Suspect Held in Mollie Tibbetts Case Has Federal Immigration Detainer

By RJ Johnson - @rickerthewriter

August 21, 2018

More than one month after Mollie Tibbetts went missing, her body has been found and a suspect has been taken into custody, authorities said at a press conference held Tuesday afternoon. 

According to DCI Special Agent in Charge, Rick Rahn, authorities filed a first-degree murder charge against Christian Bahenia Rivera, 24. Rivera is subject to a federal immigration detainer which typically indicates the person is currently in the United States illegally.

Officials say Tibbetts' body was found in a cornfield in rural Poweshiek County, with corn stalks placed over her body, making it difficult for search crews to find her, authorities said.

Investigators say they got a break in the case when they found security video during a neighborhood canvas which allowed them to identify the suspect's vehicle. From there, police were able to track the suspect's pattern and the routes he took. Police say the suspect was the last person to see Tibbetts running while she was jogging. 

The intensive search for the 20-year-old University of Iowa student began after she was first reported missing in mid-July after she failed to respond to messages from her boyfriend and did not show up for work. Authorities say she was dog-sitting at the home of her boyfriend's brother when she went for a jog around her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa around 7:30 p.m., July 18. 

A reward fund meant for information leading to Tibbetts' safe return reached more than $400,000. The reward money will go toward information leading to the capture of any suspects. 

Mollie Tibbetts' father, Rob, returned home to California over the weekend after visiting Iowa to help search for his daughter. He had expressed hope on Saturday that authorities might still find her. 

"We'll still find Mollie and bring her home, and I still feel that way. We all still feel that way," he said on Saturday. "That's why it's difficult for me to leave, knowing that there's a good chance we're going to bring her home, and I want to be there when she arrives."

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