(Scott County, IA) -- A Scott County jury has found Christhian Behana Rivera guilty in the death of University of Iowa student Molly Tibbetts.
Rivera was charged with killing the 20-year-old in July 2018 and hiding her body in a cornfield. Tibbetts went missing while jogging near her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. Her disappearance prompted a monthlong manhunt that drew national attention.
Closing arguments wrapped up yesterday in Scott County court.
Sentencing will be in July. A First Degree Murder conviction in Iowa carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Bahena Rivera was in the country illegally, and had been working at a farm in 2018.
The verdict came after a two week trial in Scott County.
“This was the verdict that the evidence demanded,” said one of the prosecutors, Poweshiek County Attorney Bart Klaver. He said the verdict was an emotional moment for the family of Tibbetts, calling the outcome a “weight off of everyone’s shoulders.” Several of Tibbetts' relatives, including her mother, watched the proceedings in a conference room across from the courtroom. The public was not allowed in the courtroom, due to COVID-19 protocols.
Bahena Rivera’s defense attorneys, Chad and Jennifer Frese, said they were disappointed in the verdict and would appeal.