rodney white , rodwhite@dmreg.com cristhian bahena rivera , 24 , is lead from the courtroom after making his initial appearance on a charge of first - degree murder during at the poweshiek county courthouse in montezuma , iowa , on wednesday , aug. 22 , 2018 .
tibbetts would have done , and to some , the monstrous face of a lax immigration system .
( ap photo charlie neibergall ) ( associated press ) brooklyn , iowa ( ap ) — for years , the young man from mexico presented himself as a legal u.s. resident and reliable worker at a family dairy farm in small town iowa , his employer said .
iowa city press - citizen jake tibbetts , the brother of mollie tibbetts , speaks during a vigil for mollie tibbetts on wednesday , aug. 22 , 2018 , in hubbard park on the university of iowa campus in iowa city .
rivera is charged with first - degree murder in the ... ( associated press ) cristhian bahena rivera is escorted into the poweshiek county courthouse for his initial court appearance , wednesday , aug. 22 , 2018 , in montezuma , iowa .
close jake tibbetts , brother of mollie tibbetts , encouraged students to meet a new person while they attended the vigil for his sister .
rivera is accused of killing university of iowa student mollie tibbetts unfold on tuesday , a familiar face flashed on the screen .
cristhian bahena rivera , the 24 - year - old immigrant accused of abducting and killing tibbetts , cristhian bahena rivera is escorted into the poweshiek county courthouse for his initial court appearance , wednesday , aug. 22 , 2018 , in montezuma , iowa .