Verdict: The State of Iowa vs Cristhian Bahena Rivera | The Murder of Mollie Tibbetts

Defense closing statement, prosecution rebuttal closing, and verdict.

Before we begin, I want to take a moment to reflect on the life of Mollie Tibbetts, a young woman whose light touched everyone she met. Mollie Cecelia Tibbetts was born on May 8, 1998, in San Francisco, California, and raised in both San Francisco and Brooklyn, Iowa. She graduated from BGM High School in 2017 and was pursuing a degree in psychology at the University of Iowa, driven by her dream of becoming a child psychologist to help children struggling with mental health issues.

Mollie loved life, and it showed in everything she did. She excelled in writing and speech, sharing her thoughts on complex topics like mental health and self-esteem. She made friends everywhere she went, and children adored her. She worked at a summer camp where her laughter and warmth left a lasting impression. She was a runner, a dancer, an actor, and a singer. But above all, Mollie was a young woman filled with kindness, ambition, and an undeniable joy for life.

In July 2018, Mollie disappeared while on an evening jog near her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, sparking a massive search effort that united the community and drew nationwide attention. Sadly, her body was discovered weeks later.

This episode covers the court trial in full, edited for length and clarity.

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Music:

im Kulig (timkulig.com)

Titles: Crimeatorium Intro

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0997280/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Thank you for listening!

Public Episode Page
1 hr, 29 min, 18 sec
Published on January 14, 2025 at 10:10 am MST
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