Man in US illegally charged with murder of Mollie Tibbetts
Police say 24-year-old Cristhian B. Rivera confessed to chasing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts, led authorities to her body; Matt Finn reports from Montezuma, Iowa.
Kids at Corpus Christi Elementary in Oakland, California, were greeted with devastating news Tuesday morning: a former student, Mollie Tibbetts, had been found dead in a field surrounded by corn stalks.
Students were gathered together at an assembly when they heard the news about the soon-to-be University of Iowa sophomore, who had been a student at the school several years ago before moving to Iowa. Her father, Rob, still lives nearby in the San Francisco area.
Principal Katie Murphy described Tibbetts, 20, as a "sweet" and "kind" girl who was friendly with everyone.
"Let’s try to be like Mollie. As we celebrate our first day, let’s celebrate her life and be like her today," Murphy told the crowd, according to The Mercury News.
MOLLIE TIBBETTS, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT FOUND DEAD: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Tibbetts made the move from California to Iowa with her mom and brother more than a decade ago — but to her, Oakland would always be home. Residents in the area held several vigils, hosted fundraisers to raise reward money and reached out to Tibbetts' family throughout the month-long search for clues.
On Tuesday night, investigators revealed an illegal immigrant from Mexico stands accused of killing Tibbetts and dumping her body. The suspect was identified as Cristhian Bathena Rivera, 24.
Kathleen Heafey Boyle, whose son was a classmate of Tibbetts before her cross-country move, asked the public not to turn the 20-year-old girl's story into a political one — like many did with the death of 32-year-old Kate Steinle who was fatally shot by an illegal immigrant while walking along a San Francisco pier with her father in July 2015.
“My reaction is that it’s not about an illegal immigrant,” Boyle told the newspaper. “It’s about the loss of a young woman. I don’t want it to be about that guy. It’s not right.”
MOLLIE TIBBETTS, MISSING IOWA STUDENT, FOUND DEAD, HER FATHER SAYS
Boyle wants to make it clear Tibbetts' disappearance had an impact beyond those who immediately knew her.
“Of course we knew her ... but if you didn’t know her, it’s like everyone had a Mollie, whether it’s a son, a daughter or a friend," she added.
Alyssa King, who has been friends with Tibbetts for years, had a similar attitude — hoping to keep the focus on Tibbetts' life.
“It’s not the ending we all hoped for at all,” she told People on Tuesday. “It’s definitely not going to be easy, not for a long, long time. But we’ve got a pretty sweet angel with us all … and we will continue to spread her love and life to everyone.”
Murphy said she was preparing to send a statement about Tibbetts' tragic death to faculty, students and parents Tuesday.
“It’s just reminding us once again that we’re family,” Murphy told The Mercury News. "While they can’t go to Iowa, they can come here and the doors are open to them.”
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