Crimeatorium
Part 7: The State of Iowa vs Cristhian Bahena Rivera | The Murder of Mollie Tibbetts
Mon, 13 Jan 2025
Part 7: Cristhian Bahena Rivera takes the stand, the defense rests it's case. Very interesting testimony from the defendant!Before we begin, I want to take a moment to reflect on the life of Mollie Tibbetts, a young woman whose light touched everyone she met. Mollie Cecelia Tibbetts was born on May 8, 1998, in San Francisco, California, and raised in both San Francisco and Brooklyn, Iowa. She graduated from BGM High School in 2017 and was pursuing a degree in psychology at the University of Iowa, driven by her dream of becoming a child psychologist to help children struggling with mental health issues.Mollie loved life, and it showed in everything she did. She excelled in writing and speech, sharing her thoughts on complex topics like mental health and self-esteem. She made friends everywhere she went, and children adored her. She worked at a summer camp where her laughter and warmth left a lasting impression. She was a runner, a dancer, an actor, and a singer. But above all, Mollie was a young woman filled with kindness, ambition, and an undeniable joy for life.In July 2018, Mollie disappeared while on an evening jog near her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, sparking a massive search effort that united the community and drew nationwide attention. Sadly, her body was discovered weeks later.This episode covers the court trial in full, edited for length and clarity.Contact:[email protected] Blog for updates and insights:https://crimeatorium.com/blogSupport:Donations are appreciated, if you would like to help support the show, use the link below and buy me a burrito and a Diet Pepsi:http://Ko-fi.com/crimeatoriumFor $3 a month, you can support this show on Patreon, in return you will receive ad free, early, and bonus episodeshttps://www.patreon.com/crimeatoriumIf you like the podcast, please share it on social media and with friends, and take a minute to leave a review for Crimeatorium on Spotify, Podchaser or Apple Podcasts.https://www.crimeatorium.com/rate/Music:im Kulig (timkulig.com)Titles: Crimeatorium IntroLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0997280/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1Thank you for listening!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/crimeatorium9009/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Defense may call its next witness.
Your Honor, defense calls Matt George. State your name please.
My name is Matthew George. And sir, how are you employed? I'm an agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. How long have you held that position? I've been with the DCI for just under 26 years.
When were you asked to assist in the investigation of the disappearance of Molly Tibbetts? I believe I first responded over to Brooklyn, Iowa on about the 23rd of July. And did you assist in the investigation of Molly Tibbitt's disappearance until her body was discovered? Off and on, not constantly. Did you ever interview Dalton Jack? I did. What was the purpose of that interview?
Trying to get information from him about Molly, their relationship. The first interview of Dalton Jack, do you recall when it occurred? Yes. When was that? I believe that was on July 25th. And what time of day did that occur?
I don't exactly remember. Where did it occur? at the fire departments in Brooklyn. And was Mr. Jack cooperative? Yes. Describe his demeanor. His demeanor seemed fine. He was talkative. He was concerned, obviously, with where's his girlfriend, where's Molly. So very concerned, able to have a conversation. Didn't seem very emotional. It was a conversation, but he was concerned about his girlfriend.
Was it important for your investigation to get facts from Mr. Jack so you could potentially find Molly Tibbetts?
Yes.
Did Mr. Jack detail to you his activity in the days leading up to Molly's disappearance? He did. Was he able to give you a timeline? He was. Do you recall what that timeline was?
This is hearsay. Dalton Jacks testified. This is not impeachment. It's not. This is hearsay. It's the effect on the listeners, a non-hearsay purpose, Your Honor. They're offering it for its truth, clearly.
Objections overruled. Witness may answer if he knows.
So the timeline leading up to the disappearance. My recollection is that Dalton was working with a work crew and he was up there, as I recall, on the 17th of July. and eventually came back to the Poweshiek County area, I believe he said on the 19th.
Did he tell you he was working there on July 16th, the Monday?
I'd have to look at my... Hang on. We object to going blow by blow through the interview. It's hearsay. The only purpose this witness could be used is for impeachment purposes. This is not proper. It's hearsay. We would object. Question asked for a yes or no answer.
Objections overruled with the, again, the understanding that the parameters of the question.
Your Honor, I'll have to expand a little bit beyond yes or no.
Go ahead.
It's my recollection in reviewing the interview report that he was up there on the 17th. I'd have to review the report to see if we talked about the 16th.
Was it important in your investigation to know his activities on the 17th and 18th and then the 19th as well? Sure. And why is that?
Again, just trying to figure out where people are, trying to establish alibis of different people.
And did Mr. Jack explain that to you, the specific activities of those dates? Yes, he did. Please tell us what you learned. Overruled.
Witness may answer.
Well, he talked about being up in Dubuque, again, I believe on the 17th, working with this work crew on a bridge, the bridge that goes from Dubuque over to Wisconsin. I don't remember exactly what his hours were, but most of the day he would work on the bridge, and then at night he and the other crew members would stay at a local hotel up in Dubuque, and next day kind of repeat same.
Was it important to your investigation to Pinpoint what he was doing during the time where Molly Tibbetts would have been abducted. That would be important, although I was not part of that with this investigation. Okay. That was on July 25th, right? Yes. Did you speak to Mr. Jack again on July 26th? Yes, I did. And on July 26th, you spoke to him and said you wanted to interview him again.
Is that a fair statement? That's fair. Why did you want to speak to him again on the 27th? Just to get more information, more details.
Had you learned additional information that you needed clarification on? I can't specifically remember that as I sit here. It's not uncommon to re-interview people once, twice, even additional times. The interview on the 27th, who was present with you?
I was there along with an agent with the FBI. Was that interview just a rehashing of... The first interview or were there additional facts that you wanted to explore?
Yeah, there were additional facts at that point that I wanted to explore. What were those facts you wanted to explore? On the 27th, we learned that Dalton had had a relationship with another girl. and that had not been previously discussed with me during our first time together. So I wanted to kind of go over, among other things, that part of it.
Did you deem the fact that Dalton had a relationship with another girl a fact that you would want to know?
Yeah, I mean, I thought it was of interest, and certainly I wanted to know if there was anything else that we hadn't discussed or what else was missing. Why would that be something you'd want to know? Well, just in general, you know, during this part of the investigation, we're wanting to get as much information as we can from a person. In this particular instance, from Dalton Jack.
He and Molly's relationship was relevant to you?
Sure. Why? Are they arguing? Are they fighting? Those are the types of things that we would want to know. How did Mr. Jack characterize his relationship with Molly Tibbets? He's indicated that the past two weeks had been fine, had been good. Prior to that, Molly was hurt. Molly was not happy after she found out that he had been talking to this other girl.
However, the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Dalton said that they were doing good again.
So you confronted him about the information with Jordan Lamb? Right, yes. And that was important to get his response for your investigation, right? Right, trying to figure out why we hadn't talked about this earlier. Yes. And what was Mr. Jack's response to that?
Well, I asked him... Again, I'm going to object his hearsay.
Again, non-hearsay purpose, Your Honor.
Can we approach, please? Yes. And the objection is hearsay, correct? Correct. Sustained. I'm going to make a record, Your Honor. Why don't you approach again? Members of the jury, we will take a 10-minute recess at this time. Outside the presence of the jury, Mr. George, just to confirm for the record, you're still under oath. Mr. Freeze, you had record you wish to make.
Your Honor, we wish to make an offer of proof at this point in time of this regarding the objection that was just made, and this will begin the offer of proof. Mr. George. Dalton Jack and you spoke about his relationship with Jordan Lamb, correct? Yes. And what did Mr. Jack tell you regarding his relationship with Jordan Lamb?
He told me that some time ago, I don't remember if it was A number of months or years, he had had a sexual relationship with her, I believe, one time.
And then fast forward to more recent times, around the time of Molly's disappearance, maybe months leading up to that, they were engaged in sexting conversations to where she would send him pictures and they would talk sexually over the phone, things of that nature.
Did he tell you those times of sexting over the phone occurred in April of 2018?
If he told me that, I'd like to think I reflected that in the report, but I don't remember for sure.
Did he tell you that Molly found out about that? Yes. And did he tell you how Molly found out about that? He did. What did he say about that?
Well, he told me that when he was engaged in the conversations with Did you say Jordan? Yes. Yes. He had led her to believe that he and Molly were no longer seeing each other. And she found out that wasn't the case. So Jordan got upset and notified Molly what had been going on. So that's the way Molly found out about it, through Jordan.
Did he indicate to you that Molly knew that he and Jordan had sexual relations? He told me that she was not aware of that. And did he tell you what Molly would have done if she knew that he and Jordan had sexual relations? Yes. What was that? Would have left him. Did he ever tell you that Molly... had forgiven him for having sexual relations with Jordan Lamb.
I don't think she knew that he had sexual relationships with her. So if Mr. Dalton Jack would have testified in open court that Molly had known he had sex with Jordan Lamb and forgiven him for it, that would be inconsistent with what he told you on July 27th?
Yes.
Did Dalton Jack in his statement to you indicate that one or two months ago, prior to the interview, he had an online relationship Yeah, that's the sexting conversation that I'm referring to. Did he tell you he received pictures of Jordan Lamb in her underwear? Yes.
If he testified here in open court that he had no recollection of that conversation with Jordan Lamb, that would be inconsistent with what he told you. Yes. Did Dalton Jack tell you that he told Jordan Lamb that he and Molly Tibbetts were no longer seeing each other? Yes.
And if he testified here in open court that he didn't recall making those statements to Jordan Lamb, would that be inconsistent with what he told you? Yes. Did Dalton Jack tell you that Jordan Lamb found out that he and Molly Tibbetts were still together, she got mad, and sent Molly Tibbetts screenshots of the sexual conversations? Yes.
If he testified in open court he had no recollection of doing that or that happening, that would be inconsistent with what he told you? Yes. That would end my offer of proof, Your Honor.
Anything, Mr. Brown?
My understanding on an offer of proof, that's what this is, our objection would stand. Much of what Mr. Freeze has brought up was not asked of Dalton Jack. Some of it, if not all of it, whenever he was testifying. So he's pulling out some detailed statements that are hearsay. I mean, some of it's double hearsay. Some of it's what Molly told somebody that told somebody, what Jordan told somebody.
It's confusing. It's hearsay. And we would object.
All right. Anything else you wanted to say, Mr. Fries?
Yes, Your Honor. This is pursuant to 5613B as extrinsic evidence of prior inconsistent statement of Mr. Jack. If he said he had no recollection of this, Mr. or Agent George here can certainly testify that Mr. Jack's recollection was clear on that day. Yesterday, he didn't recall the April 9th conversation that he supposedly had with Molly Tibbetts or...
I mean, he testified clearly that Molly, first of all, knew that they had sex. That's clear as a bell from yesterday's testimony, and she had forgiven him. This is completely contradictory. It's completely allowable under the rules, and very important for Mr. Bain's defense.
So, Mr. Freeze, so the record's clear, you're asking that this be offered for impeachment purposes?
Yes, and also it should be allowed as part of Mr. George's investigation. It's the effect on the listener.
All right, I'll give you some direction and rule on this prior to the jury being brought back in. Thank you. The court's previous ruling stands. Mr. Freeze, you've made your offer of proof. It stands, and we'll go from there. All right, we'll bring the jury back in. Mr. Freeze, you may continue.
Agent George, in your interviews with a number of people, were you attempting to find anyone who... may have had some sort of dispute with Molly Tibbetts? That could be one of several things that we're looking for. I mean, you talked to witnesses and asked if people had any sort of dispute or disagreement or reason to dislike Molly Tibbetts, right?
Those would be things that would be asked oftentimes. She had any enemies, things like that, right? Correct. Were you able to discover any such person? Not that I'm aware of. She seemed very well liked. You were also trying to build a timeline. of Molly Tibbetts' activities in the days leading up to her disappearance, right?
That would have been part of the investigation, yes.
And were you able to determine what Ms. Tibbetts was doing the weekend before her disappearance?
I'm not sure I was part of that area of the timeline, unless my report reflects something different.
You received a tip that Ms. Tibbetts may have been involved with someone from 211, I can't remember the exact address. You interviewed Curtis Laver, right? You'll have to refresh my memory on him. Did you learn that Ms. Tibbetts was at a pool party the weekend before her disappearance? That does sound accurate, yes.
Did you determine that she was alone or with a friend? I don't, as I sit here, remember that part of the investigation. Do you have a report that I could review?
That's not that important, sir. Now, did you yourself ever interview Christian Bahena Rivera? No, I did not. Were you present in the Pawasheek County Sheriff's Office during the interview of Christian Bahena-Rivera? No, I was not. Were you involved in the canvas of Yarrabee Farms on August 20, 2018? No, I was not. That's all I have. Thank you, Agent George. Thank you. Mr. Brown, any questions?
Agent George, do you know Agent Derrick Riesen? Yes, I do. You did work with him as an MCU agent in Zone 4, is that right? That's correct. I want to direct your attention back to a time where you and Agent Reason were reviewing a surveillance video. Do you recall that? I do. And where was that surveillance video? Where had it been taken from?
It had been taken from a personal residence not too far away from the fire department in Brooklyn.
Was that person Logan Collins? I don't remember his name right now. Agent Reason had been the one that went out to meet with Logan Collins to obtain the surveillance video. Would that be true? I believe that's true. Were you at the Brooklyn Fire Department assisting in the review of that surveillance video?
I did a little bit of review, but not near as much as Agent Reason.
Were you both watching it together when there was a moment that occurred that you or Agent Reason observed something on the video? Yes. Can you just tell us what happened?
So Agent Reeson was at the fire department in Brooklyn. He was at the table watching video surveillance from this residence. And he was trying to see if the video captured Molly Tibbetts running down a portion of the street that this camera was pointing towards. And as I walked up to Agent Reeson and asked him, hey, what are you doing? He looked up at me as I looked down at the computer screen.
And at that moment when he looks up at me and I look down, I see a figure going across the screen, and so I distracted him essentially from seeing Mullie Tibbetts run by.
And you noticed that and directed his attention to that. Is that right? That's true. Then did you and he and other agents then start focusing on that particular video surveillance footage around that time? Yes. And was that on the video surveillance footage? Was that on July? been recorded July 18th of 2018 at or near 7.45 p.m. Yes.
Would you agree with me that this particular viewing of what you believe to be Molly Tibbetts was one of the breaks in the case? Yes. It helped provide a timeline, is that right? That's true. It focused you on a certain area in Brooklyn where you believe Molly to be running? That's right. Including vehicles that would have been seen in the video, is that correct? Yes.
In that video, there was a black Chevy Malibu that drew yours and other officers' attention. Is that correct? Yes.
At some point, Derek was able to do a timeline of vehicles going through and by, and that was one of the vehicles. Yes, sir. That's all the questions I have. Thank you.
Mr. Friese, anything further as its witness? No, Your Honor. Defense may call its next witness.
Please state your full name. My name is Jordan Lamb, but my married name is Jordan Johnson, and it's spelled J-O-R-D-Y-N.
2018.
In reference to Molly Tibbetts, what year were you?
I was a year below her in school.
What about Dalton Jack?
He was two years older than me.
Now, you previously dated Dalton Jack a long time ago, is that right? Yes, that's correct. You're not here out of the goodness of your heart, are you?
No, I was subpoenaed.
You received a subpoena from our office probably about two weeks ago, is that right? Yes. Before that subpoena was served, had you had any recent contact with Dalton Jack?
Yes, he would text me or call me every once in a while. And the nature of the texting or calling would be? Just to ask how I was doing. He knew that I was pregnant and had a baby. All right.
Most recently has Dalton Jack contacted you?
Yes.
And did he contact you specifically in reference to your testimony in this case? Yes. When is the most recent time that Mr. Jack has contacted you?
It was either Monday night or Tuesday night.
Was that this week? Yes. So it would have been either a day or two ago, is that correct? Correct. Did he contact you specifically about your testimony in court?
He asked if I testified.
Now, you haven't been involved in this case at all since Molly Tibbetts was missing, is that right?
That's correct.
Have you been contacted by anybody in the last couple of years? No. Would it be fair to say that you were surprised that you got a subpoena?
Yes.
At one point though, and I believe it was on July 31st of 2018, you were approached by investigators, is that correct? Yes. They asked to meet with you, is that right?
Yes.
And they asked you a lot of different questions, is that correct?
Correct.
Were you cooperative? Yes. Were you willing to help out with anything to get Molly located? Yes. One thing they asked you about is whether Dalton Jack had initiated a relationship with you, is that right?
Yes.
And you did provide them with messages from March of 2018, is that correct? Yes. Describe the nature of those messages.
He was just asking if I would give him another chance.
And there were several messages back and forth, is that right? Yes. Would you describe those messages as him pursuing you to be back in a relationship? Objection, Judge.
Calls for speculation.
It's also not relevant. Sustained.
Did he ask you to get back in a relationship with you?
Objection. Calls for hearsay.
It's not hearsay, Judge.
Overruled. The witness may answer if she knows.
Yes, I think there was one point in the messages where he said that he would get back together with me.
Were you under the impression that he was no longer in a relationship with Molly Tibbetts? Objections.
Call for hearsay.
Overruled. Witness may answer if she knows.
There was a message that said that he would break up with her if I would give her a chance.
And based on that, were you under the impression that they were no longer in a relationship? Yes. Now, did you ever initiate a relationship back with Dalton Jack?
No.
Did you finally just quit responding to his messages?
Yes.
At a later point, did you reach out to Molly Tibbetts?
Yes.
And was that in April of 2018? Yes, I believe so. And did you share those messages with Ms. Tibbetts?
Yes.
Describe her reaction to you. You've just shared messages that her boyfriend is initiated in a relationship with you. Is that right? Yes. Describe how she acted towards you.
I don't remember what she said or how her appearance was with that. Did she use any derogatory terms towards you? I don't remember.
Was she kind to you? I think so, yes. No further questions. Thank you.
Mr. Brown? No questions. Thank you. Defense may call its next witness.
Defense calls Christian Bahena-Rivera. Please state your full name. Christian Bahena-Rivera. You're here illegally, is that right? Are you careful to avoid contact with law enforcement? Very careful. Do you try not to drive around often? Only when it's necessary. Do you take back roads when you're able to? Yes.
When you talked to law enforcement when they brought you in from the dairy farm, approximately what time did you go to the sheriff's office?
Between 2 and 3 in the afternoon.
What time did you go to work that day?
4.30 in the morning.
Do you remember when law enforcement showed up at Yarrabee Farms?
Yes.
And what do you remember?
I was working and my boss came to the area where I was and he told me that we were needed in the office and there was probably going to be troubles for me. What did you think those troubles were? At that time, I didn't know.
Do you know what a raid is?
When immigration comes.
Have you heard of immigration coming and kind of rounding up illegal Hispanic?
Yes.
Were you afraid that that was what was going to happen here?
For a moment, yes.
Now at some point in time you agreed to go to the sheriff's office, is that right?
Yes.
And you were interrogated for 11 plus hours, is that right?
Correct.
Did you tell law enforcement the truth that night? Not all. Molly Tibbetts was in the trunk of your car, isn't that right?
Yes.
And you did not tell them what really happened, isn't that right?
Correct.
Let's talk about what happened that night. On July 18th, 2018, you got home from work, is that right?
Correct.
When you got home, is there anything that you planned to prepare for the next day?
Yes.
What is that?
I had planned to clean out my car because the next day I was planning on going out with a girl.
So you had a date lined up?
Yes.
So you get home, do you shower?
No. I went to my uncle's house to ask him for a vacuum cleaner to clean my car.
Where does your uncle live?
Brooklyn.
Did you end up going to your uncle's and speaking with him?
No, he wasn't at home.
Did you go ahead and take the vacuum?
Correct.
That's something that wouldn't bother him from prior dealings, is that right?
No, and in fact, I called him to tell him that I had taken it.
So you get the vacuum and then where do you go?
To my house.
When you get to your house, what do you do?
I realized that the sun was still very strong, it was too strong to clean my car, so I decided to go in and take a shower.
Approximately what time did you take a shower at your home?
About 6, 6.30.
After you took a shower, what did you do?
I left the bathroom.
What did you see?
Two people in my living room.
Those two people in your living room, how were they dressed?
With sweaters and their faces covered.
Describe the color of the clothing that they were wearing.
It was dark clothing.
Can you describe what the build of either of these people?
One of them was bigger and a little bit fatter, and one of them was about my stature and a little bit stronger, burly.
Did those men have any sort of weapons?
Yes.
Describe which man had which weapon.
The bigger one, I could see that he had a gun, and the smaller one, I could see that he had a knife. Describe the gun. I don't know a lot about guns. I can just say that it was black.
What about the knife?
It was a medium-sized knife, camouflaged color.
What did these men say or do?
That I shouldn't do anything stupid and everything was going to be okay.
What happened next?
We were there for a long while.
And did anything happen while you were there?
Well, they were just there whispering and we were there for a long while.
At that point in time, were they ever violent towards you or aggressive towards you?
No.
Did you comply with all of their instructions?
Yes.
Did you argue with them?
No.
Did anything else happen at the residence?
Not until we left the house.
Once you left the house, what happened?
We got into the car.
And when you get into the car, which man gets in which seat?
The bigger one in the back seat and the other one gets in the seat beside me.
The smaller one is the one with the knife, is that right?
Yes.
And then did you drive?
Yes.
When you drove, did they tell you where to go?
They just told me to drive straight.
Did they make any comments while you were driving?
Yes, one of them told the other one. One of them said to the other one something about someone running.
Now, sir, you don't speak much English, is that right?
Correct.
How were you able to tell what they were saying?
Well, I don't know how to speak a lot of English, but I understand the basics.
And so you were able to understand that's what was said, is that right?
Correct.
Once you get to Brooklyn, what happens?
We just went into town. We went into town by what you could say would be the back way into town.
Is there a specific road that you came in on?
Yes.
Do you know what that road is?
I don't know the name of the road.
Sir, I'm going to show you State's exhibit Now, sir, you've seen this exhibit before, is that right?
Yes.
And there's a road that is described as 385th Avenue on the screen, is that right?
Yes.
Is that the road that you followed on your way into Brooklyn?
Correct.
When you followed that road, did you see anyone?
Jogging.
Did you know that person at that time?
No.
Ever met Molly Tibbetts before?
No.
Now do you recognize or believe that person was Molly Tibbetts?
That's right.
When she was running, was she running out of town?
Yes.
You're driving into town, is that correct?
Yes.
What happens next?
We just continue driving. And then they asked me to turn around.
When you turned around, were you in town?
Yes.
What happened next?
We went back out through the same way we came in.
Tell me what happened next, sir.
We drove straight on the same route. And then they asked me to turn back.
When you were in town, describe these men and anything that they were doing in the vehicle.
Just that when we were coming into town, they tried to kneel down, crouch down as much as they could in the seats.
You don't remember the exact route that you drove in Brooklyn, is that right?
Correct.
But you've seen the surveillance camera from Logan Collins surveillance footage, is that right?
Correct.
Do you think that likely was your vehicle?
Oh, yes.
Looks like your vehicle. Would you agree with that?
Yes.
And you remember driving around in that area?
I don't remember if it was exactly that area, but that's my car.
How many times did you drive by Ms. Tibbetts?
Around three or four.
And that was that direction of these men, is that right?
Correct.
Let's talk about the last time that you drove by Ms. Tibbetts.
The last time that we met her, she was on her way back into town.
Specifically, sir, she was running on 385th Street, is that right?
That's correct.
Sir, I'm going to hand you this laser pointer.
Now, sir, if you could point to the area that you met Ms. Tibbetts the last time. You cannot see it on the map. Sir, go ahead and get up and point to the general area where you were.
And, Christian, I'm not trying to trick you. I know you said that it's not on the map where you met her the last time. Is that right? Correct. Could you point to the direction of the area outside of the map where you saw her? Now, sir, I'm going to bring up another exhibit. Now, sir, is the place where this woman was running shown on this map?
Yes.
Can you point to the area on the exhibit where this woman was? Around... And you can go ahead and sit down, sir. Now, you pointed to an area that was just before the intersection of 385th Avenue and 200th Street. Is that right? Yes. So when you're driving on that road, are you driving towards town or away from town? Leaving town. When you see Ms.
Tibbetts, is she running towards town or away from town? Towards the town. So you meet her head on with your vehicle, is that right? Correct. Does she make any statements or anything like that? No. She doesn't wave or anything like that?
No. What happens next? Well, we continue forward, and when you come to the intersection, the cross, then they ask me to turn back.
So the intersection of 385th and 200th Street, is that right? Yes. Did you do that? Yes. Once you did that, did you drive back towards town on 385th Avenue? Yes. What happened next?
We drove for a little bit, and then some meters forward, they asked me to stop. Were you able to see the woman at that time? No. Describe the terrain. Well, it was like a straight road, but there were like some hills to it.
Let me stop you there. We do need to take a recess at this time. Ms. Fries, you may continue.
So, sir, you're driving back on that road back into town. Is that right? Yes. And at some point before you get back into town, were you directed to stop? Correct. Who told you to stop? The person that was next to me. So the man in the front seat, is that right? Correct. Also the man with the knife? Yes. What happened next?
One of them got out of the car. Which one? The one that was on the front. So the guy with the knife. Correct. What did he do? Well, he just started going forward, towards the town direction. How long was he gone? Around 10 to 12 minutes. The guy in the back, was he doing anything? No, he was only quiet in the back part. Did he seem nervous?
Well, when the time started going by, he started kind of whispering in the back. Did you hear him say anything? You could hear a lot of things, but I guess what I heard him saying is, come on, Jack.
Now, sir, you've heard Mr. Freese and I at least insinuate that Dalton Jack could have been involved in this. You've heard the trial, correct? Yes. Are you telling this jury that Dalton Jack was one of those people? No. Do you know who either of the people were that were in that car with you? No. No?
What happened next? Well, around like 12 minutes after that person comes back to the car. And when they come back to the car, do they get in? He gets in.
What happens next? They ask me to continue driving. Did you continue to drive into town? Yes. Did you reach town? No. Were you directed to stop at some point? Yes. Can you describe for the jury approximately how far you traveled? Not more than 300 meters. What were you directed to do once you drove 300 meters?
To stop and to hand them my keys. What happened next? Well, first the person that was in front got out of the car, and then the person who was behind. What happened next? I've heard them opening the trunk. What happened next? I just heard a movement in the car and then that the trunk closed. Did the men get back in the vehicle? Yes. What happened next? They asked me to turn around.
Did you do that? Yes. What did they say next? They asked me to continue driving and to go towards the gravel road. Did you do that? Yes. What happened next? I just remembered to be driving fast.
At some point in time, did you stop? No. So you continued to drive, is that right? Yeah, for several miles.
And what happened next? We got to a road that was paved, and they asked me to cross that. And then you continued on Gravel Road? Yes. Do you remember which direction you were going? I don't remember the address. All I know that it was straight. So you continued driving, is that right?
Correct. How long did you continue driving? Perhaps five to eight minutes. At some point in time, did they direct you to pull in somewhere?
We arrived like in front of a White House.
Sir, I'm going to bring up States Exhibit 25. Sir, you've seen States Exhibit 25, is that right? Yes. And you generally agree that this was the area that Molly Tibbetts' body was found, is that right? Yes. When you mention a White House, is that what you're talking about in States Exhibit 25? Correct. Tell me what happened next. They asked me there to go back.
So you turned in at the house and then you drove back, is that right? Yes. Now, sir, I'm now showing you States Exhibit 28, or excuse me, 26. This is the same area from a different direction, is that right? Yes. When you came back, was there a point in time that you were told to turn? Yes. Where were you told to turn if that's shown on States Exhibit 26? At the entrance of the cornfield.
If you could get up again and show the jury on States Exhibit 26, I'd appreciate it. Now, sir, States Exhibit 27, this shows the entrance of the cornfield that you just pointed to, is that right? Yes. Have you ever been to that location before? No. Did you understand really where you were? No.
Once you pull in, what happens next? They only asked me to turn the car off and they start getting off the car. So they get out, is that right? Yes. Did they take your keys? Yes, they took my keys and my phone. What happened next?
Before they leave, one of them tells me not to say anything about what had happened, that they knew Iris and that they knew my daughter, that if I said something, they would take care of them. After that, what happened? They told me just to wait a few minutes and to leave. What happened next? I got out of the car because I didn't have my keys.
Well, obviously I knew there was something in the trunk.
And why did you think there was something or why did you know there was something in the trunk?
Because previously I had felt when they had placed something or put something in the trunk. Did you look in the trunk? Yes.
What did you see?
A body.
Was that the body of Molly Tibbetts? Yes.
At that point in time, did it look like she was alive? Well, at the beginning, I saw like a little bit of movement, but then after, there was no movement. Did she have injuries to her body? I did not look. What did you do next? Well, I stayed there a couple of minutes thinking what to do, and then I decided to take the body out. Why didn't you call the police, sir? Because I was scared.
Why were you scared? Well, if I would have called the police, it's something that it wouldn't have been seen good. It wouldn't have been right.
Did you have any reason to believe that Molly Tibbetts' life could be saved? No. When you picked her up from the trunk, describe her body. It was very heavy. What about any signs of life that you saw to Molly Tibbetts? None. How was she dressed?
With sports clothing. What did you do next, sir? The way I could, I picked her up and then I put her in the cornfield. Did you cover her with corn? Yes. Why did you do that? Because I didn't want her to be too exposed to the sun. When you left her, was she clothed? I left her exactly how she was, in the trunk.
And at that time, do you recall her having any shorts on? Yes.
What about her sports bra? Did it cover her chest? Everything. She had everything on. There was only one shoe that was off.
What did you do after you laid her in the corn? I tried to go home. Were you able to figure out how to get home? No. How were you able to find your way home? I looked at my phone. And did you specifically use your phone to find directions? Yes. Now, Molly Tibbetts' phone, Fitbit, and her earbuds were left in your car.
Is that right? Yeah, they were in the trunk, along with my phone and my keys.
What did you do with Molly Tibbetts' phone, Fitbit, and her headphones or her earbuds? I left it on the side of the road. Now, sir, you didn't tell a soul about this for over a month, is that right? Correct. And if you weren't approached, you would have taken this night with you to the grave. Isn't that right? Most probably. Why didn't you call the police or let investigators know what happened?
Because I knew if I did it in any way, I was going to be involved.
And specifically, were you afraid for your ex-girlfriend and your daughter?
Sustained and asked that the question be rephrased, please.
Were there any other reasons that you did not call law enforcement? Yes. What were they?
Because I remember that they said that if I would say something, they were going to do something to my family, my ex-girlfriend, my daughter.
They used her name, is that right? Correct. Do you know Ulysses Felix? Yes. How do you know Ulysses Felix? It is my ex-girlfriend's cousin. So it would be Iris' cousin, is that right? Yes. Has he been to your home before? Yes. Has he spent the night before? Yes. Now, you're not alleging that Ulysses was in that car, is that right? Correct.
Ulysses did spend time with your Hispanic group of people, is that right? Yes. He would attend various functions, is that right? Yes. Did you know his parents? Yes. How did you know them? We worked at the same place. Now, Ulysses also attended Brooklyn School, is that right? Yes. And unlike you, did he seem to have a fair amount of white friends? Yes.
All right, sir, let's go through this interview. You were interrogated for over 11 hours, is that right? Yes. Describe how the interview progressed through those 11 hours.
Well, at the beginning, they were asking me common questions like where I was from and in terms of clarifying my routine and all that.
Do you recall them telling you that they weren't with immigration? Yes. And when they told you that, did you believe them? For a period of time. Did they continue to be more confrontational with you? Sustained. Tell me how the interview progressed. Well, they started accusing me with things.
What sorts of things did they accuse you with? With a couple of pictures. They said that they have found a woman's hair in my trunk, and that they have found her phone, or pointed my phone, her phone with mine.
So they suggested that they had phone activity that tied your phone and Molly's phone together? Sustained.
Please rephrase.
Sir, please make the jury understand what you meant about the evidence that they confronted you with your phone.
That they had information that my telephone and Molly's telephone were traveling together.
Did they make any other suggestions that they had specialized technology with reference to your phone?
No.
Did they ever suggest to you that what you were saying was not true?
Yes.
How often did they suggest that?
Every so often.
Did you ever believe that things would be better if you told them what they wanted to hear?
Yes.
Was that often?
Yes.
Did they ever use the phrase, help yourself?
Yes.
And what did you take that to mean when they used that phrase?
Well, that if I helped them, if I told them what they wanted to hear, that they would help me.
Did they confront you or did they tell you that often?
Yes.
At some point, you said that you blacked out. Is that right?
Yes.
Was that your idea?
No.
They said it first.
Specifically, was there a suggestion made that you might be crazy?
Something like that. Something like that sometimes people can be sick and they can forget things.
Now, sir, did you intend to tell these men the truth about what really happened that night?
No.
Why not?
Because in my mind, I had my daughter.
So no matter what happened, you did not plan to tell them what really happened?
Right.
As this interrogation went on, tell me about your alertness.
Well, I was already tired and I was very sleepy.
Now you saw some videotape of you falling asleep during this interrogation, is that right?
Yes.
Were those the only times that you fell asleep during the interrogation?
I'm not sure, but there were many times.
At some point in time, the investigators asked you to try to take them to Molly Tibbetts, is that right?
Yes.
And you agreed, is that right?
Yes.
Why did you agree to do that at that point in time?
Well, for one, because I was already very tired and I wanted it to stop. And most importantly, because they told me to put myself in the family's position and think of her that if she was my daughter, what would I have done?
So you drive out, you don't drive, but you ride out to the body, is that right? Yes. Were you able to provide assistance in finding Molly Tibbetts?
Yes.
Did they seem to have some idea already where she was?
I can't be sure about that.
Describe the car ride out there.
Well, I asked them to go to the highway that's on the way to my trailer to have a point of, well, to get oriented.
Did they do that?
Yes.
And tell me about the trip then to the body.
So I told them to drive straight and not to stop.
What happened next?
We didn't stop until we got to that White House that you can see in the photo. When you got to the White House, what did you do? Well, that's when I realized that that was more or less the place, but that we had gone past it a little bit.
So did you direct them to turn around?
Correct.
Were you able to assist them in finding the body?
Yes.
Sir, how tall are you?
5'7".
How much do you weigh today or now?
The last time that I was weighed in the jail was 148 pounds.
How much did you weigh when you were arrested for the death of Molly Tibbetts?
125 pounds.
No further questions.
Mr. Brown, you may cross-examine.
Mr. Bahena, you led officers to Molly Tibbetts' body, is that correct? Yes. You remember your interview with Officer Pamela Romero? Yes. You recall it even here today, is that true? Most of the things. You were not too tired to remember what you and she talked about at the sheriff's office, is that right? What? Could you repeat the question?
You were not too tired to remember what you and Pamela Romero talked about at the sheriff's office.
If I'm not too tired now or at that time?
At that time.
Well, there were some times that I was tired, but obviously if someone's talking to you, you're going to be alert.
You were able to understand her questions, correct? Yes. There was no language barrier between the two of you? No, none that I knew of. Did you leave with officers at 4.30 a.m. on August 21st of 2018?
Yes.
And it was your request to go to your residence near Brooklyn, correct? Yes. Whenever you got to your residence near Brooklyn, you were able to take them to the location where Molly Tibbetts was found, is that correct? Yes. Did you remain in the car while officers searched for Molly Tibbetts at the location you took them to? Yes. At one point, the officers came to the car to get you out, correct?
Correct. And you went back into the cornfield with the officers, is that right? To the edge of the corn. but there is a area where you could walk where corn wasn't growing. Correct. And you took them to the edge of the corn. Yes. That was some distance off the road, is that correct? Yes. And you couldn't see that location from the edge of the road where you walked to, correct? That's correct.
And whenever you were standing at the edge of the corn, you pointed in the direction where Molly Tibbetts was located, is that correct? I told them more or less in what direction she would be. After you pointed in that direction, officers found Molly Tibbetts, correct? Some minutes afterwards. Were you still present at the edge of the corn when they found her? No. Were you taken back to the car?
Yes. You agree, Mr. Bahena, that you led officers to Molly Tibbetts on August 21st of 2018? Correct. You own a black Chevy Malibu, is that right?
Yes.
It has a chromed mirror? Yes. Is that a feature that you placed on the car yourself? No. Was that feature on the vehicle when you purchased it? Yes. Your car also had chromed handles?
Yes.
100%.
You also agree that Molly Tibbetts was jogging in the area when your car is seen, is that right?
I can't say if she was in the area. The only thing I can say is that was my car.
You told Officer Romero that you confronted Molly Tibbetts on 385th, is that correct? Yes. You never mentioned two other men, is that true? Correct. You told Officer Romero that you were angry at Molly Tibbetts, is that true? I think so. You agree that... You saw Molly Tibbetts on 385th, correct? Yes. On July 18th of 2018, correct? Yes.
You also indicated to Officer Romero that Molly Tibbetts became angry with you, is that correct? Correct. That Molly Tibbetts threatened to call the police, is that correct? Correct. You never mentioned two other men to Officer Romero, is that correct? Yes. You claim that you went to a cornfield where Molly Tibbetts' body was placed with two other men. Yes. These men had their faces covered? Yes.
They were wearing sweaters, you said? It was similar to a sweater. So long sleeves?
Yes.
And long pants? Yes. And what was covering their face exactly? A type of hat. Like a stocking cap? Something like that. So whenever you get to the cornfield, you're in your vehicle? Yes. There's no other vehicle there? Not that I saw. Whenever you left the cornfield, you left alone? Yes. The other two men that were there, did they just walk back? They ran towards the road.
So they ran towards the road and just disappeared? I didn't see them again. I don't know where they went. So you drove these two men out to the cornfield, correct? How's that? I don't understand. You drove the two men in your Malibu to the cornfield where you dumped Molly Tibbetts, correct? Yes. And you're telling us that you drove back to your home alone? Yes.
And you happened to find your cell phone and the keys in the trunk of the car? Yes. And these two men just disappeared? That's right. Whenever you put Molly Tibbetts into the corn, you concealed her body, is that correct? You could say that. You placed corn stalks over her body, is that right? Yes. And that covered her body so other people could not find her, correct?
She was not completely covered. You knew Molly Tibbetts' location for nearly five weeks, correct? Yes. Before you told anyone in law enforcement, is that right? Yes. The two men that you say you were with, you don't know who they are? That's correct. But you just happen to remember that one of them used the name Jack? Yes. Mr. Bahena, you don't have a problem...
with blacking out apparently, is that true? Correct. You remember the details as you've described them here? Yes. Yet you told the officers, specifically Officer Romero, that you blacked out some details with regard to what happened to Molly Tibbetts, correct? Correct. The two men that you say that came to your residence, Did they just walk in?
I wouldn't know what to tell you because at that moment I was taking a shower.
So your claim is that you were taking a shower. When you get done with the shower, these two men are standing in your residence. Yes. And they are covered head to toe so you cannot identify them? Correct. Do you have any idea how they got into your trailer? Through the door. The door was not locked? No. You live in rural Poweshiek County at the time, is that correct? Yes. Near Yarrabee Farms? Yes.
Did you see any vehicle as to how these two men would have been transported to your residence? Not that I saw. So no car, to your knowledge?
I did not see any car outside of my trailer.
Why would the two men in your trailer need your help. Did you have any connection to the two men that walked into your trailer that you know of? No. Whenever you're at the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office being interviewed by Pamela Romero, you're around police officers, correct? Yes. You're in a safe environment, would that be true? You could say that.
The two men that you claim abducted Molly Tibbetts were nowhere near the sheriff's office to your knowledge? Not that I know of. You not only talked to Pamela Romero, you talked to other officers while you were at the sheriff's office, is that right? Correct. You were in a safe place, correct? You could say that.
And you failed to mention anything concerning these two men and their involvement with Molly Tibbetts.
Well, like you said, I was in a safe place when I didn't know where my daughter was. Well, why not?
You could just tell the officers what happened, correct? You could have done that. I could have done that. And you chose not to, correct?
Correct.
You could have told the officers that you were worried for your daughter, correct? Yes, I did tell them that at the beginning. But worried for your daughter that somebody else might harm them if you told them what you told us here today?
I told them that before giving them any information, I needed to know that my daughter and her mother were safe.
And you were assured that they were safe?
They didn't tell me anything.
Did you press them on that at all? No. You could have had the assistance of law enforcement in protecting the mother of your daughter and your daughter, correct? Maybe. But you chose not to press that, correct? Correct. Mr. Bahena, did you ever have any connection to Dalton Jack? None. You didn't know him or his brother Blake, is that correct? Correct. And you did not know Molly Tibbetts? No.
Do you remember... being interviewed by officer or deputy Steve Kibbe. Yes. That occurred in Malcolm on August 16th of 2018. Yes. He talked to you about the disappearance of Molly Tibbetts. Is that right? He just asked me something like that. Molly Tibbetts, that subject matter came up, correct? Yes. At that time, you knew where Molly Tibbetts was located, correct?
Yes.
You knew what had happened to her, correct? Correct. You knew that she had been abducted, is that right? Yes. You knew that she had been stabbed to death, is that right?
At that time, I didn't know how she had died. I just knew that she was dead.
Whenever you put her in the corn, she was bleeding, correct? There was no longer any blood on her. You knew she was dead when you put her in the corn, isn't that right? Yes. You did not tell Steve Kivy any of those facts, correct? Correct. You did not ask him for any protection for your daughter or your daughter's mother, is that right? Correct.
You denied having any knowledge of where Molly Tibbetts was located or what happened to her. Is that right? Yes. Mr. Bahena, whenever you confronted Molly Tibbetts on 385th, you recall that. Is that right?
No, I never did that.
You were on the road on 385th whenever she was running, correct?
Yes, but I never confronted her.
You told the officers that you confronted her, correct?
Yes.
You told the officers that she was angry with you, correct?
Something like that.
And you told the officers, told Officer Romero that she slapped you, correct?
I don't remember that.
That you're angry at her, correct?
Well, you could say that.
You said it. Isn't that right?
I don't remember, and that's what I cannot answer.
You told Officer Romero that you were angry, isn't that right?
Objection asked and answered.
He's not answering it. Overruled, the witness can answer.
Well, if it's in the video, I said it.
You told the officer, Officer Romero, that you were angry, correct?
Objection asked and answered.
Sustained. After that, you told Officer Romero that you were driving in your black Chevy Malibu alone?
Yes.
And you remember having earbuds on your lap, isn't that right?
Correct.
And you remember Molly Tibbetts being in the trunk, correct? Correct. Failed to mention anyone else in the car, correct?
Correct.
The next thing that you remember, you were at a cornfield on the edge of the cornfield. Do you remember that?
Yes.
And you alone Mr. Bahena took Molly Tibbetts into the corn?
Yes.
And you alone placed corn stalks on her body?
Yes.
Mr. Bahena, you stabbed Molly Tibbetts, isn't that right?
Objection, Your Honor. I think Mr. Brown is not clear as to whether he asked about the interview and then he asked about what Mr. Bahena-Rivera did. It needs to be clear.
I'll sustain the objection and ask you to rephrase and be more specific if you would, Mr. Brown. I can do that.
Mr. Bahena, we're not talking about the interview, I'm talking about what you did, okay? Are we clear?
Okay, yes.
You stabbed Molly Tibbetts, isn't that right? No. You're the one that did that, isn't that true?
Objection asked and answered.
Sustained. You alone took Mollie Tibbetts into the corn, isn't that right?
Yes.
The two men that you mentioned didn't help you do that, is that right? Correct. You took Mollie Tibbetts into the corn and placed corn stalks on her body, correct?
And answered and compounded.
Mr. Brown, for the benefit of the interpreter, I'm going to ask you rephrase the question, and before the witness answers, I'll give the defense an opportunity to lodge their objection. I can do that.
You took Molly Tibbetts into the corn alone, correct? Abstent and answered. Sustained. You placed corn stalks on her body, isn't that right?
Correct.
And you left her there. for nearly five weeks, correct?
Asked and answered. Overruled. Correct.
You never mentioned, Mr. Bahena, that the two men that you claim were with you, that you ever saw them again. Did you? No. Did they ever contact you again? No. These men who you claim killed Molly Tibbetts never contacted you one more time?
No.
And to your knowledge, these two men that you claim did the things that you've described, you have no idea how they had any connection to you?
No.
To your knowledge, Mr. Bahena, has anyone threatened anyone since you took?
Objection. Vague.
Can I finish the question, please?
Yes, you may.
Mr. Bahena, has anyone threatened you since you took Molly Tibbetts' body into the corn?
No.
You've had no other contact with these two men that you claim did what you described?
Correct. Correct.
Do you remember being asked in the interview by Ms. Romero if you were covering for anyone?
Yes.
And you told her that you were not, is that correct?
Correct.
So you were given an opportunity in the presence of law enforcement to tell what you've told us here today, correct?
Correct.
And you chose not to do that?
At that moment, I was really scared.
I understand that you may have been scared, but you chose not to tell them, correct?
Correct.
Do you remember your interview with Ms. Romero out at the cornfield?
Not a lot.
At one point during the interview with her, she presses you for more details. Do you recall that?
Objection. At this point, counsel is testifying.
Sustained. Do you remember being at the cornfield at the side of the cornfield with Officer Romero?
Yes.
And she was talking to you, correct?
Yes.
And she was asking you questions, correct?
Correct.
You were providing her answers. Is that right? Yes. At one point towards the end of that interview, did she ask you for more details?
Yes.
And your response was, I brought you here.
Correct?
Correct.
I don't remember. But if it is in the interview, it is true.
You also told her, I did it, didn't I? Do you recall that? The truth, no. You don't remember asking her that question? No. You told her that you could not provide any more details. Is that right?
If it's in the interview, it is true.
I want you to go off what you remember, Mr. Bahena. Okay? Can you do that for me?
Well, Officer Romero says that the interview in the car lasted like for an hour. But all I remember that she asked me was an interview clarified. What was the reason why you did it?
And you told her that you couldn't remember, correct? I'm sorry. Let me stop you there.
approach. Members of the jury will be in recess at this time for lunch. Mr. Brown, you may continue with your cross-examination of this witness. Thank you.
Mr. Bahena, I want to take you back to the cornfield where Molly Tibbetts was put in the corn, okay? You claim that there were two other men with you at the cornfield. Is that right? Correct. While these men were there, they remained covered, as you've mentioned, is that correct? Yes. So they still had these stocking hats over their faces, is that right? Correct.
Still had a long-sleeved sweater that they were wearing, is that right?
Correct.
And long pants, correct? Correct. These two men that you claim were with you at the cornfield, they did not strike you or punch you, is that right?
No, they did not.
They did not cut you with a knife?
No.
They did not shoot you with a gun, correct?
No.
They did not even threaten you with a gun, is that correct?
Sometimes they were pointed, but nothing really serious.
You cannot tell us who these men are, correct?
No.
They left you with your phone, is that correct?
The phone was in the trunk.
Did they take your phone away at some point?
The entire time. I did not have it.
But that's my point, is they left your phone with you in your trunk, correct? Correct. Which you then had access to, correct? Correct. Which means you could have called or texted people, correct? Correct. Other than these two men that you claim were at the cornfield with you, you were the only other person at the cornfield, correct? Yes.
Yes.
The time that they came to your trailer, did you put that between 6 and 6.30?
I could not tell you with exactitude what the time was. It was between 6 and 7.
What time did you get off work on July 18th of 2018?
Around 5.30.
And you would have gone directly home?
Yes.
And then you took a shower whenever you got home?
No, I went to Brooklyn.
At some point you took a shower, is that correct?
Correct.
And maybe I had the time wrong, but was that after you had gone to Brooklyn?
Yes.
And it was after you came out of your shower that these two men were, you claimed these two men were present in your trailer?
Correct.
That's all I have, thank you. Ms. Fries, any redirect?
Yes, just briefly. Sir, you've listened to Officer Romero describe the interview that took place, is that right?
Yes.
Would you agree with Officer Romero that there are different ways in different parts of Mexico that things are translated? Yes. So people use different terms depending on what area they are from? Yes. There are parts of Officer Romero's testimony that you don't agree with, is that right? Correct. Bottom line, you agree that you lied to investigators that night. Yes.
Do you recall Officer Romero's testimony where she said that you described Molly Tibbetts as hot? Yes. That was one portion that you specifically took issue with, is that right? Correct. What did you believe was said about Ms. Tibbetts?
Overruled. The witness may answer if he knows.
The word that I used was good looking, not hot.
And if the interpreter could please say the Spanish term that he used.
Interpreter is not sure what the attorney is asking the interpreter to do.
Why don't I do this? The Spanish term that was used was guapa. Is that right? Correct. And, sir, what do you take guapa to mean? Pretty. We went through the interview after Officer Romero's testimony. Is that right? Yes. and the term that you used was guapa, is that right?
Judge, I want to object.
He's commenting on the testimony of another witness who testified in English.
Overruled. Correct.
Now, sir, at a certain point did the interrogation become confrontational? Yes. I'm going to direct your attention to Defendant's Exhibit KK. For identification purposes, could you describe what's portrayed in the picture?
Me sitting in the corner and then Officer Romero and then two other guys.
These two other guys, were they present during a portion of the interview? In son. At this part of the interview, did they both come in and interrogate you? Yes. Did Officer Romero also interrogate you? Yes. I'd offer defendants exhibit KK.
I would just object to relevance.
Overruled and defendants exhibit KK is admitted.
Now, Mr. Bahena-Rivera, we specifically watched this portion earlier this week, is that right? Correct. And you were able to re-watch the interrogation process that was used? Yes. Some of the interrogation is in English, is that right? Yes. Is some of it in Spanish? Yes. Describe for the jury what you recall being said to you during that interview.
The man that is sitting on the chair took my hand and he told me that I was lying. I was lying.
Then there's a man that's standing up behind him. Do you remember him ever talking? Yes. What do you remember him saying? Sustained. Your Honor, it's not for the truth of the matter asserted.
State's response? I'm not sure what other reason it would be offered for other than the truth. What is the other reason?
For the effect on the listener, Judge. And further, the interrogation, the defendant's admissions have been a key part of the state's case. And for the defendant not to be allowed to present the reason that he made those admissions and his state of mind is simply unfair. Okay.
And this picture's not needed for that.
Take the picture down, and the objection's overruled. Go ahead and proceed.
What did the man say to you that was standing up?
A word in English, but I don't remember. I don't know how to say it. Describe his tone of voice. He was yelling.
No further questions.
Mr. Brown, anything else to this witness?
Yeah, Mr. Bahena, a question. You agree you're the only one who could take the police to the body of Molly Tippetts?
Yes.
That's all.
Are we done with this witness?
Yes. State your full name. It's Jamie Lee Slife. Do you recall in July of 2018 when there were stories about Molly Tibbetts missing?
Yes.
Benton County being close in relation, it was nationwide news.
It was all over the news, yep.
And did you pay attention to that, those news coverages?
I did.
At that point in time, did you make some tips or some phone calls into the tip line? I did. And what was your understanding of the tip line in reference to Molly Tibbetts?
Well, just all over the news, they just kept saying that if you have any tips to just call in. No tips were too big or too small just to call.
And based on your experience, you decided to call in a tip a couple different times. Is that right? That is correct. Who is your father? Ron Pexa. And Ron Pexa, how has he historically been employed?
Historically, he has been in law enforcement. He also worked as an accident investigator for the DOT when I was a kid growing up.
You had concerns that your father lived in the Poweshiek County area. Is that right? Yes. And based on those concerns, did you report tips to the tip line? I did. How many different times did you call the tip line?
I first called the tip line just a few days after she went missing. After that, it was probably a couple weeks into it. When it kind of got closer to his area, I thought, I should probably call again. I'm sure they've been flooded with tips, and I just felt like I needed to call again. And then again...
I ended up calling the sheriff's department there in Powysheet to leave a message just because I felt like it was the right thing to do. It just kept eating at me that I needed to call.
So there were three different times that you called. Is that right? Yes. Why did you call?
My dad has sexually abused him.
I'm going to object to this. Can we approach?
Ms. Freeze, back to you. You can go ahead and why don't you rephrase that or repeat your question, rephrase it, complete it. I'm not sure where we are, but you're up with a question.
Ms. Slife, I know this is difficult for you, but why did you make those calls regarding your father?
Because I know the type of man he is. He sexually abused me and my sisters. He used to threaten to kill us.
Judge, these threats, the statements have nothing to do with this case. This is completely irrelevant. I have DHS records that document.
Hold on, hold on, hold on. Objection's overruled. Go ahead and finish your answer.
I guess I would just like to say that I'm here just to state the fact. And the facts are that I have documents of the abuse. of severe trauma that was committed by my dad on set. And so based on the man that I know him to be, I felt the right thing to do was to call the tip line.
And when, again, just based on the media, then now searching in his area, I felt the need to call again because I did not know if I had been heard, if my tip had been taken seriously.
Now, you said that you were a sexual abuse victim of your father, is that right? Yes. And I understand you don't want to bring your family into this, but you also said that your sisters were sexual abuse victims of your father, is that right? Yes, and it was founded by DHS. You also said that your mother was victimized somehow by Mr. Pexa. Is that right?
Yes, he was very violent. He would pull guns on us. He threw knives at my mom.
Did Mr. Pexa ever make threats to kill you or your sisters? Yes.
What relevance does this have? This is completely irrelevant as it relates to this particular young woman.
I got about five more minutes. I'm not planning on taking the rest of the day.
I'm going to overrule the objection, but I'm going to hold you to that promise, and let's get to where we're going.
Based on that information... Did you continue to try to make your concerns known? Yes. And your father lives in a specific area in Poweshiek County, is that right? Yes. Did you pay attention to this investigation? Yeah, well, yeah, I think the whole country did. At some point in time, did the search area contain an area that was close to where your father lived? Yes.
In fact, his home was right in that area. Is that right? That is correct. Did you make another call at that point in time? That is when I called the Sheriff's Department. Now, Ms. Slife, did you ever get any feedback or any phone calls from law enforcement? No. At some point in time, a body was located. Is that right? Is that a yes? Yes, I'm sorry.
Where was that body located in reference to your father's home?
Right next to his property. No further questions.
Mr. Brown, you may cross-examine. Ron Pexa is your father?
Yes.
Is this the same Ron Pexa who was a basketball player?
Yes, for Washington High School in Missouri.
He played for Missouri, correct? Yes.
I'm sorry, yes.
He's a tall guy, right?
Yes, he's 6'7".
Okay, is he actually taller than that?
No, I believe he's 6'7".
Okay, so he stands out, would you agree, by his height? He's taller than most human beings, is that correct? Correct. And it's safe to say that you don't have a good relationship with Ron Pexa, correct?
No, I do not have a relationship with him.
That's all. Anything else of this witness?
No.
Thank you, Ms. Sly.
Defense may call its next witness.
Defense calls Luis Medina. Please state your full name and spell your last name for the record.
Luis Medina, L-U-I-S M-E-D-I-N-A.
Sir, how are you related to Christian Bahena-Rivera?
He's the nephew of my wife.
Let's talk about when Christian Bahena-Rivera was brought to the Sheriff's Office. How did you become aware that law enforcement was talking with him?
My wife called me and said that Christian was being taken to the Power Sheet.
Did you decide to go there?
She told me to go and find out what's going on.
Did you go to the Power Sheet County Sheriff's Office?
Yes.
When you got there, what did you do?
I opened the door and pushed that button.
In the sheriff's office, there's kind of a little doorway where there'd be a set of doors and then another set of doors, is that right?
Right.
And if the sheriff's office is closed, then you've got to push a button to get in, is that right?
Right.
So you pushed that button? Yep. Did anybody answer? Yes. And what happened next, sir?
I asked about Christian, and they know nothing about it, but they let me in. They told me to come in, and I went in, and I sat down, waited there for five minutes. Then two gentlemen came in and asked me how I knew him.
Now, this waiting area that you were in, that you were let in after hitting the button, it's got some chairs and places for you to sit down, is that right?
Yeah, it's kind of like the lobby.
There's also, there's a restroom, is that right?
I didn't see that.
Okay. But you talked with these men, and they asked you questions about Christian Bahena Rivera, is that right?
Yes.
After that was done, what did you do?
I wait there a little bit more because they told me it's going to be like 15 minutes. So then they came back again and asked me another question. It was different people. And they asked me questions about him. And I answer it. And then they told me, okay, like 15 minutes more.
So you were told two different times it'll be 15 minutes, is that right?
Right.
About what time is this at night?
That was probably around 8, 8 o'clock, 8, 10, 15.
What happened next?
I went to check on my son because he was outside waiting for me. Then I saw my sister-in-law come in with Delfino, asked me what's going on, and I said, they didn't say nothing. But I went to check on my kid, and they went towards over there. And when I came back, she was talking to a lady.
How old's your son?
Then he was 14.
So you go out and check on him, and that's when who shows up?
Alejandra and Delfino.
And once they show up, do you try to go back inside of the sheriff's office?
Yes.
Were you allowed into the waiting room again?
They asked me if I could go, if I wanted to wait out there, and we just waited there the whole way.
How long did you wait?
Well, it seemed like forever. We left that night at like 1.30 in the morning.
While you're waiting, are you trying to reach... Christian Bahena-Rivera?
No.
Were you hoping to speak with him?
No, I was just trying to find out what was going on.
Were you ever able to get any information about what they were questioning him about?
Yes, they asked me if I knew about Amali. And I go, yeah, that's on the news.
No further questions.
Mr. Brown, you may cross-examine.
Just to clarify a couple things. Mr. Medina, is that correct? Yes. How are you? Good. So you were at the sheriff's office beginning at 7.30, is that correct? Well, yeah. And whether you were inside or outside the sheriff's office, what was the total time you were there? The total from 7 to 1.30. And was there another woman that was there with you? She came in later. And who was that?
That was my sister-in-law. Cervantes, is that her last name? Yeah. And did you have a cell phone with you? Yes. Did you make any attempt to contact the defendant, Christian Bahena-Rivera? No. You were just trying to find out kind of what was going on, correct? Yes, sir. That's all. Thank you.
Any other questions?
No, Your Honor.
Defense may call their next witness.
Your Honor, at this time, the defense rests. Thank you.