Where is Mollie Tibbetts’ Family Now?

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Dateline’s ‘The Last Day: The Case of Mollie Tibbetts’ takes the viewer through the 2018 disappearance and murder of Mollie Tibbetts. A resident of Brooklyn, Iowa, Mollie, went missing while out for a routine run on the evening of July 18, 2018. Although the disappearance did not provide any immediate leads, surveillance footage soon led authorities to Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who was convicted of the murder.

Interestingly, apart from chronicling the horrifying incident in detail, the episode also introduces the members of Mollie’s family and portrays how the incident ended up affecting them. Let’s take a detailed look at the case, and find out more about the family of Mollie Tibbetts, shall we?

Who Is There In Mollie Tibbetts’ Family?

As per the show, Mollie’s father and mother divorced when she was in the second grade. Hence, she, her mother, Laura Calderwood, and siblings, Jake and Scott, relocated from San Francisco, California, to Brooklyn, Iowa, where they grew up in a close-knit community. Even though the siblings lived with their mother, they maintained a tight bond with their father, Robert “Rob” Tibbetts, and were close to both their parents. Moreover, with their father marrying a second time, Mollie also shared a great relationship with her stepmother, Kacey Auston-Tibbetts, who was left distraught after her sudden disappearance.

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Additionally, the young University of Iowa student was also very close to her cousin, Morgan Collum, who described Mollie as someone who only saw the good in people. On the morning of July 19, Mollie’s brother, Scott, rang up their mother, Laura, and informed her that his sister had not turned up to her summer job at a local daycare. Soon, Laura asked around and learned that Mollie had not been spotted after she stepped out of her boyfriend’s brother’s house the previous evening.

According to Mollie’s boyfriend, who was away at work in Dubuque, the 20-year-old had messaged him over Snapchat before going out for her evening jog and disappearing into thin air. Once authorities got involved in the missing person case, they left no stones unturned in their search. Still, there was no news of Mollie, and her chances of survival seemed to turn bleak by the day.

Eventually, the police realized they could trace the jogging route the victim took using surveillance footage from several CCTV cameras. The video footage showed how a particular vehicle kept following Mollie as she jogged through the neighborhood. Realizing it to be a promising lead, the police traced the car and were led straight to Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who claimed he had nothing to do with Mollie’s disappearance. However, a search of his car revealed traces of the victim’s blood, and the police charged him with murder.

Where Is Mollie Tibbetts’ Family Now?

Mollie Tibbetts’ family was quite active throughout her trial. Her mother, Laura, even delivered a heart-touching victim impact statement once Cristhian Bahena Rivera was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2021. Since Mollie was slain, her family has been quite vocal about their fight for justice and kept the victim alive in their memories. While her father described Mollie as his “hero,” saying, “Today, we need to turn the page. We’re at the end of a long ordeal. But we need to turn toward life — Mollie’s life — because Mollie’s nobody’s victim. Mollie’s my hero.”

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Mollie’s cousin, Morgan, praised Mollie’s existence and said, “Please, don’t be mad at God for taking Mollie away from us. Rather, praise God for His perfect creation in making a soul so sweet, so pure, and so caring to all.” Additionally, even her brothers spoke out about their sister and stated how she made their lives brighter with her love and care. Since Rivera, an undocumented immigrant, was responsible for the death of the 20-year-old, it was used as a platform to run a campaign against undocumented immigrants. However, the whole of Mollie’s family spoke out against such ideas.

Mollie’s father, Rob, in particular, insisted that people “not appropriate Mollie’s soul in advancing views she believed were profoundly racist.” He said, “She may not be able to speak for herself, but I can and will. Please leave us out of your debate.” The grieving father further stated, “The person who is accused of taking Mollie’s life is no more a reflection of the Hispanic community…” adding, “To the Hispanic community, my family stands with you and offers its heartfelt apology. That you’ve been beset by the circumstances of Mollie’s death is wrong. they did not hold an entire group of people responsible.”

Interestingly, Mollie’s brother’s friend, Ulises Felix-Sandoval, is the son of Mexican immigrants who knew Rivera. As his family fled to Mexico after Rivera’s arrest, Laura took Felix under her care and treated her like one of her children. Currently, Laura and her sons live in Brooklyn, Iowa, where she has built up a beautiful life surrounded by loved ones. On the other hand, Mollie’s father and her stepmother are residents of Fresno, California. However, her cousin, Morgan Collum, prefers to stay under the radar, although she, too, appears to reside in the state of Iowa.

Read More: Where Is Cristhian Bahena Rivera Now?

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