Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #11

[Stormy21]

From the Press Conference:


Kevin Winkler
Next Press Conference next Tuesday

Q. Red shirt located? Shed any light on it?
I don’t have any info on a red shirt being found. We are looking at all possibilities for suspects

Q. Wearing black sports top originally reported. Now pink top.
Will look into this, can’t explain it

Q. WC officially a suspect?
Not in a position to say

!

Look at the non-denials. The PI of LE knows what is up. He has focused on a perp and waiting for the person to break or for lab results to point more to that person.

 

[margarita25]

I have faith in LE. This is a teeny-tiny town, everyone knows each other. The odds are someone from this area murdered Mollie, also in those odds, local LE probably knows this person and their family. When you look at it from this perspective, it's easier to understand the motive behind the silence. It's like going into contract negotiations, and the other party was handed your game plan in advance.

This is a good analogy, Knox, going into contract negotiations with someone having the game plan in advance.

Speaking of the teeny town, and the possibility that someone might know the abductor, this gives me awful flashbacks of when Jessica R’s killer had not been apprehended, but we knew he could be walking free among us...it was the scariest feeling in the world (I used to say “he’s so close I can smell him”.. I’ve talked about this before, looking at people in the grocery store wondering if it’s them, even wondering if it’s someone I know, that was one of the was most terrifying feelings ever. I feel for this community.

 

[boomburger]

The police are being so tight lipped about everything. They definitely suspect someone close to Mollie is involved imo.

 

[KaaBoom]

I have faith in LE. This is a teeny-tiny town, everyone knows each other. The odds are someone from this area murdered Mollie, also in those odds, local LE probably knows this person and their family. When you look at it from this perspective, it's easier to understand the motive behind the silence. It's like going into contract negotiations, and the other party was handed your game plan in advance.

I don't believe those are the odds. In a small town everybody knows everybody and their business. If there is somebody in town who would do something like this, everybody would know who that person is. They would be the POI, but there is no indication that there are any suspects.

 

[rosesfromangels]

You can't honestly think they aren't telling the family anything. What they are telling the family far exceeds what they are telling the public, and for good reason. The only reason people are mad about them not telling the public much is because they don't want it to get twisted and spun like it inevitably will. They are doing the right thing and keeping the appropriate people informed. That being said, they could have at least commented on the search yesterday and the red shirt that was found. Even if it was, "yes, we found a red shirt, but don't have anything to prove it belonged to Molly at this time".

Hi Hawk - welcome and thanks for your first post!
Agree that LE is doing everything right. They prolly didn't comment on the shirt because they didn't want to say anything until it's confirmed. They just can't get in the rumor mill mode.

I agree with all of you saying they know, or have a very strong idea of who the Perp is. I also agree there will be an arrest soon, and I think the person will be a known.

Prayers for the family; let's hope this comes to closure soon.
Such a vibrant, precious looking young woman. God Bless all.

 

[aafattore]

Did anyone notice LE said at 09:55 , when asked about clothing being found, he said- can't speak of that as it would speak to the results of an invistagitive lead.

 

[ptandj]

Ted Williams had some very good questions. Is Greta Van Susteren still around?

What was he asking? I can't seem to find a way to watch that bit of his commentary...

 

[Marklhc1988]

So, do most of us believe they did locate a red shirt yesterday, but LE will not confirm it? What do you think?

With such limited info it's hard to say. But the fact it was found in an area they searched before would up the odds it was hers.

 

[WBWS]

This did feel more tense and rushed. One thing that I thought about, all this searching of property and data can lead to other finds unrelated to Mollie too. Its easy to assume the worst, but Im still holding hope she can be found alive and theyre close to one party involved to find who the other is holding her.

 

[Doghairrules]

I trust the work of IPS ONLY out of respect of the Tippetts family. In order to get tips, you have to toss out crumbs. In this situation, how would anyone even know they have a tip????

Welcome!

And right? How WOULD anyone know they have a vital clue when we don’t know a location, or a timeline, or anything.

IMHO, this is exactly the mistake the Chapel Hill police made with the Faith Hedgepeth murder, now a cold
Unsolved case. At least her parents know she was killed.

 

[Kapua]

I don't believe those are the odds. In a small town everybody knows everybody and their business. If there is somebody in town who would do something like this, everybody would know who that person is. They would be the POI, but there is no indication that there are any suspects.

Sometimes, the person who did it is someone that nobody in town would suspect. Someone like Ted Bundy, for example.

 

[Stormy21]

If a perp lives in the country, people in town may not know him well, or shun him. It's myth that people in small towns know everything about everybody; often they do not suspect what is in plain sight.

Someone out there has a history of stalking, or abuse, or violations of retraining orders. A profile would say someone alienated, alone, and with urges he cannot control. Things happened and went sideways...

 

[toevlugsoord]

Just watched the new PC.
Boyfriend was close to tears whole time but it ramped up when the red shirt question was asked. Saw tears in his eyes reflected when he moved his head.
The dad said nothing to indicate he thought she was alive, sounded very final.
So sad.
I suspect the red shirt etc brought a lot of answers.
But no indication the public is in danger?
That is what is interesting to me.

 

[Nofrillsmcgee]

Hello. I signed up on this forum after lurking this thread for awhile, so that i could post something that perhaps was overlooked. The electric co-op that is right next to that house states on their website that they accept in-person payments during business hours, of 7:30AM-4:00 PM. Thus, we would be led to believe any vehicles passing through would be during those hours, for the reason of dropping off a payment of check or cash. -But- .. the website also states that payments can be dropped off after-hours, if deposited in their drop-box, anytime ..24/7. The following is just wild speculation.. skip it if you'd like... I think that this could provide a reason for people to pass by that house at an odd hour, and park and get out of their vehicle. It perhaps wouldn't appear bizarre to Mollie to see someone pull up, or be parked out there at an odd hour, outside of their business hours. She would perhaps have no reason to become alarmed if someone were even to knock on the door and assume the house had affiliation with the co-op, or an employee of the co-op lived there (it's oddly right next to the co-op without any trees or bushes seperating the house from that building, just grass). If someone were to regularly drop off their payments at odd hours, for whatever reason (maybe they work odd night shift hours and this is when they can drop off payment).. then they would notice that house normally have vehicles in the driveway at say, 3:00AM-6:00AM. Hopefully LE already interviewed people who payed check or cash at that co-op, that week she went missing, i am sure the company keeps records of what tenders people used.


Payment Options | T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative

 

[MargeGunderson]

I am going to give the LE some more time before I will be critical of the ‘we aren’t telling you anything’ approach. I’m ok with this since it seems to imply that they know a good deal but need some additional time to pull together a case or have what they need for a successful confrontation of POI. That said, if it keeps going on and on like this then the original premise that they have what they need, are close, and don’t need much if anything from the public goes out the wondow. If they truly that close it shouldn’t take much longer for some kind of break. So if it drags on and on but they continue to refuse to even confirm something basic like ‘do you suspect foul play’, I will start questioning the tactics.

 

[HoldySi]

I'm personally on the fence about the red shirt. I saw how it started yesterday and it was in a FB group where people were sharing screenshots of it from someone else's Facebook post. It was like a, "oh I also heard a red shirt was found..." I was literally able to watch how quickly rumors grow legs and run, sprint away. Although it's now in MSM, I haven't seen it confirmed officially by anyone at this point. It could very well be true, I just think we should tread lightly is all.

 

[Poppyflower]

This is a good analogy, Knox, going into contract negotiations with someone having the game plan in advance.

Speaking of the teeny town, and the possibility that someone might know the abductor, this gives me awful flashbacks of when Jessica R’s killer had not been apprehended, but we knew he could be walking free among us...it was the scariest feeling in the world (I used to say “he’s so close I can smell him”and I’ve taljed about this before, looking at people in the grocery store wondering if it’s them, even wondering if it’s someone I know, that was one of the was most terrifying feelings ever. I feel for this community.

I had the same experience when Jessica was missing and until that was caught. We had close friends who lived within houses of her and walked that same path to school, we played at that park many times. It is very scary knowing there is a killer out there, close by...we were ~20 min away from there and I still kept my kids close when we were in public and was very aware of my surroundings. I shopped at grocery stores where her poster was in the doors and windows. I feel for the community as well...it is horrifying and beyond creepy.

 

[mountainguy777]

The condition of the red shirt (blood, torn, both) could be the reason everyone seem much more gloomy at the presser today.

(If it was found)

 

[PaulR]

I don't think it is someone close. Two weeks of all the police work including FBI and their lab, plus profilers, they'd have something, certainly enough to name a POI and turn up the heat. It's possible but I think increasingly unlikely.

Leaning towards stranger and maybe SK.

 

[KaaBoom]

I HIGHLY doubt they have 30-40 agents a day sitting around doing nothing...we can all agree to disagree though

I said for all we know. If they are doing something, then why can't they give an update? People do not always do what they say they are doing. That's why there there needs to be transparentency. Keep in mind that police never solve most crimes.