The man who was arrested in the murder of Mollie Tibbetts, the University of Iowa student who vanished last month, worked less than three miles from where she was staying the night she vanished.
Cristhian Rivera was employed by Yarrabee Farms for the past several years, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
The Des Moines Register reported that it reviewed documents that listed several owners of the farm, which included Dane Lang and Eric Lang, both relatives of Craig Lang. Craig Lang, who owns a dozen property deeds in Brooklyn, Iowa, is reportedly a former 2018 Republican candidate for secretary of agriculture in the state.
Dane Lang said Rivera worked there for the past several years, and was an “employee in good standing.” He also noted that Rivera passed the government’s E-Verify employment verification system, despite his status as an undocumented immigrant. The system is intended to maintain a database of I-9 forms and tax records of employees across the country.
“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,” Dane Lang said in a statement. “On Monday, the authorities visited our farm and talked to our employees. We have cooperated fully with their investigation.