Thursday’s (7/15) sentencing of Cristhian Bahena Rivera for first degree murder may not be cut and dried.  In May, Bahena Rivera was convicted of first degree murder in the July 2018 death of Mollie Tibbetts in her home town of Brooklyn. He is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in Montezuma.  But late last week, defense attorneys Chad and Jennifer Frese filed a motion for a new trial, claiming new evidence was discovered after the verdict that clears Bahena Rivera.  Defense attorneys have also filed a writ of habeas corpus to have 45-year-old Arne Maki appear in court.  Maki is currently an inmate at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility.  In September of 2020, Maki pleaded guilty to violating a non-contact order.  Then in October of that year, Maki reached a deal to plead guilty to domestic abuse assault with intent to inflict serious injury and assault causing bodily injury or mental illness.  All of those cases were heard in Keokuk County Court.