As family and friends ofMollie Tibbettsgathered en masse to celebrate her life in Brooklyn, Iowa, on Sunday, her father Rob Tibbetts declared that his slain daughter “is nobody’s victim.”
“Mollie’s my hero,” he said, according to local newspaperThe Gazette.
Hundreds of mourners listened at the Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom High School gymnasium during a Mass of Resurrection to honor the 20-year-old college student, who vanished on July 18 after leaving her home to go for a jog.
“You want to know the secret of why there was this outpouring of support for Mollie? It’s because we see ourselves in Mollie — it’s because we are a part of her,” said Rob, according toThe Gazette.
Dozens of individuals congregated outside the gymnasium after it filled to capacity, where they watched the service over a live video feed,ABC Newsreports.
Tibbetts’ cousins and two brothers, Jake andScott Tibbetts, reportedly served as pallbearers during the ceremony, and her former high school teacher JR Glenn and cousin Morgan Collum also gave eulogies.
“Mollie was not perfect,” her brother Jake said, according toThe Gazette, pointing to the portrayal of her as the quintessential all-American girl. “She was the first to tell you about her imperfections, the first to admit it. She owned up to her mistakes and laughed out loud when Scott and I pointed them out and teased her.”
Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office
Father Close continued: “I see Mollie as a bright shining light, touching the lives of those who knew her.”
Rivera has not entered a plea to the charge, but his attorney has said he is presumed innocent, describing his client as a hard worker and“loving father”to his young daughter.At his initial court hearing Wednesday, Rivera’s bond was increased from $1 million to $5 million at the urging of prosecutors.
Courtesy Emily Heaston
RELATED VIDEO: Man Is Charged in Connection With Mollie Tibbetts’ Murder
“We know that many of you will join us as we continue to carry Mollie in our hearts forever,” they said.
The discovery of a body marked a grim end to the search for Mollie. It captured national attentionas a reward fund for information leading to her safe returnbroke records in Iowa, with hundreds of thousands of dollars pouring in.
Her death was an answer to the question of her disappearance that loved ones hoped never to see.
“We know that Mollie knows how much we love her and how important she is to her entire family,” her cousin Emily Heaston previously told PEOPLE. “We want her to know that we will never stop looking for her.”
Three days after Mollie’s body was found, her brother Scott, a high-school senior, helped lead hisBrooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom High School football team to victoryover challenging team Lisbon, throwing two touchdowns and running another to solidify a 35-24 score during a game he nearly didn’t play due to his heartbreak, KCRG-9 reported.
source: people.com
