Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT AVENATTI MAKES ANOTHER STOP IN IOWA. STACEY: TONIGHT, PEOPLE ARE REMEMBERING MOLLIE TIBBETTS. PRAYER VIGILS IN IOWA AND IN BROOKLYN. HER BODY WAS FOUND TUESDAY MORNING IN A CORNFIELD IN POWESHIEK COUNTY. 24-YEAR-OLD CHRISTIAN RIVERA IS UNDER ARREST FOR THE MURDER. OUR REPORTER IS OUTSIDE OF ST. PATRICK’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE SITE OF TONIGHT’S SERVICE AND THE CHURCH WHERE MOLLIE WAS CONFIRMED. LAURA: THE PRIEST HERE SAYS CHRISTIANITY CALLS US TO FORGIVE BUT MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY SAY THAT IS GOING TO BE TOO HARD RIGHT NOW. A SUMMER SERVICE FILLED WITH SONGS AND PRAYERS AS THE BROOK LAND COMMUNITY ASKS GOD WHY A YOUNG WOMAN HAD TO DIE. >> PEOPLE IS IRRATIONAL. WE CAN NEVER WRAP OUR EYES AROUND -- WRAP OUR MINDS AROUND IT FULLY. LAURA: DOZENS OF PEOPLE INCLUDING MOLLIE’S GRANDMOTHER AND THE COUNTY SHERIFF PACKED THE CHURCH WHERE TIBBETS WAS A LONGTIME MEMBER. >> SHE HAD A GREAT LIFE AHEAD OF HER. BUT SHE WAS ALSO SOEONE WHO ALWAYS SMILED. SHE HAD ENERGY THAT WAS CONTAGIOUS. LAURA: THE PAIN IS STILL GUTWRENCHING FOR RESIDENTS LIKE MARY CARLSON. >> UNBEARABLE. LAURA: THE FATHER CALLED FOR FORGIVENESS FOR TIBBETS’S ALLEGED KILLER. >> OUR FAITH TELLS US THAT CHRIST GAVE FORGIVENESS. >> IT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO FORGIVE. LAURA: MARCUS: -- LAURA: AFTER THE SERVICE, FRIENDS OF STOOD UP TO TELL THEIR BELOVED MOLLIE MEMORIES. >> I REALLY WANT TO BELIEVE IN ETERNAL LIFE. ONE DAY WE WILL SEE MOLLY AGAIN. LAURA: MOLLY’S GRANDMOTHER TOLD US OFF-CAMERA THAT SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO REMEMBER HER SMILE FOREVER. HER FUNERAL IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE AT Advertisement Preliminary autopsy results reveal how Mollie Tibbetts died Mollie Tibbetts died of 'multiple sharp force injuries' Share Shares Copy Link Copy Mollie Tibbetts, the 20-year-old college student whose disappearance initiated a massive search and nationwide interest, died of multiple sharp force injuries, according to the Iowa state medical examiner. Preliminary autopsy results released Thursday confirmed what was already presumed: that the body is Tibbetts and that it was a homicide. No details were released about what caused the sharp force injuries. The agency said further examination may result in additional findings.Tibbetts had been missing since July 18 before her body was discovered in a cornfield about 12 miles southeast of her small hometown of Brooklyn. The suspected killer, 24-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who is in the U.S. illegally, according to federal immigration authorities, has been charged with first-degree murder in the University of Iowa student’s death. He is being held in the Poweshiek County Jail in lieu of $5 million cash-only bail. Rick Rahn, a special agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, told reporters at a news conference earlier this week that Rivera had led authorities to the body. Investigators tracked down Rivera after reviewing surveillance footage from around the area showing him driving back and forth near the area where Tibbetts usually ran.According to an affidavit attached to the criminal complaint, Rivera admitted to authorities that he pursued Tibbetts. He got out of the car and ran alongside her, court documents indicate.RELATED: Authorities: Suspect in Mollie Tibbetts' murder entered country illegallyRemembering Mollie: Brooklyn residents mourn, pray for Mollie TibbettsRunners nationwide hit pavement in memory of Mollie TibbettsTibbetts grabbed her cellphone and threatened to call police, according to the affidavit. Rivera told investigators he then panicked and “blocked” his memory before blacking out.When he came to an intersection near a cornfield about 12 miles southeast of where Tibbetts was last seen jogging, he turned around and drove into a driveway.He noticed there was an earphone in his lap, and then he pulled her bloody body out of the trunk, the affidavit stated. He dragged the body to a secluded area in the cornfield, where he placed it faceup and covered it with cornstalks. Rahn said Rivera cooperated with authorities and speaking with the help of translator, led them to the body from memory.It is unclear whether Tibbetts had been assaulted or tried to fight him off. Autopsy results are confidential under Iowa law, except for the cause and manner of death. Family members issued a statement Wednesday, saying they are "heartbroken. ""We thank all of those from around the world who have sent their thoughts and prayers for our girl," the family said. "We know that many of you will join us as we continue to carry Mollie in our hearts forever. "At this time, our family asks that we be allowed the time to process our devastating loss and share our grief in private.”<doc-sep>Preliminary autopsy results show that Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was killed by "multiple sharp force injuries. "The state medical examiner has determined that Tibbetts' death was a homicide. No details were released about what caused the sharp force injuries. The agency said further examination may result in additional findings.The Division of Criminal Investigation released the information Thursday, saying the autopsy also officially confirms that the body found in rural Iowa this week was that of the 20-year-old Tibbetts.A man has been charged in Tibbetts' slaying. Investigators said Cristhian B. Rivera led police to the body on Tuesday in a cornfield outside of Brooklyn, Iowa.Investigators allege that Rivera abducted Tibbetts while she was out for an evening run on July 18. Investigators said he killed the young woman and later disposed of her body in a rural location. Preliminary autopsy results show that Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was killed by "multiple sharp force injuries." The state medical examiner has determined that Tibbetts' death was a homicide. No details were released about what caused the sharp force injuries. The agency said further examination may result in additional findings. Advertisement The Division of Criminal Investigation released the information Thursday, saying the autopsy also officially confirms that the body found in rural Iowa this week was that of the 20-year-old Tibbetts. A man has been charged in Tibbetts' slaying. Investigators said Cristhian B. Rivera led police to the body on Tuesday in a cornfield outside of Brooklyn, Iowa. Investigators allege that Rivera abducted Tibbetts while she was out for an evening run on July 18. Investigators said he killed the young woman and later disposed of her body in a rural location.<doc-sep>Dad of missing student: We just want her back Mollie Tibbetts' relatives and friends have been posting fliers seeking information on her whereabouts. Mollie Tibbetts (left) and Cristhian Rivera (right). Rivera was charged Aug. 22, 2018 with first-degree murder in the disappearance of Tibbetts, according to arrest documents from the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office. (CNN) — A preliminary report from the autopsy on Mollie Tibbetts’ body determined that her death was a “homicide resulting from multiple sharp force injuries,” the Iowa State Medical Examiner said. Tibbetts, a 20-year-old student at the University of Iowa, went missing after an evening jog on July 18, sparking an extensive month-long search in the region. A body that officials believed to be hers was found on Tuesday in a rural area, hidden under corn stalks, and the autopsy confirmed her identity. “Sharp force injuries” are those caused by pointed or sharp-edged objects, such as in stab wounds, incised wounds and chop wounds, according to the medical news site Medscape. Tibbetts’ funeral has been scheduled for Sunday afternoon, according to a release on the Smith Funeral Home and Cremation Service website. The Mass of Resurrection will be held at the gymnasium of the BGM High School in Brooklyn, Iowa. Cristhian Bahena Rivera, a 24-year-old Mexican man who illegally came to the United States, was charged with her murder on Wednesday after he confessed to following her on her run. In an arrest affidavit, Rivera said he remembered getting mad at her; what happened afterward was “blocked” from his memory. When he came to, he realized he had put a bleeding Tibbetts in his trunk, and then he carried her into a cornfield and left her there, the affidavit states. Tibbetts’ tragic death and the suspect’s unauthorized immigration status have thrust the story to the forefront of the US immigration debate in the past few days. President Donald Trump and other leading Republicans have argued that this case shows the need to maintain stricter border security and kick out undocumented immigrants. However, studies have cast doubt on the argument that immigrants commit crimes more often than others. A study published in Justice Quarterly in 2012 found that “foreign-born individuals exhibit remarkably low levels of involvement in crime.” Similarly, a study from Northwestern University found no correlation between immigrants and violent crime. Rob Tibbetts Mollie Tibbetts, here with her dad, was last seen alive on July 18 on an evening run. Rivera has not yet entered a plea in the case and is being held on $5 million bond. He has no criminal record and had worked at a local dairy farm for four years prior to his arrest. Rick Rahn, special agent in charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said the suspect’s motive was unclear. “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,” Rahn said. CNN’s Sheena Jones contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old psychology student at the University of Iowa, was found dead in a cornfield in Guersney, Iowa, on Tuesday morning Mollie Tibbetts died from “multiple sharp force injuries,” according to preliminary autopsy findings released on Thursday, though some other details in her mysterious slaying remain unclear. Tibbetts, a 20-year-old psychology student at the University of Iowa, was found dead in a cornfield in Guersney, Iowa, on Tuesday morning, some 11 miles southeast of her hometown of Brooklyn. She vanished there on July 18 while going for a run. Later on Tuesday police also charged Cristhian Rivera, 24, with Tibbetts’ first-degree murder. Police documents obtained by PEOPLE allege that Rivera abducted and killed Tibbetts after crossing paths with her while she was jogging. However, it is still publicly unknown when, exactly, Tibbetts was killed and how well she knew her suspected murderer, if at all. RELATED VIDEO: Man Is Charged in Connection with Mollie Tibbetts’ Murder An autopsy on her body was conducted Wednesday by the Iowa State Medical Examiner. Some of the initial findings were announced on Thursday, such as the nature of her fatal injuries. But more specific information was not released, including what weapon or weapons may have been used and the extent of Tibbetts’ wounds. “Further examination may result in additional findings,” state authorities said. “Sharp force injuries” include cuts and stab wounds, according to the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health, and they are “caused by a sharp/pointed object.” • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Rivera’s arrest warrant affidavit is not more enlightening. It shows that he allegedly said he “blocked” his “memory” after Tibbetts grew unnerved by him when he began running around her. The next thing he remembered was being in his car and then realizing that her dead body was in his trunk, her head bloody, according to the arrest affidavit. Rivera, who made his first court appearance on Wednesday, remains in custody in lieu of $5 million cash bond. He has not entered a plea but his attorney reiterated that he is presumed innocent and no evidence has yet been presented in court.