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Closing arguments in trial of man accused of murdering Mollie Tibbetts

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May 27th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A jury in Davenport will soon start deliberations on the case against the man accused of murdering 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts nearly three years ago as she was jogging in her hometown. It comes a day after Cristhian Bahena Rivera testified that he did not kill Tibbetts and claimed two masked men forced him to participate in the crime. Prosecutor Scott Brown delivered closing arguments this (Thursday) morning.

Brown spoke to the jury for an hour. Shortly after 11 o’clock, Bahena’s defense attorney started his closing arguments. Chad Frese asked the jury not to seek vengeance for Tibbetts, but to apply logic to what they heard in court and make a judgement based on the facts presented. Frese suggested Bahena had been spoon fed a confession and investigators had not followed leads on other suspects.

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