Updated: 8:24 AM CDT May 28, 2021
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RIGHT NOW. STACEY: GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. THE TRIAL OF CRIHISTAN BAHENA RIVERA IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF 12 JURORS. STEVE: BOTH THE PROSECUTION AND THE DEFENSE MADE THEIR CLOSING ARGUMENTS TODAY IN THE TRIAL OF THE MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING 20-YEAR-OLD MOLLIE TIBBETTS. WE HAVE TEAM 8 COVERAGE TONIGHT. KCCI’S ANDREW MOLLENBACK ISN I BROOKLYN WHERE PEOPLE IN TIBBETT’S HOMETOWN HAVE BEEN CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE TRIAL SINCDAE Y ONE. STACEY: BUT WE BEGIN WITH KCCI’S CHRIS GOTHNER. HE’S LIVE IN DAVENPORT WITH THE CLOSING ARGUMENTS BEFOREHE T CASE WENT TO THE JURY. CHRIS: THE CREDIT -- THE CASE DID GO TO THE JYUR ABOUT 1:30 AFTER LENGTHY, AND POWERFUL CLOSING ARGUMENTS. >> SHE WAS ATTACKED BRUTALLYY B HIM. SHE WAS STABBED REPEATEDLBYY HIM. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THAT WAS LIKE FOR H? ER CHRIS: THAT’S THE IMPRESSION ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL SCOTT BROWN TRIED TO LEAVE JURORS WITH IN THE CRISTHIAN BAHENA RIVERA TRIAL THURSDAY. IN CLOSING ARGUMENTS, BROWN ARGUED THAT THE STATE PROVEDTS I CASE IN THE MURDER OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS, WITH DNA EVIDENC AE, CONFESSION LEADING POLICE TO HER BODY. AND, WHAT PROSECUTORS SAY BROKE THIS CASE OPEN, VIDEO, OF BAHENA RIVERA’S CAR DRIVING BY A JOGGING TIBBETTS. TELLING 12 JURORS THERE’S NOTHING THERE, TO CREATE REASONABLE DOUBT IN THEIR NDMIS. >> THE VIDEO, E THEVIDEN, ECE CONFESSI.ON THEY TL ELTHE STORY. CHRIS: AND BROWN SAYS THAT INCLUDES BAHENA RIVERA’S STORY, THAT TWO MASKED MEN ACTUALLY MURDERED MOLE.LI >> IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. >> MOLLIE TIBBETTS DESERVES JUSTICE, BUT SO DOES CRISTHIAN BAHENA. CHRIS: DEFENSE ATTORNEY ADCH FRESE TOLD JURORS THE PROSECUTION IS MISSING SEVERAL KEY ELEMEN.TS NO WEAPON, NO PRIMARY CRIME ENSCE, NO EYEWITNESSES, NO LOGICAL MOTIVE. >> THIS MAN, 5’7", 125 POUNDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IS ANGRY AT MOLLIE TIBBETTS ANRED SORTS TO KILLING HER, STABBING HER 9 TIMES? IF YOU BELIEVE THAT STORY. CHRIS AS FRESE TOLD JURORS TO : LEAVE EMOTION OUT, HE ONCE AGAIN POINTED AT OTHER POSSIBLE SUSPECTS, INCLUDING TIBBETTS BOYFRIEND. TRYING TO CREATE ENOUGH DOUBT TO ARRIVE AT ONE CONCLUSION. >> THE ONLY VERDICT THAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH UNDER THESEAC FTS, WHAT YOU HEARD RHTIG THERE, IS NOT GUIY.LT CHRIS: THE TRIAL DID WRAP UP SOMEWHAT SOONER THAN EXPECTED. THE TRIAL WAS PROJECTED TO GO INTO NEXT WEEK. BUT WHAT IS UNCLEAR IS HOW CSELO JURORS ARE TO AVERT IT, BUT WE DO KNOW WE WILL BE BACK HEER AT 8:30 A.M. LIVE IN DAVENPORT, CHRIS GOTHNER, KCCI 8 NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. STACEY: THE TO OWNF BROOKLYN WHERE MOLLIE TIBBETTS WAS FROM HAS BEEN FOLLOWING EVERY MOMENT STEVE: KCCI’S ANDREW MOLLENBKEC IS LIVE IN BROOKLYN TONIGHT WHERE PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR A VERDICT. ANDREW: THIS TOWN HAS ABOUT 1500 PEOPLE. MANY SAY IT FEELS LIKE ONE BIG FAMILY. AND FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS, THAT FAMILY HAS BEEN HURTING. TEAL RIBBONS LINED THE STREETS FOR THIS COMMUNITY KNOWN FOR BEING TE COMMUNITY OF FLAGS. ON THE SIDEWALKS AND IN SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS, THE TALK IS INVARIABLY ABOUT THE TRIAL OF CHRISTHIAN BAHENA RIVERAND A SHARING EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE VERDIC >> I DON’T KNOW HOW THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS GOT DELAYED FOR THREE YEARS. ANDREW: IN THIS SMALL COMMUNITY, THE LOSS OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS FEELS LIKE A SHARED BURDEN. RICHARD AKERY WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BROOKLYN. HE’S BEEN FOLLOWING THE TRIAL EVERDAY Y. >> WE KNEW THE GRANDPARENTS. WE KNEW CHARLIE AND JUDY CALDERWOOD. WE KNEW THEM REAL WELL. WE ACTUALLY DNDI’T KNOW MOLLIE OR HER PARENTS. BU HER PARENTS. T IT’S STILL SAME THING AS HOME YOU KW NOBECAUSE THAT WAS A GRANDCHILD. ANDREW THEOS MT RECENT : CONVERSATIONS CONCERN THE BIG DEVELOPMENT WEDNESDAY WHEN BAHENA RIVERA TOOK THE STANDND A TESTIFIED THAT TWO MASKED NME WERE THE REAL KILLERS AND THAT HE WAS THE FALL GUY. THAT TESTIMONY DID NOT SIT WILL WITH PEOPLE LIKE JOYCE SHAULL. >> WHEN HE BROUGHT UP THAT NEW EVIDENCE WHICH WE’D NEVER HEARD ABOUT THE TWO MEN BEING IN THE CAR WITH HIM WAS REALLY MADE US REALLY MAD BECAUSE WE THOUTGH THAT IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAD HAPPENED, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD ON DAY ONE THREE YEARS AGO. ANDREW: CONNIE AKERY SAYS THE TRIAL SEEMS SO FAR REMOVED FROM THE MURDER AND SHE’S READY FOR A VERDICT. >> JUST SADNESS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. I MEAN, THEY’VE GONE THROUGH A T.LO SO, HOPEFULLY THEY GET JTICE.US ANDREW: WHILE JUSTICE FOR MOLLIE TIBBETTS IS THE FIRST HOPE IN THIS COMMUNITY THE SECOND IS FOR THIS TRIAL, AND THE NEARLY-THREE YEARS THAT LED UP TO IT, TO FINALLY COME TO AN END. IN BROOKLYN, ANDREW MOLLENBECK, KCCI 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEAR.DE STEVE: YOU CAN COUNT ON KCCI TO BRING YOU LIVE COVERAGE WHEN THE BAHENA RIVERA VERDICT IS ANNOUNCED. WE WILL CUT INTO REGULAR PROGRAMMING ANAID R THE VERDTIC IMMEDIATELY LIVE HERE ON KCCI. YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THE VERDICT AT KCCI. COM ON THE KCCI MOBILE APP AND OONUR FACEBOOK TWITTER AND YOUTUBE