The judge presiding over the Mollie Tibbetts murder case is set to issue a written decision on the defense's request for a new trial after listening to hours of testimony on Tuesday.
Lawyers for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 27, introduced new evidence during a hearing at Poweshiek County Courthouse that they claim will exonerate their client, who was found guilty of murdering the Iowa college student in May.
The defense has sought to link Tibbetts's death to another woman's report of being kidnapped and sexually assaulted in the summer of 2018, and the recent disappearance of 11-year-old boy Xavior Harrelson.
They claim Tibbetts may have been abducted as part of an Iowa sex trafficking ring headed up by 50-year-old James Lowe - the former live-in boyfriend of Harrelson's mom.
They also presented testimony from two new witnesses, who claim a 21-year-old local man had confessed to being Tibbetts's true killer.
In his testimony Tuesday, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agent Trent Vileta rejected the defense's claims and expressed confidence that the right man was convicted.
Lawyers for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 27, (right) introduced new evidence Tuesday during a hearing at Poweshiek County Courthouse that they claim will exonerate their client, who was found guilty of murdering Mollie Tibbetts
The defense has sought to link Tibbetts's death to two local men, including 50-year-old suspected meth dealer and 'sex trafficker' James Lowe
Prosecutors noted Lowe, a suspected methamphetamine dealer, had been investigated in both abduction cases but hasn't been charged in either, and say he has no tie to Tibbetts at all.
Vileta, who served as the lead investigator in the case, said the claims against Lowe should be disregarded given the evidence tying local farmhand Bahena Rivera to Tibbetts's abduction and stabbing death.
He noted that Bahena Rivera partially confessed to stalking Tibbetts while she was out for a run, killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield, where he led investigators after a lengthy interrogation in August 2018.
He said that Bahena Rivera's statements were 'completely corroborated from start to finish.'
'Cristhian Rivera murdered Mollie Tibbetts,' Vileta testified.
After hearing hours of testimony Tuesday, Judge Joel Yates said he would take the matter under advisement and issue a written ruling as soon as possible.
Yates told Bahena Rivera's lawyers at times that he was having trouble seeing any relevance to the case against their client.
Jurors found Bahena Rivera guilty of first-degree murder after a two-week trial in May.
They rejected his
