(CNN) The man accused of pursuing and killing 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts had worked four years at an Iowa dairy farm based on false identification, his employer said Wednesday.

"What we learned in the last 24 hours is that our employee was not who he said he was," said Dane Lang, the co-owner and manager of Yarrabee Farms.

That revelation came about an hour after the employee, Cristhian Bahena Rivera, was arraigned on a first-degree murder charge for the killing of Tibbetts. His bond was set at $5 million and his next court hearing is scheduled for August 31.

Tibbetts went missing last month after going out for an evening run in Brooklyn, Iowa, and her disappearance launched an extensive search in the region.

On Tuesday, Rivera -- who confessed to following her as she ran on a country road -- led authorities to the field where a body believed to be hers was buried under corn stalks, officials said.

Rivera, a 24-year-old Mexican man who officials said came to the US illegally, largely remained silent in court, answering yes or no questions in Spanish through an interpreter. His defense attorney, Allan Richards, said Rivera came to the US as a minor, held a job in the community and has no prior criminal record.

What we know about the suspect

Cristhian Rivera was charged with the murder of Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old college student, in an Iowa court on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

Rivera worked for the past four years at Yarrabee Farms.

In applying for the job, Rivera provided a state ID and Social Security card that was verified through the Social Security Administration's verification system, according to Lang. But those forms of ID were not of Rivera, he said.

"All of us are saddened by the tragic death of Mollie and the realization that one of our coworkers was involved," he said.

Lang said that Rivera was an employee in good standing who came to work on time and got along with his coworkers.

Neither he nor his employees noticed anything suspicious about Rivera's behavior after Tibbetts vanished, he said.

"This guy stayed around for 35 days after he did this," Lang said. "Nobody noticed anything different."

Yarrabee Farms is owned in part by Craig Lang, a prominent Iowa Republican who ran for Iowa secretary of agriculture this summer.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Michael Bars told CNN that Rivera did not make any requests for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, that might have provided him legal status in the US.

"We have found no record in our systems indicating he has any lawful immigration status," Bars said.

Officials did not explain why Rivera killed Tibbetts, said Rick Rahn, special agent in charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

"I can't really speak to you about the motive," Rahn said. "I can just tell you it seems that he followed her and seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day and for whatever reason he chose to abduct her."

Tibbetts' family speaks out

Tibbetts' family released a statement Wednesday thanking their supporters and asking for privacy.

"Our hearts are broken. On behalf of Mollie's entire family, we thank all of those from around the world who have sent their thoughts and prayers for our girl. We know that many of you will join us as we continue to carry Mollie in our hearts forever," the family said.

"At this time, our family asks that we be allowed the time to process our devastating loss and share our grief in private. Again, thank you for the outpouring of love and support that has been shared in Mollie's name. We remain forever grateful."

An autopsy to determine when and how Tibbetts died is planned for Wednesday. The final autopsy results are expected in four-eight weeks, although some preliminary results may be available in the next few days, according to Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

A monthlong search

Mollie Tibbetts, here with her father, disappeared on an evening jog on July 18.

Tibbetts was studying psychology at the University of Iowa and wanted to get a doctorate and write books, her father said. Her disappearance set off an extensive search that brought in hundreds of leads but no clues as to where she was.

Authorities had been looking for Tibbetts for about a month when they found home surveillance video that showed a car following a woman running on July 18.

After watching it for hours, investigators found clues that led them to Rivera. He didn't resist when authorities tried to detain him, Rahn said.

According to court documents, the suspect said in an interview that when he approached Tibbetts, she pulled out her cell phone and told Rivera she was going to "call the police" and that caused him to get angry.

Rivera alleged he blacked out at some point and woke up at an intersection in rural Poweshiek County, court documents state. At that point, he realized he had put the woman in the trunk of his car, and when he took her out, he saw blood on the side of her head, the arrest warrant states.

He left the body in a cornfield and covered it with corn leaves, the warrant adds. Rivera led authorities to a corn field on Tuesday morning, where they found a body covered in corn leaves. Tibbetts' clothing was also found at the scene.

Suspect came to US illegally

Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency on Tuesday sent a detainer request to local authorities for Rivera, who is from Mexico. That means ICE could take custody of Rivera if he was released from local custody.

President Donald Trump referred to the case while speaking at a rally in Charleston, West Virginia on Tuesday night. Rivera's immigration status was cited by Republican leaders to argue for a change in American immigration policy.President Donald Trump referred to the case while speaking at a rally in Charleston, West Virginia on Tuesday night.

"You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in very sadly from Mexico. And you saw what happened to that incredible beautiful young woman. Should have never happened. Illegally in our country," he said.

"We've had a huge impact but the laws are so bad, the immigration laws are such a disgrace. We're getting it changed but we have to get more Republicans."</s>Officials believe they have found the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a student at Iowa who had been missing for more than a month.

Officials believe they have found the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a student at Iowa who had been missing for more than a month.

Investigators believe they have found the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who has been missing for more than a month. (Source: Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation via AP, File)

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) - A man from Mexico living in the U.S. illegally has confessed to kidnapping college student Mollie Tibbetts while she was running in her small Iowa hometown, killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield, authorities said Tuesday.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Tibbetts, whose July 18 disappearance set off a massive search involving state and federal authorities.

Rivera led investigators early Tuesday to a body believed to be Tibbetts in a cornfield about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southeast of Brooklyn, Iowa, where Tibbetts was last seen running, Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Rick Rahn said.

"I can't speak about the motive. I can just tell you that it seemed that he followed her, seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day, for whatever reason he chose to abduct her," Rahn told reporters at a news conference outside the sheriff's office in Montezuma, where Rivera was being jailed.

The news that the highly publicized and gruesome crime was allegedly committed by a person in the country illegally drew immediate outrage. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, said: "As Iowans, we are heartbroken, and we are angry."

"We are angry that a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community, and we will do all we can to bring justice to Mollie's killer," she said in a statement.

The arrest is likely to spark calls for a further crackdown on illegal immigration, which President Donald Trump has made a core policy of his administration.

He often has claimed widespread crime by people living in the country illegally, citing among other things the indictments of 11 suspected MS-13 gang members from El Salvador charged in connection with the slayings of two Virginia teens. Trump also has held events at the White House with members of "angel families," whose relatives were killed by immigrants.

Although Trump claims legal U.S. residents are less likely to commit crime, several studies from social scientists and the libertarian think tank Cato Institute find that isn't accurate and states with a higher share of people living in the country illegally have lower violent crime rates.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that it lodged a federal immigration detainer for Rivera after he was arrested on the murder charge. That move means the agency has probable cause to believe he is subject to deportation.

Investigators said they believed Rivera had lived in the area from four to seven years. Rahn declined comment on his employment history, but described Rivera as someone who lived in a rural area and kept to himself. A search of Iowa court records revealed no prior criminal history, and it's unclear whether he had ever been subject to prior deportation proceedings.

Rivera's Facebook page described him as being from Guayabillo, a community of less than 500 people in the state of Guerrero. It's about a three-hour drive from the resort city of Acapulco.

Investigators said they zeroed in on Rivera after obtaining footage from surveillance cameras in Brooklyn. The footage showed a Chevy Malibu connected to Rivera that was driving back and forth as Tibbetts was running in the area, Rahn said.

An affidavit attached to the criminal complaint against Rivera alleged that he admitted to investigators he got out of his car and started running alongside Tibbetts.

Tibbetts grabbed her phone and said she was going to call the police. The affidavit says Rivera panicked and then said he blacked out. Rivera next remembers seeing her earphones on his lap, and taking her bloody body out of the trunk of his car, it said.

"The defendant further described during the interview that he dragged Tibbetts on foot from his vehicle to a secluded location in a cornfield," the affidavit said.

Investigators said they had earlier searched the area for Tibbetts but didn't find her, noting the body was covered by corn stalks when recovered early Tuesday.

Rahn said that Rivera was cooperating with investigators and speaking with the help of a translator. He said an autopsy would be performed on the body Wednesday by the state medical examiner's office, which would assist investigators in understanding whether Tibbetts had been assaulted or tried to fight him off.

A conviction on first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole in Iowa, which doesn't have the death penalty.

On Tuesday night, deputies were guarding a trailer where the suspect had lived on a gravel road outside Brooklyn near a dairy farm.

Tibbetts' disappearance set off a massive search involving dozens of officers from the FBI, as well as state and local agencies. They focused much of their efforts in and around Brooklyn, searching farm fields, ponds and homes. Investigators asked anyone who was around five locations, including a car wash, a truck stop and a farm south of town, to report if they saw anything suspicious on July 18.

Last week, Vice President Mike Pence met privately with the Tibbetts family during a visit to Iowa and told them that "you're on the hearts of every American."

At Brooklyn City Hall, city clerk Sheri Sharer said Tuesday was a sad day for the town.

"It never crossed our mind that she wouldn't come home safe," she said.

The University of Iowa mourned the loss of Tibbetts, a psychology major who would have started her junior year this week.

"We are deeply saddened that we've lost a member of the University of Iowa community," said university official Melissa Shivers, who urged students to seek counseling and other support services as needed.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A man from Mexico living in the U.S. illegally has confessed to kidnapping college student Mollie Tibbetts while she was running in her small Iowa hometown, killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield, authorities said Tuesday.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 20-year-old Tibbetts, whose July 18 disappearance set off a massive search involving state and federal authorities.

Rivera led investigators early Tuesday to a body believed to be Tibbetts in a cornfield about 19 kilometres southeast of Brooklyn, Iowa, where Tibbetts was last seen running, Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Rick Rahn said.

"I can't speak about the motive. I can just tell you that it seemed that he followed her, seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day, for whatever reason he chose to abduct her," Rahn told reporters at a news conference outside the sheriff's office in Montezuma, where Rivera was being held on $1 million US cash-only bond.

"You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in, very sadly, from Mexico and you saw what happened to that incredible, beautiful young woman," Trump told the crowd in Charleston. "Should've never happened. Illegally in our country. We've had a huge impact, but the laws are so bad. The immigration laws are such a disgrace, we're getting them changed, but we have to get more Republicans. We have to get 'em."

Iowa's two Republican senators also described Tibbetts' death as a tragedy "that could have been prevented," and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said residents were heartbroken and angry.

"We are angry that a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community, and we will do all we can to bring justice to Mollie's killer," Reynolds, a Republican, said in a statement.

Trump has made further crackdown on illegal immigration a core policy of his administration. He often has claimed widespread crime by people living in the country illegally, citing among other things the indictments of 11 suspected MS-13 gang members from El Salvador charged in connection with the slayings of two Virginia teens. Trump also has held events at the White House with members of "angel families," whose relatives were killed by immigrants.

Although Trump claims legal U.S. residents are less likely to commit crime, several studies from social scientists and the libertarian think-tank Cato Institute find that isn't accurate and states with a higher share of people living in the country illegally have lower violent crime rates.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that it lodged a federal immigration detainer for Rivera after he was arrested on the murder charge. That move means the agency has probable cause to believe he is subject to deportation.

Investigators said they believed Rivera had lived in the area from four to seven years. Rahn declined comment on his employment history, but described Rivera as someone who lived in a rural area and kept to himself. A search of Iowa court records revealed no prior criminal history, and it's unclear whether he had ever been subject to prior deportation proceedings.

Rivera's Facebook page described him as being from Guayabillo, a community of less than 500 people in the state of Guerrero. It's about a three-hour drive from the resort city of Acapulco.

Investigators said they zeroed in on Rivera after obtaining footage from surveillance cameras in Brooklyn. The footage showed a Chevy Malibu connected to Rivera that was driving back and forth as Tibbetts was running in the area, Rahn said.

An affidavit attached to the criminal complaint against Rivera alleged that he admitted to investigators he got out of his car and started running alongside Tibbetts.

Tibbetts grabbed her phone and said she was going to call the police. The affidavit says Rivera panicked and then said he blacked out. Rivera next remembers seeing her earphones on his lap, and taking her bloody body out of the trunk of his car, it said.

"The defendant further described during the interview that he dragged Tibbetts on foot from his vehicle to a secluded location in a cornfield," the affidavit said.

Investigators said they had earlier searched the area for Tibbetts but didn't find her, noting the body was covered by corn stalks when recovered early Tuesday.

Rahn said that Rivera was co-operating with investigators and speaking with the help of a translator. He said an autopsy would be performed on the body Wednesday by the state medical examiner's office, which would assist investigators in understanding whether Tibbetts had been assaulted or tried to fight him off.

Rivera's initial court appearance is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT Wednesday in Montezuma.

A conviction on first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole in Iowa, which doesn't have the death penalty.

On Tuesday night, deputies were guarding a trailer where the suspect had lived on a gravel road outside Brooklyn near a dairy farm.

Tibbetts's disappearance set off a massive search involving dozens of officers from the FBI, as well as state and local agencies. They focused much of their efforts in and around Brooklyn, searching farm fields, ponds and homes. Investigators asked anyone who was around five locations, including a car wash, a truck stop and a farm south of town, to report if they saw anything suspicious on July 18.

Last week, Vice-President Mike Pence met privately with the Tibbetts family during a visit to Iowa and told them that "you're on the hearts of every American."

At Brooklyn City Hall, city clerk Sheri Sharer said Tuesday was a sad day for the town.

"It never crossed our mind that she wouldn't come home safe," she said.

The University of Iowa mourned the loss of Tibbetts, a psychology major who would have started her junior year this week.

"We are deeply saddened that we've lost a member of the University of Iowa community," said university official Melissa Shivers, who urged students to seek counselling and other support services as needed.

Rahn said he met with the parents and other relatives of Tibbetts to inform them of the arrest Tuesday. He told them that the investigation revealed that they had "raised a great daughter."

"We got to know Mollie," he said. "She was a phenomenal individual."</s>Police: Man in the U.S. illegally charged with murder in the death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — Police: Man in the U.S. illegally charged with murder in the death of Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts.</s>The disappearance of a well-liked college student from America’s heartland had touched many people since she vanished one month ago while out for a run. But the stunning news that a Mexican man living in the U.S. illegally has allegedly confessed to kidnapping and murdering her thrust the case into the middle of the contentious immigration debate and midterm elections.

President Donald Trump seized on the man’s arrest in the death of Mollie Tibbetts on Tuesday to call the nation’s immigration laws “a disgrace” that will only be fixed by electing more Republicans. Iowa’s Republican governor, facing a tough re-election challenge in November, blasted an immigration system that “allowed a predator like this to live in our community.” And Iowa’s two GOP U.S. senators called the death a tragedy that “could have been prevented.”

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 20-year-old Tibbetts, whose July 18 disappearance set off a massive search involving state and federal authorities.

Rivera led investigators early Tuesday to a body believed to be Tibbetts in a cornfield about 19 kilometres southeast of Brooklyn, Iowa, where Tibbetts was last seen going for a routine evening run, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Rick Rahn said.

“I can’t speak about the motive. I can just tell you that it seemed that he followed her, seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day, for whatever reason he chose to abduct her,” Rahn told reporters at a news conference outside the sheriff’s office in Montezuma, where Rivera was jailed on $1 million cash-only bond.

Within hours, Trump noted the arrest at a rally in West Virginia on a day when his former personal lawyer and ex-campaign chairman both faced major legal problems.

“You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in, very sadly, from Mexico and you saw what happened to that incredible, beautiful young woman,” Trump told the crowd in Charleston. “Should’ve never happened. Illegally in our country. We’ve had a huge impact, but the laws are so bad. The immigration laws are such a disgrace, we’re getting them changed, but we have to get more Republicans. We have to get ’em.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said residents were heartbroken and angry. U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst vowed: “We cannot allow these tragedies to continue.”

Trump has made further crackdown on illegal immigration a core policy of his administration. He often has claimed widespread crime by people living in the country illegally, citing among other things the indictments of 11 suspected MS-13 gang members from El Salvador charged in connection with the slayings of two Virginia teens. Trump also has held events at the White House with members of “angel families,” whose relatives were killed by immigrants.

Although Trump claims legal U.S. residents are less likely to commit crime, several studies from social scientists and the libertarian think-tank Cato Institute find that isn’t accurate and that states with a higher share of people living in the country illegally have lower violent crime rates.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it lodged a federal immigration detainer for Rivera after he was arrested on the murder charge. That move means the agency has probable cause to believe he is subject to deportation.

Investigators said they believed Rivera had lived in the area from four to seven years.

WATCH: Iowa authorities say Cristhian Rivera was charged with murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts

In a statement late Tuesday, Yarrabee Farms said Rivera had worked at its farms for the last four years and was an employee in good standing. The Brooklyn-based company said it was shocked to hear that Rivera was charged in Tibbetts’ death. Yarrabee Farms is owned by the family of Craig Lang, a prominent Republican who previously served as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

A search of Iowa court records revealed no prior criminal history, and it’s unclear whether he had ever been subject to prior deportation proceedings.

Rivera’s Facebook page described him as being from Guayabillo, a community of less than 500 people in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It’s about a three-hour drive from the resort city of Acapulco.

Investigators said they zeroed in on Rivera after obtaining footage from surveillance cameras in Brooklyn. The footage showed a Chevy Malibu connected to Rivera that was driving back and forth as Tibbetts was running in the area, Rahn said.

An affidavit attached to the criminal complaint against Rivera alleged that he admitted to investigators he got out of his car and started running alongside Tibbetts.

Tibbetts grabbed her phone and said she was going to call the police. The affidavit said Rivera panicked and then said he blacked out. Rivera next remembers seeing her earphones on his lap, and taking her bloody body out of the trunk of his car, it said.

“The defendant further described during the interview that he dragged Tibbetts on foot from his vehicle to a secluded location in a cornfield,” the affidavit said.

Investigators said they had earlier searched the area for Tibbetts but didn’t find her, noting the body was covered by corn stalks when recovered early Tuesday.

READ MORE: Trump administration halts policy of turning over immigrant parents to prosecutors

Rahn said Rivera was co-operating with investigators and speaking with the help of a translator. He said an autopsy would be performed on the body Wednesday by the state medical examiner’s office, which would assist investigators in understanding whether Tibbetts had been assaulted or tried to fight him off.

Rivera’s initial court appearance is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday in Montezuma.

A conviction on first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole in Iowa, which doesn’t have the death penalty.

Tibbetts’ disappearance set off a massive search involving dozens of officers from the FBI, as well as state and local agencies. They focused much of their efforts in and around Brooklyn, searching farm fields, ponds and homes. Investigators asked anyone who was around five locations, including a car wash, a truck stop and a farm south of town, to report if they saw anything suspicious on July 18.

Last week, Vice-President Mike Pence met privately with the Tibbetts family during a visit to Iowa and told them that “you’re on the hearts of every American.”

At Brooklyn City Hall, city clerk Sheri Sharer said Tuesday was a sad day for the town.

“It never crossed our mind that she wouldn’t come home safe,” she said.

The University of Iowa mourned the loss of Tibbetts, a psychology major who would have started her junior year this week.

“We are deeply saddened that we’ve lost a member of the University of Iowa community,” said university official Melissa Shivers, who urged students to seek counselling and other support services as needed.

Rahn said he met with the parents and other relatives of Tibbetts to inform them of the arrest Tuesday. He told them that the investigation revealed that they had “raised a great daughter.”

“We got to know Mollie,” he said. “She was a phenomenal individual.”</s>(Reuters) - A 24-year-old farm worker charged with the murder of an Iowa college student who disappeared while jogging is in the country legally, contrary to the claims of prosecutors that he was an illegal immigrant, his attorneys said on Wednesday.

Attorneys for Cristhian Rivera made the assertion in a motion seeking a gag order for his upcoming court proceedings and trial over the murder of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts, a case that has drawn extensive international news coverage.

“The government is promoting the idea that Cristhian is not present in this jurisdiction legally,” defense attorney Allan Richards said in the court documents, adding that such comments would prejudice his right to a fair trial.

“Former leader of Iowa’s educational system (The Iowa Board of Regents) Craig Lang has verified that Cristhian is in this jurisdiction legally,” Richards wrote. “Cristhian has complied with his documented status since arriving in the USA as a minor.”

Representatives for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the claim by Rivera’s attorneys.

Rick Rahn, special agent in charge of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, told reporters following Rivera’s arrest on Monday that he was in the country illegally and that investigators believed he was from Mexico.

On Tuesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump made an apparent reference to the case during a campaign speech in West Virginia.

“You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in, very sadly, from Mexico and you saw what happened to that incredible, beautiful young woman,” said Trump, without naming Rivera or Tibbetts specifically.

Rivera was taken into custody on Monday after police said he was identified in security video taken from a camera outside a house in Brooklyn, Iowa, where Tibbetts was last seen alive.

Rivera’s black Chevrolet Malibu appeared in the video, helping lead investigators to him, Rahn said. Tibbetts is also seen jogging in one of the clips from the surveillance camera, Rahn said.

The July disappearance of Tibbetts, who attended the University of Iowa, touched off a massive search and international headlines.

A woman’s body was found in a cornfield about 10 miles from Brooklyn, where Tibbetts was staying at her boyfriend’s residence, authorities said on Tuesday.

No positive identification has yet been made on the remains, as of Wednesday afternoon, said Mitch Mortvedt, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, by telephone.</s>The Latest: Suspect to appear in court in Iowa woman's death

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — The Latest on a man in the U.S. illegally who is accused in the kidnapping and killing of an Iowa college student (all times local):

The man charged in the kidnapping and killing of an Iowa college student is expected to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts, who disappeared July 18 from Brooklyn, Iowa. He's set to appear at the Poweshiek County Courthouse in Montezuma at 1 p.m.

A criminal complaint alleges Rivera followed Tibbetts while she was out for a run, abducted and killed her, and dumped her body in a cornfield. Investigators say Rivera led them to a body believed to be Tibbetts early Tuesday.

An autopsy is scheduled Wednesday by the state medical examiner to determine the cause of death.

Court records don't list an attorney for Rivera, who is jailed on a $1 million cash-only bond.

Authorities say a man in the U.S. illegally has confessed to kidnapping a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield.

Twenty-four-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts of Brooklyn, Iowa. Rivera is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond. An initial court appearance is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Tibbetts' July 18 disappearance set off a massive search involving state and federal authorities. Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Rick Rahn says Rivera led investigators early Tuesday to a body believed to be Tibbetts.

President Donald Trump noted the arrest and called for immigration law changes at a rally in West Virginia. And Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said residents "are angry that a broken immigration system allowed a predator like this to live in our community."</s>MONTEZUMA, Iowa — The attorney for a Mexican man accused of killing an Iowa college student challenged the government’s statement Wednesday that the suspect has been living in the United States illegally.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, made his first appearance in court in the death of Mollie Tibbetts, whose July 18 disappearance while out jogging set off a massive search.

In a court document, defense attorney Allan M. Richards stated that an employer has said Rivera has legal permission to be in the U.S. The document named Craig Lang, a former head of the Iowa Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s three public universities. Lang is co-owner of a dairy that employed Rivera.

Rivera’s immigration status was confirmed by an E-Verify electronic immigration status check, the Lang family said in a statement.

Richards sought a gag order and said comments about the case by President Donald Trump would “poison the entire possible pool of jury members.”

He also asked that the proceedings be closed.

“The government has weighed in at the highest levels with a predisposition that my client is guilty,” he said.

Rivera, who was ordered held on $5 million bond, has allegedly confessed to the killing, which was quickly thrust into the immigration debate shaping the midterm elections.

Trump seized on the man’s arrest on Tuesday to call the nation’s immigration laws “a disgrace” that will only be fixed by electing more Republicans. Iowa’s Republican governor, facing a tough re-election challenge in November, blasted an immigration system that “allowed a predator like this to live in our community.” And Iowa’s two GOP U.S. senators called the death a tragedy that “could have been prevented.”

Rivera led investigators early Tuesday to a body believed to be Tibbetts in a cornfield about 12 mile southeast of Brooklyn, Iowa, where she was last seen going for an evening run, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Rick Rahn said.

“I can’t speak about the motive. I can just tell you that it seemed that he followed her, seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day, for whatever reason he chose to abduct her,” Rahn told reporters.

Within hours, Trump noted the arrest at a rally in West Virginia.

“You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in, very sadly, from Mexico and you saw what happened to that incredible, beautiful young woman,” Trump told the crowd in Charleston. “Should’ve never happened. Illegally in our country. We’ve had a huge impact, but the laws are so bad. The immigration laws are such a disgrace. We’re getting them changed, but we have to get more Republicans. We have to get ‘em.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said residents were heartbroken and angry. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst vowed that they “cannot allow these tragedies to continue.”

Trump has made crackdown on illegal immigration a core policy of his administration. He often has claimed widespread crime by people living in the country illegally, citing among other things the indictments of 11 suspected MS-13 gang members from El Salvador charged in connection with the slayings of two Virginia teens. Trump also has held events at the White House with members of “angel families,” whose relatives were killed by immigrants.

Although Trump claims legal U.S. residents are less likely to commit crime, several studies from social scientists and the libertarian think tank Cato Institute have concluded that isn’t accurate and that states with a higher share of people living in the country illegally have lower violent crime rates.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it lodged a federal immigration detainer for Rivera after he was arrested on the murder charge. That move means the agency has probable cause to believe he is subject to deportation.

Investigators said they believed Rivera had lived in the area from four to seven years.

In a statement late Tuesday, Yarrabee Farms said Rivera had worked at its farms for the last four years and was an employee in good standing. The Brooklyn-based company said it was shocked to hear that Rivera was charged in Tibbetts’ death. Yarrabee Farms is owned by the family of Craig Lang, a prominent Republican who previously served as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

A search of Iowa court records revealed no prior criminal history, and it’s unclear whether he had ever been subject to prior deportation proceedings.

Rivera’s Facebook page described him as being from Guayabillo, a community of less than 500 people in the Mexican state of Guerrero. It’s about a three-hour drive from the resort city of Acapulco.

Investigators said they zeroed in on Rivera after obtaining footage from surveillance cameras in Brooklyn. The footage showed a Chevy Malibu connected to Rivera that was driving back and forth as Tibbetts was running in the area, Rahn said.

An affidavit attached to the criminal complaint against Rivera alleged that he admitted to investigators he got out of his car and started running alongside Tibbetts.

Tibbetts grabbed her phone and said she was going to call the police. The affidavit said Rivera panicked and then said he blacked out. Rivera next remembers seeing her earphones on his lap, and taking her bloody body out of the trunk of his car, it said.

Rivera was cooperating with investigators and speaking with the help of a translator, Rahn said. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday.

A conviction on first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole in Iowa, which does not have the death penalty.
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Tibbetts would have started her junior year at the University of Iowa, where she was a psychology major.

Her family released a statement Wednesday thanking people from around the world for the “outpouring of love and support that has been shared in Mollie’s name.”

The statement added, “We know that many of you will join us as we continue to carry Mollie in our hearts forever.”</s>An arrest has finally been made in the case of missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts.

Earlier today, it was announced that there was a break in the case when the body of a young woman was found in a rural field in Poweshiek County, Iowa. The body that was recovered is believed to be that of Mollie Tibbetts but the identity has yet to be confirmed by authorities.

According to the Washington Post, 24-year-old Christhian Behena Rivera, who is an undocumented immigrant, was arrested this afternoon after he led authorities to Tibbetts’ body. ABC News shares that Rivera lives in the rural area where Tibbetts first went missing. He has reportedly lived and worked in the area for the past four to seven years.

Rick Rahn of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation announced earlier today that Rivera has been charged with first-degree murder. According to People, authorities first approached Rivera on Monday and led detectives to Tibbetts’ body earlier this morning. The body had been dumped in a cornfield in Guernsey, Iowa, which is about a 15-minute drive from Brooklyn, Iowa, where Mollie first went missing.

According to police, Rivera admitted to approaching Mollie when she was on an evening jog. Mollie, who became frightened when she was approached, threatened to call the police at one point. Rahn said that Rivera then confessed that he caught up with Tibbetts and a struggle ensued. It was at that point that the 24-year-old says that he “blacked out.”

Surveillance footage led police to their suspect, according to Rahn.

“Through that we were able to identify a vehicle that we believed belonged to Mr. Rivera. From that we were able to track his patterns and the routes that he took. We were also able to find Mollie running on this video and we were able to determine that he was one of the last ones to have seen Mollie running.”

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Mollie was last seen jogging through her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, on July 18. She was dog sitting for her boyfriend, Dalton Jack, and his brother, but was reported missing the following day when she failed to show up for her job at a local daycare. She was last seen around 7:30 p.m. local time and Jack said that he did receive a Snapchat message from Mollie that evening where she appeared to be indoors.

An award fund for tips leading to an arrest in the case was set up and the donations had reached upwards of $400,000 before Rivera was taken into custody.</s>DES MOINES — Cristhian Rivera, the man accused in the death of a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, worked for an Iowa farm owned by the brother of a prominent Iowa Republican.

In a statement Tuesday night, Dane Lang, of Yarrabee Farms, said Rivera was an “employee in good standing” and was “shocked to hear” Rivera was implicated in the death of Mollie Tibbetts.

Dane Lang is related to Craig Lang, the former president of both the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Board of Regents and a 2018 Republican candidate for state secretary of agriculture. Documents immediately reviewed by the Des Moines Register listed several owners of Yarrabee Farms, including Dane Lang and Eric Lang, Craig's brother.

On Tuesday, authorities said they found a body in a cornfield that they tentatively identified as Tibbetts', based on clothing found at the scene, according to a criminal complaint.

Rivera, 24, who resides in rural Poweshiek County, Iowa, was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in the alleged abduction and death of Tibbetts, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

During a news conference Tuesday, authorities said Rivera was employed and lived in the area for four to seven years, but they would not disclose his employer.

In a statement, Dane Lang said Rivera worked for Yarrabee Farms for four years and passed the government’s vetting process. Investigators visited the farm Monday to speak with employees.

Investigators said Rivera was in the country without proper legal documentation.

In the wake of Rivera's arrest, Republicans, including President Donald Trump and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, inveighed against the country's immigration system.

Trump alluded to the case at a rally in West Virginia on Tuesday: “You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in, very sadly, from Mexico and you saw what happened to that incredible, beautiful young woman,” he said, shaking his head. “Should’ve never happened.”

Tibbetts was last seen the night of July 18.

Read the full statement from Yarrabee Farms below:

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mollie Tibbetts. This is a profoundly sad day for our community. All of us at Yarrabee Farms are shocked to hear that one of our employees was involved and is charged in this case. This individual has worked at our farms for four years, was vetted through the government's E-Verify system, and was an employee in good standing. On Monday, the authorities visited our farm and talked to our employees. We have cooperated fully with their investigation. Yarrabee Farms follows all laws related to verifying employees are legal to work in the United States, and we regularly seek outside counsel to ensure we stay up-to-date on employment law matters. We keep records on all employees and have shared that information with authorities. We appreciate the hard work of law enforcement officials. We will continue to cooperate with authorities as the investigation moves forward.”

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Cristhian Bahena Rivera, a Mexican man accused of killing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts after entering the U.S. illegally, appears in a Poweshiek County court for arraignment on first-degree murder. His bail is set at US$5 million. If released by local police, he may be arrested by ICE.