A Brooklyn, Iowa, woman says she had her own encounter with
suspected killer, Cristhian Rivera, the man accused of abducting
and murdering University of Iowa student, Mollie Tibbetts.
oHe would just stare. He wouldnAt really, like, talk,o Brooke
Bestell, 20, told The New York Times. oSomething about him was
off.o
Bestell said Rivera once asked her out on a date. She declined
the offer but it didnAt stop him from trying to pursue her. He
reportedly began sending her Facebook messages in the middle of
the night. She added that he also started messaging two of her
friends.
oJust over and over, like every week or so, he would message me
again.o
Bestell stated the last message she received from Rivera
occurred on June 13 at around 3 a.m. A little over a month
later, Rivera allegedly killed 20-year-old Mollie, after he
abducted her while she was out jogging, according to court
documents.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, two other people in the
Brooklyn area reported similar accounts with Rivera. Speaking
on behalf of her 17-year-old sister, Brooklyn resident Bailey
Gibson, 18, told MailOnline that although her younger sibling
initially thought Rivera was nice, he eventually made the teen
feel unsafe and ocreeped out.o
oI know Cristhian from my sister. She thought he was a nice,
well-spoken person. They hung out a few times but nothing really
happened romantically,o she said. oShe told me that a little
while ago he drove up to her while she was walking through
Brooklyn. He told her she was really pretty and things like
that.o
oIt was more flirty than sexual but my sister is very shy. She
didnAt appreciate it. Even though she knew him a little she felt
unsafe and didnAt want to talk to him. In the end she was really
creeped out by his behavior. She had to keep telling him she
wasnAt interested.o
After a while, according to Bailey, Rivera left her little
sister alone. Neither Bailey or her sister thought anything else
of it until the news of MollieAs death and the details
surrounding it surfaced.
Another Brooklyn resident, Justin, stated that Rivera likely
followed his girlfriend home and circled around the block in her
neighborhood at least two times in the past.
oHe followed my girlfriend twice u in the same exact black
Malibu,o Justin told the outlet. oI remember her calling me when
she noticed how slow he was driving by in circles, turning
around the block to keep up with her several times on her walk
home.o
Justin claimed the reported the first incident happened around
sunset as his fianco made her way home from a grocery store.
Justin indicated someone driving a black car odrove past her
about six times,o then continued to circle around the
neighborhood after she arrived home.
oIt makes you wonder if Mollie was his only victim,o Justin
added.
Mollie Tibbetts Timeline
July 16-17
MollieAs boyfriend saw her for the last time on July 16, before
leaving town to work at a Dubuque construction site with his
brother, around 100 miles away from Brooklyn.
On July 17, Dalton and his brother, who lives with him, drove to
work. Mollie agreed to dog-sit while he was gone.
At around 5:30 p.m. on July 17, MollieAs brother, Jake Tibbetts,
who shares a car with her, dropped her off at DaltonAs home.
Mollie stayed alone while watching the dogs.
July 18
Investigators report another neighbor reported Mollie out for a
jog at around 7:30 p.m. on July 18.
Mollie had plans to go to her motherAs house for dinner on the
evening on July 18. She never showed up.
At 10 p.m. on July 18, Dalton opened the SnapChat message from
Mollie. He said it looked like she took the photo while indoors.
ItAs unclear when Mollie took the picture but detectives think
she took it at some point on Wednesday.
July 19
Jake Tibbetts, who has been cleared as a suspect, sends Mollie a
text message at 7:30 a.m., asking if she needed the car for
work. The text message was not read.
Dalton sends Mollie a text message, wishing her a good morning.
Mollie does not read the text message.
MollieAs mother, Laura Calderwood, sends Mollie several text
messages throughout the afternoon. All text messages remain
unanswered.
Jake Tibbetts calls Laura Calderwood and says Mollie never made
it to work at a daycare center. Laura calls the police.
July 20
The Facebook group, oFinding Mollie Tibbetts,o was created. It
currently has over 40,000 members.
Hundreds of people show up in the Brooklyn area to search for
Mollie.
The Poweshiek County SheriffAs Office announces that tips should
directed to its office.
The University of Iowa released a statement on Twitter that the
school is also monitoring the incident and looking for any
helpful information.
July 22
Authorities announce Mollie is still missing and that nothing
was found during the searches.
July 23
Dalton tells ABC heAs optimistic about MollieAs return.
Laura Calderwood says her daughter is an ooutgoing, fun, loving
life, loving person.o
Poweshiek County Sheriff Thomas Kriegel announces that no one
from the otight-knito community in Brooklyn has been missing
this long.
July 25
Investigators continue to follow up with tips and leads.
The family spreads the search even further by distributing
flyers across the state.
Kriegel indicates Mollie could have possibly been abducted.
July 26
Investigators search two hog farms after following up on tips,
but the searches yield no results.
Wayne Cheney is questioned by the FBI.
Authorities search CheneyAs home and cellphone.
July 27
Iowa Department of Public Safety released a statement announcing
that there are still no suspects but authorities will continue
to pursue leads and investigate.
A neighbor tells a local media outlet that he spotted Mollie
owalking nonchalantlyo down the street.
August 2
As authorities searched an area close to the Lincoln Wildfire
Reserve in Brooklyn, Iowa, someone mowing their lawn nearby
discovered a red a shirt.
The shirt was turned over to the FBI for evidence processing.
FBI reportedly asked Cheney to take a lie detector test. He
refused.
August 3
An FBI agent goes to CheneyAs house for a second round of
questioning.
August 5
Authorities revealed there have been ohundredso of leads and
tips into MollieAs disappearance.
An Iowa womanAs body was found in Lee County, but despite
speculation, police confirmed it was not Mollie, but instead a
young woman named Sadie Alvarado, who allegedly jumped out of a
moving car while arguing with her boyfriend.
August 6
Rob Tibbetts explained why his daughter, according to his own
speculations, may still be alive.
Tibbetts encouraged anyone responsible for MollieAs
disappearance to come forward now, before things get worse.
August 9
Brooklyn resident Devin Riley describes how he saw Mollie jog
past him home on the evening of July 18, explaining that she was
wearing a pink sports bra and running short.
Riley explained that he contacted police after he realized
Mollie had disappeared.
August 12
Former FBI profiler says she thinks Mollie left with someone she
knew, explaining that the omost likely scenario is that Mollie
was at least somewhat familiar with the person that she went
with.o
August 21
Authorities find a deceased body in a rural area between Deep
River, Iowa, and Guernsey, Iowa. Officials stated the body is
likely of Mollie Tibbetts.
Authorities detain Cristhian Bahena Rivera without incident.
Rivera allegedly confesses to hiding MollieAs body.
During a press conference, authorities announce Rivera entered
the country illegally and has a federal immigration detainer.
August 22
Owners of a local dairy farm speak out and claim they checked
RiveraAs eligibility to work in the U.S. prior to hiring him.
Dane Lang, co-owner of Yarrabee Farms, announced that Rivera
used fraudulent identification to obtain employment at the farm.
A Poweshiek County judge sets RiverAs bond at $5 million.
August 23
Authorities are seen searching RiveraAs residence and its
surrounding areas for a possible murder weapon.
August 24
Tensions run high as social media groups form in an attempt to
spill anti-immigration rhetoric after the public learned Rivera
is a reported undocumented immigrant.
The Iowa City Latino Festival spokesperson announced the annual
festival would be postponed this year.
August 27
Suspect Cristhian Rivera hires two new defense attorneys to
represent him. His former attorney withdrew from the case.
RiveraAs new attorneys withdrew all previous pending motions and
waived RiveraAs preliminary hearing.
[Photo: Mollie Tibbetts; Cristhian Rivera/Handout]
http://www.crimeonline.com/2018/08/30/over-and-over-he-would- message-me-mollie-tibbetts-murder-suspect-relentlessly-pursued- another-woman-creeped-her-out-report/
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