Man Suspected of Killing Mollie Tibbetts Changes Lawyers

Christian Bahena Rivera is the 24-year-old man accused of killing Brooklyn, Iowa native Mollie Tibbetts. Rivera is said to have led investigators to Tibbetts' body that was found in a cornfield in Poweshiek County. CBS reports that according to autopsy results conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiner, Tibbetts died of "multiple sharp force injuries".

Defense attorney Allan Richards was Rivera's counsel, but that changed as of Monday. CBS2/FOX28 reports that Rivera has withdrew counsel from Richards as well as "waived his right to a preliminary hearing and withdrew pending motions filed by Richards." Richards' filings included a "gag order to prevent government officials from referring to Rivera as an illegal immigrant, despite providing no proof that he was in fact in the country legally." Rivera has instead named private criminal defense attorney Chad Frese from Marshalltown, Iowa to represent him.

Christian Bahena Rivera is facing first-degree murder charges and if convicted he will be looking at a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.