The suspect charged with the murder of Mollie Tibbetts worked for a local dairy farm owned by the family of a well-known Iowa Republican.
Authorities said 24-year-old Cristhan Rivera entered the country illegally and had lived in Poweshiek County between four and seven years.
Late Tuesday, the owners of Yarrabee Farms in Brooklyn issued a statement confirming that Rivera had worked for the dairy farm for four years. Yarrabee Farms is owned by the family of former Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang. Lang unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for Iowa Secretary of State earlier this year.
The statement by the farm said "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mollie Tibbetts. This is aprofoundly 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."
Yararrabee Farms said Rivera was vetted through the government's E-Verify system and was "an employee in good standing." The statement said Yarrabee Farms follows all laws related to verifying employees are "legal to work in the United States..."
Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad had appointed Lang president of the Iowa Board of Regents. The Iowa Senate turned down Lang's renomination to the Board of Regents in 2013. He served 10 years as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement Tuesday saying "As Iowans, we are heart broken 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."
https://www.kcci.com/article/heart-...-procedure-inspires-him-to-give-back/22795217
Authorities said 24-year-old Cristhan Rivera entered the country illegally and had lived in Poweshiek County between four and seven years.
Late Tuesday, the owners of Yarrabee Farms in Brooklyn issued a statement confirming that Rivera had worked for the dairy farm for four years. Yarrabee Farms is owned by the family of former Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang. Lang unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for Iowa Secretary of State earlier this year.
The statement by the farm said "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mollie Tibbetts. This is aprofoundly 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."
Yararrabee Farms said Rivera was vetted through the government's E-Verify system and was "an employee in good standing." The statement said Yarrabee Farms follows all laws related to verifying employees are "legal to work in the United States..."
Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad had appointed Lang president of the Iowa Board of Regents. The Iowa Senate turned down Lang's renomination to the Board of Regents in 2013. He served 10 years as president of the Iowa Farm Bureau.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement Tuesday saying "As Iowans, we are heart broken 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."
https://www.kcci.com/article/heart-...-procedure-inspires-him-to-give-back/22795217