Man convicted of murdering Mollie Tibbetts sentenced to life in prison

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The man convicted of murdering Iowa college student, Mollie Tibbetts, was sentenced to life in prison. 

Cristhian Bahena Rivera was sentenced after being convicted for first-degree murder in 2018.

He is sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole, to pay $100,000 to Mollie Tibbett's estate, and submit a DNA sample. 

During the trial, Bahena Rivera's lawyers allowed him to answer questions about the night Tibbett's went missing, stating he was held hostage by masked people. 

The jury came to the conclusion that Bahena Rivera was guilty of killing Tibbetts, and he was recently denied a request for a new trial.