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Dateline season 33, episode 22, explores the story of Mollie Tibbetts, who disappeared while jogging near Brooklyn, Iowa, on July 18, 2018. Mollie was a 20-year-old student from the University of Iowa who went for a jog from her boyfriend's house but never came back.
A massive search was arranged over the next several weeks, but she was not found. However, on August 21, 2018, a body was discovered, which was identified to be Mollie Tibbetts. While investigating, authorities found surveillance footage, which led them to a man named Cristhian Bahena Rivera.
Dateline's new episode, titled The Last Mile, explores the complete investigation behind the murder of Mollie Tibbetts. The episode was released on April 6, 2025. The official synopsis of the Dateline episode reads:
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"A college student home for the summer goes missing while jogging; her closeknit Iowa town comes together to search for her until investigators discover security camera video that reveals a critical clue."
What is the story of Dateline subject Mollie Tibbetts?
As per the Des Moines Register, the Dateline subject, Mollie Tibbetts, was born on May 8, 1998, in the neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Her parents divorced when she was in second grade. Mollie, along with her mother and two siblings, moved to Iowa, where she was raised.
As per USA Today, Dateline's episode subject, Mollie Tibbetts, joined the University of Iowa to study psychology. She was a former cross-country runner who was in her sophomore year of college when she disappeared.
Mollie Tibbetts was staying at her boyfriend's house in Brooklyn at the time of her disappearance, as reported by the Des Moines Register. Reportedly, she went out for an evening jog on July 18, 2018, but did not return. It was her family who first informed the police about the disappearance when Mollie didn't show up for work the next day.
Initially, the volunteers started the search by putting up posters in the neighboring cities and conducting personal interviews with her close friends and family. As per ABC, Mollie's boyfriend, Dalton Jack, revealed to the investigators that he was out at work in Dubuque, Iowa, and their last conversation was a Snapchat message.
Investigators found crucial evidence from surveillance camera footage
As per the Des Moines Register, on August 21, 2018, Iowa Police discovered a body in Powesheik County. A man named Cristhian Bahena Rivera led them to the particular site. Reportedly, he lived in that area for four to seven years. Two days later, forensics identified the body to be Mollie Tibbetts.
As per CNN, the State Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be multiple sharp-force injuries, declaring the case to be homicide. Cristhian Rivera, who was an initial suspect in the crime, was a Mexican immigrant who moved to the United States when he was 17, according to a report by ABC News.
As per a Des Moines Register report, investigators retrieved surveillance footage from July 18, 2018. Investigators found that Mollie Tibbetts was being followed by a Black Chevy Malibu car as she was running through a street in Brooklyn.
Upon reviewing the footage closely, investigators determined that Cristhian Rivera was driving the car. When Rivera was interrogated, he refused to admit to being involved in the crime. Authorities believed that the Dateline episode subject, Mollie Tibbetts, was abducted in the 1900 block of 385th Avenue, as reported by the same outlet.
Rivera told investigators that he blacked out for a while and later saw earpieces in his lap, referring that the victim was in his trunk. After rigorous interrogation, Cristhian Rivera finally admitted to the kidnapping of Molly Tibbetts.
As per the Des Moines Register, Rivera said that the Dateline episode subject, Mollie Tibbetts, threatened to call the police after she was chased. Hence, he put her inside his car trunk and dumped her body in a cornfield to conceal the evidence.
On August 22, 2018, Dateline episode culprit Cristhian Rivera was charged with first-degree murder. As per KCCI, Rivera's trial officially began on May 17, 2021.
On May 28, 2021, Rivera was found guilty of first-degree murder. As per the Associated Press, on August 30, 2021, Dateline episode subject Cristhian Rivera was sentenced to a lifetime in prison without any chance of parole. He is currently spending his time behind bars at the Iowa State Penitentiary, located in Ford Madison, Iowa.
Check out our other articles to learn more details about Mollie Tibbett's murder.
