Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #13

[otto]

With everything we know, I think this was her route for the jog.
Starting at the house,
East on W Des Moines
Take West St to
East on W Pershing
East on E Pershing
South on Mills
West on 2nd
North on Jackson

So you're thinking that she went for a run and planned to pick up the car at the same time? I think this is where mom is perplexed - that she was seen running before she may have been doing homework, although isn't the timeline for homework somewhat in question?

 

[Deleted member 155000]

This is something that I have been mulling over -

Anyone know the codes in IOWA or this county for STORM CELLARS? Here is my thinking and it is bit and pieces -

Iowa is tornado row.

I know in KC there is NO code requirement for basements or storm cellars. IT is a thriving biz where one pays from $15,000 (may be more now depends on the cost of concrete) for a cellar to be built - it could be inside a garage, part of the floor is jack hammered and dug out. Could be in the backyard, under a terrace/patio. Could be ANYWHERE!

The number # employer in Brooklyn deals with concrete! At first when I read that I said WHAT? Not an ag biz owner? But then I started thinking - you have three little towns GRINNELL, BROOKLYN, and MONTEZUMA.
The Sheriff's office is in Montezuma, county seat. The County Commissioners meet in Grinnell - at least they have at least once (there is one commissioner from each of the towns and that is all there, no at large there) , not sure if that is normal or rotating or what. Then there is tiny Brooklyn, once called Greenfield -

If a tornado comes it may drop quickly so I would think some folks either have basements or storm cellars.

Have they all been searched? I recall talking to a man in OK who had not been in his storm cellar for over three years! I wonder if because of the really bad weather the 19th that could be eliminated. Everyone has checked.

But then I started thinking about if they were all known. Would permits be required to even construct one? Often times in counties the zoning differs from in the city limits right?

If this was a planned event, could someone have constructed something without anyone knowing?

I would say NO - someone either bought a lot of bags of concrete or ordered concrete or works for a concrete company and has access to it. So I ask - is there shrinkage in the concrete biz which would allow anyone access to making a shelter - in order to pour there would be either a lot of movement from concrete truck to location or the location would have to be within a particular reach of the truck itself.

And can anyone make such a place on their own? I would think it might take more one person - but I honestly am just brainstorming here. Contemplating where Mollie might be held. If she was snatched and the storms were predicted or just came in - could a storm cellar be involved? And could employees/owner of such a biz help police make sure all places where they know of such a structure?

I recall a case a long long time ago where a little girl vanished. The region was peppered with wells. many dormant. A concrete vendor who had been hired to fill in some of the wells helped LE locate where the little girl was. I can't recall the name of the little girl- it was a long time ago.

Maybe it is the location, maybe it was the stormy weather - I don't know. I just haven't been able to turn off the little voice in my head about storm cellars. It may also be the fact there was never an actual grid search method to this case as far as I know.

Just me thinking...

I think, if Mollie is being held, it is certainly in a location that is out of view of most other residents. So an existing storm shelter or cellar, sheds, abandoned barns, boarded up houses, large vehicles stored or abandoned on property, rural cabins, corporate or state park storage buildings, seasonally empty lake houses, and trailers would all be possibilities in hostage situations. I live in a small town rural area and every street is peppered with many, many of such places on all sides.

 

[cluciano63]

Plenty of unsolved cases began with weeks or months (years in some cases) of LE being cryptic and “secretive”...and led nowhere. I’ve spent years here bemoaning the handling of missing persons cases, as LE tends to stays closed mouth far too long, imo...then asks for help later when memories are long gone. There is no way to tell what is going on here.

 

[ptandj]

If she was indeed abducted on her jog-what would the fit bit show? Increased hr—probably a spike—but then it should not show steps, right? Just trying to re-center. The GPS has been discussed but is there a way of looking at steps and correlating that to when those stopped to know WHERE she was (approximate distance based on steps taken?). I think they show steps by hour....

BBM, I think it depends on what is physically going on. Steps are counted erroneously with certain types of activities, such as cooking (here's one example: Solved: Are you a cook or chef? Stirring is counted... - Fitbit Community)

You can also rack up steps by moving your arms rapidly up and down in a sort of marching movement even if you are not actually walking. So, it would probably show the heart rate changes and also some kind of something going on related to movement, depending what was actually going on.

All that to say, it's hard to know how much the data would actually be useful other than that it would be different from the data before it, probably.

 

[PaulR]

If she was indeed abducted on her jog-what would the fit bit show? Increased hr—probably a spike—but then it should not show steps, right? Just trying to re-center. The GPS has been discussed but is there a way of looking at steps and correlating that to when those stopped to know WHERE she was (approximate distance based on steps taken?). I think they show steps by hour....

Just steps themselves, even if you know stride, would give you an idea from the last known location via GPS, but that could be a very large area.

My Fitbit dashboard shows steps in 15 minute increments. GPS polls more frequently than that when I have it on. I can post screenshots of the computer view if people think it would help.

 

[tokyorose]

About an hour due north of Brooklyn lies Evansdale, Iowa, where in July of 2012 an unknown perpetrator(s) kidnapped and murdered Elizabeth Collins and her cousin Lyric Cook Morrissey while they were riding bicycles one afternoon. Their bodies were not found until six months later at the Seven Bridges Wildlife Area near Readlyn. LE did not warn people then, either. When asked, they gave the same general safety measures as LE gave in Brooklyn. I don't think it means they have a POI and/or the person is not a danger to the community. I don't think it means anything other than people should always be cautious.

This makes me wonder if LE should search Seven Bridges for Mollie.. and I wonder if they have.

 

[gliving]

The wedding would have been today.

And DJ said the last snapchat photo was a goodnight message.

 

[curioushelper]

Do we know exactly where she was seen on her jog? Was there more than one sighting?

 

[white rabbit]

Plenty of unsolved cases began with weeks or months (years in some cases) of LE being cryptic and “secretive”...and led nowhere. I’ve spent years here bemoaning the handling of missing persons cases, as LE tends to stays closed mouth far too long, imo...then asks for help later when memories are long gone. There is no way to tell what is going on here.

this. ditto.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

Yes, I've considered this too. I think it's possible LE can see a spike in her heart rate followed by a decrease in steps immediately after (if she got into a vehicle).

It's also possible they saw these things, but then later on, saw normal heart rate and steps again...which has added to the confusion. Fit bits are useful, but there's still a lot of information needed to draw clear conclusions.

If she was indeed abducted on her jog-what would the fit bit show? Increased hr—probably a spike—but then it should not show steps, right? Just trying to re-center. The GPS has been discussed but is there a way of looking at steps and correlating that to when those stopped to know WHERE she was (approximate distance based on steps taken?). I think they show steps by hour....

 

[taximama24]

I think you should forward this to the tip line just so they can eliminate any connection...

I know this topic was mod-snipped for TOS so I snipped this quote as well to remain within the guidelines but I have to say that I agree, regardless of whether it was non WS approved sleuthing that is actually something I think you should forward to the tip line too, I know they have their digital footprint experts but that's not something most people would think to check and I gotta say, if she were harmed in the evening, the timing of that post gives me the shivers a little bit. Like kinda screams sociopathic IMO.

 

[tokyorose]

Plenty of unsolved cases began with weeks or months (years in some cases) of LE being cryptic and “secretive”...and led nowhere. I’ve spent years here bemoaning the handling of missing persons cases, as LE tends to stays closed mouth far too long, imo...then asks for help later when memories are long gone. There is no way to tell what is going on here.

It seems to be a real balancing act for LE..put out enough information to catch a perp, but not so much that every mentally ill person comes in and makes a confession..Perhaps LE believes that while the public really wants to know information in the end it won't make one bit of difference in bringing in a killer.

 

[Doghairrules]

aafattoreNew Member
New
There was a post a few days ago, the day of the last hog farm search. The poster said he/she was part of that last search and mentioned that the findings, if any, would be discussed at the press conference yesterday. Wondering if that person has posted again since....

*************
I copied this post from the last thread because it was closed before I could respond. I believe the poster (who is in the process of becoming a VI) said they would share more IF more information was shared during the PC. They posted after the PC and basically said they are following LE’s lead and would not release more information.

I also remember reading somewhere along the way that they used fire fighters and emts for the searches that day, which further indicates to me that LE was trying to keep control of whatever information came out of the searches.

While I wish LE would share more information, I respect that folks on the periphery follow their lead. And I always love having a VI on a case.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

I know this topic was mod-snipped for TOS so I snipped this quote as well to remain within the guidelines but I have to say that I agree, regardless of whether it was non WS approved sleuthing that is actually something I think you should forward to the tip line too, I know they have their digital footprint experts but that's not something most people would think to check and I gotta say, if she were harmed in the evening, the timing of that post gives me the shivers a little bit. Like kinda screams sociopathic IMO.

Yep. Timing is worth checking if only to eliminate. But I didn't see the site or post, or know where to find it. That's why I suggested whoever discovered it or knows of its location should pass it on just in case there's any unlikely relevance.

 

[Gumbeaux]

Folks, kindly hit the Reply button if you are commenting on a particular post. Lots of posts that could be a reply to any number of statements. The Reply button is at lower right of someone else’s post.

 

[renarde]

Super interesting comment about 'nothing unusual' being seen by store manager. Will have to listen to these interviews!

Nothing unusual happened, except for the hardware store being vandalized that evening. Other than that... it was pretty quiet.

 

[ptandj]

I found the posts about the traffic showing on Google Maps in front of the high school, way back from the beginning of thread #5: IA - IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #5

The discussion continued to about page 3.

 

[PaulR]

Yes, I've considered this too. I think it's possible LE can see a spike in her heart rate followed by a decrease in steps immediately after (if she got into a vehicle).

It's also possible they saw these things, but then later on, saw normal heart rate and steps again...which has added to the confusion. Fit bits are useful, but there's still a lot of information needed to draw clear conclusions.

You can see heart rate spikes. See attached - the top chart is elevation, bottom is heart rate. When I started going up a steepish slope, heart rate went way up.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

It seems to be a real balancing act for LE..put out enough information to catch a perp, but not so much that every mentally ill person comes in and makes a confession..Perhaps LE believes that while the public really wants to know information in the end it won't make one bit of difference in bringing in a killer.

It for sure is a balancing act. I don't want to be entitled and demanding info that satisfies my curiosity if it would compromise an investigation, for example. But there is always a part of me that thinks, if additional information is released, it might trigger someone's memory or make them consider a new POI they haven't yet seen as connected. God bless the LE. They wage a calculated effort in these circumstances and its a good will, best judgment effort that I'd never criticize them for.

 

[Deleted member 227458]

I completely agree.. I do not have snapchat or facebook or Instagram...people are so unaware of just how much information they have online...and how much personal information they share with the world.

TR, I wish I could "Like" this post (and Safeguard's original post) 100 times! I'm frankly horrified by the nature and degree of personal info I see my friends and family posting to their SM...especially the amount and type of highly personal information they put out there about their CHILDREN, HELLO. It is deeply troubling to me that our society does not seem to place any value whatsoever on privacy. Seems like there are no boundaries anywhere and danger all around.