Judge delays sentencing after twists in Mollie Tibbetts case [View all]

[sarisataka]

Judge delays sentencing after twists in Mollie Tibbetts case

A judge on Wednesday delayed sentencing for the man convicted of killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts after defense lawyers said they needed time to investigate new information pointing to other potential suspects.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 27, was scheduled to be sentenced to life in prison without parole Thursday before his lawyers revealed newly obtained information that they say calls his guilt into question.

Judge Joel Yates ruled Wednesday the sentencing would be delayed until after he holds hearings on the defense's requests to compel prosecutors to release information about other suspects and to order a new trial. Yates said he would hold the first hearing Thursday at the Poweshiek County Courthouse in Montezuma and set a later date for the hearing on a new trial.

Prosecutors remain confident in Bahena Rivera’s guilt and were expected to respond in court filings later Wednesday, state attorney general’s office spokesman Lynn Hicks said.

https://kstp.com/national/judge-delays-sentencing-after-twists-in-mollie-tibbetts-case-iowa-student/6171350/?cat=12678

A man found guilty of first-degree murder of a college student was scheduled to be sentenced. Her blood was found in his trunk and led police to her body in a corn field.

During the trial he claimed two men forced him to hide her body. Recently two witnesses have separately come forward each telling of one of two different men who claimed to have killed Mollie Tibbetts and framed a third person for the murder.