Cristhian Rivera (Court TV screen capture)
The defense will begin presenting its arguments in the Mollie Tibbetts murder trial today after the prosecution rested Monday on the fourth day of the trial.
Cristhian Rivera is accused of confronting Tibbetts as she ran in her hometown of Brooklyn, then killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield in July of 2018.
In a common procedural move, defense attorney, Jennifer Frese asked the judge to throw out the case. She said there was little evidence to link Rivera to the crime beyond a forced confession.
“I think the state’s evidence is primarily the evidence elicited from the 11-hour interrogation of the defendant — and therefore the motion on behalf of the defense should be granted,” Frese said.
Prosecutor, Scott Brown, says everything they presented shows Rivera is the killer. “It’s our position that the evidence here is overwhelming concerning the guilt of the defendant on a first-degree murder charge,” Brown said. Judge Joel Yates agreed with Brown on the prosecution evidence presented.
“And we will proceed, and the defense’s motion for acquittal is hereby denied,” Yates said. Yates says the trial will resume in the Davenport courtroom at 8:30 a.m. today.