With the tragic news reports that the body of Mollie Tibbetts has been found – and that the missing college student is dead – many are wondering where Mollie’s body was located.
Authorities have confirmed that they found a body in a rural area of Poweshiek County, Iowa, in a cornfield. They also released the name of the suspect under arrest in the case: Cristhian Rivera, who they said was not in the country legally.
“We have confirmed with Homeland Security that…he is an illegal alien,” authorities said during a news conference of the suspect, Cristhian Rivera, 24, who resides in rural Poweshiek County, Iowa. They said that Cristhian Rivera had been in the area for four to seven years. He was charged with an accusation of first-degree murder. Many news sites gave the suspect’s name as Christian Rivera, but court records show it’s Cristhian.
Authorities said that Rivera allegedly confessed that he “seized Mollie running.” He alleged that he “ran alongside of her or behind her” and Mollie said she was going to call the police and took off running, but he allegedly chased her down. According to authorities, Rivera led authorities to Mollie’s body.
Authorities alleged that they came across an individual who had security cameras and were able to identify a black vehicle that we believed belonged to Rivera. Authorities said they tracked patterns and routes in which he took. They also found images of Mollie running on this video. The suspect also claimed he blacked out and awoke in the area where Mollie was found, authorities revealed. Authorities did not release specifically how Tibbetts was murdered. Mollie was found in a cornfield with cornstalks placed over her, authorities said.
A medical examiner’s vehicle was seen pulling into that area, which was cordoned off by authorities around 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
⚡️ BREAKING — The State Medical Examiner arrived moments ago at the possible location where Mollie Tibbetts was found. The road is located south of Guernsey, Iowa
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The FAA issued a flight restriction over the area.
FAA map of the area with a flight restriction.
The missing college student from Brooklyn, Iowa, vanished on July 18, 2018, seemingly without a trace. A massive search effort ignited. Mollie was last seen while jogging in the small town, although she may have returned home to work on homework on her computer. The cause of death has not yet been announced, and authorities have scheduled a late afternoon press conference for August 21, 2018 to reveal more details.
Where was her body found?
Here’s what you need to know:
A Search Effort Ignited About 15 Minutes South of Brooklyn, Iowa
According to a KCCI-TV live report, a search effort was underway in a location south of Guernsey. The television station reported that the location was 15 minutes south of Brooklyn, just off Highway 21 on 460th Avenue. There was a detour put up around 5 a.m. this morning, according to locals, the television station reported.
You can watch video from the scene of that search above.
The reporter then posted that she was going to an area in southeast Guernsey:
Rerouted toward the town of Guernsey where there are reports of a law enforcement presence and perimeter Southeast of town. @KCCINews #MollieTibbetts
She reported seeing many police barricades.
There are barricades EVERYWHERE! Here’s a look for you just south of Guernsey. @KCCINews #MollieTibbetts
Authorities had not confirmed that the body was found specifically in that location. However, according to KCCI-TV and other news outlets, authorities have confirmed that a body was found in rural Poweshiek County. KCCI reported that the search location was a gravel road located not far from a gas station and Interstate Highway. Reporters saw police officers walking in the area. The area is a rural area that includes a body of water, multiple farms, and the Lincoln wildlife area.
It’s two miles south of Guerney, and it’s also located near Deep River. Guernsey is a community of only about 63 people. Deep River has about 273 people.
FacebookMollie Tibbetts.
Brooklyn and the search location are both located in Poweshiek County. Fox News, CBS News, and KCCI-TV all reported that the body is believed to be that of Mollie Tibbetts, although it’s not yet been revealed how she died, and authorities have not formally confirmed that sad information.
Here’s the authorities’ press release on the body being found.
JUST IN: @IowaDPS’s release on the #MollieTibbetts investigation. Body found in rural Poweshiek County. Press conference at 4:00.
The information that the body is believed to be that of Mollie Tibbetts was conveyed to the national news networks by unnamed sources. However, Fox News later revealed that Mollie’s father, Rob Tibbetts, has also confirmed that the body is that of Mollie Tibbetts.