGE DENIES RIVERA REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL IN TIBBETTS MURDER CASE

JUDGE DENIES RIVERA REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL IN TIBBETTS MURDER CASE

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THE MAN FOUND GUILTY OF THE 2018 MURDER OF FORMER UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COLLEGE STUDENT MOLLIE TIBBETTS HAS BEEN DENIED A NEW TRIAL.

JUDGE JOEL YATES REJECTED MOTIONS FROM RIVERA’S ATTORNEYS, RULING THAT APART FROM DEFENSE COUNSEL, NO PARTY HAS EVER ASSERTED THAT, ANOTHER MAN MURDERED OR ABDUCTED TIBBETTS.

YATES ALSO STATED THAT THE DEFENDANT’S TRIAL STRATEGY INCLUDED CASTING DOUBT ONTO OTHER INDIVIDUALS SUCH AS TIBBETTS’ FORMER BOYFRIEND AND THAT IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT ADDING ANOTHER POSSIBLE SUSPECT, ONE WITH NO APPARENT TIES BESIDES BEING IN THE SAME COUNTY AS MOLLIE, WOULD HAVE A REASONABLE PROBABILITY OF CHANGING THE RESULT OF TRIAL.

FURTHER, THE INVESTIGATION OF OTHER WOULD NOT EXPLAIN HOW RIVERA LED LAW ENFORCEMENT TO MOLLIE TIBBETTS’ BODY OR HOW HER BLOOD WAS FOUND IN THE
DEFENDANT’S CAR TRUNK.

RIVERA FACES LIFE IN PRISON. HIS SENTENCING IS SET FOR AUGUST 30TH AT 1:30 P.M. AT THE POWESHIEK COUNTY COURTHOUSE, MONTEZUMA, IOWA.