The trial of a man charged in the killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts has been delayed.

Cristhian Bahena Rivera was supposed to be tried in September, but the first-degree murder case was reset Friday (7/10) to January because of of the pandemic and changing orders from the Iowa Supreme Court on when jury trials can resume.

Investigators say Rivera, 25, stalked Tibbetts while she was out for a run in Brooklyn, Iowa, and stabbed her to death. Tibbetts, 20, disappeared on July 18, 2018. After a massive police and volunteer effort to find her, authorities say, Bahena Rivera led them to her body.

His trial was moved out of Poweshiek County, where Tibbetts was killed, because of pretrial publicity. The September trial was supposed to be held in Woodbury County. Instead, Rivera will be tried in Scott County.

Defense attorney Chad Frese told The Gazette that the location change was just to accommodate scheduling.