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

[Deleted member 227095]

Has it been stated in MSM what type of vandalism? Graffiti? Broken window? Broken camera?

Originally described by the person that reported it (barkeep at local bar) as vandalism. She walked by about midnight and saw the scene and reported it to local LE as it was out of the ordinary to her.

 

[mnnative]

WC just isn’t bright enough to do such a good cleanup job. No way.

I'm not commenting to this person in particular but I can assure you that, growing up on a farm and knowing many "simple farmer types" they may not be good with social graces, human interaction or cleanliness, but they are very adept at many of the things that would make a crime like this doable.

They keep to themselves, they hunt, they dispose of dead animals, they operate heavy machinery, they have access to and intimate knowledge of vast tracts of land that nobody ever sets foot on, they are up early and they are up late. I'd posit that your average midwestern farmer is far more capable of doing something like this than your average apartment/city dweller. It doesn't take a genius, just a sicko with the will and the means.

 

[MassGuy]

He is local alright. When you look at rural areas, it is better to refer to counties, rather than towns. In Iowa, court records are public. And you can see Powashiek Co has quite a database on certain people.

I would add certain people in the area not only stalk, but repeatedly violate restraining orders.

I’d just say that you could pick any area, and find many people with sordid pasts, who you could identify as potential perpetrators. Every area has sex offenders, abusers, stalkers, etc.

 

[zencompass]

Interesting you say this. I was wondering about the Bluetooth connection, and I see it can be tied to a MAC address.

One way or another, they should be able to do some tracking of her Fitbit.

bbm

You are right, crhedBngr,

One of the first things the investigators did was to contact the Fitbit company:

"Investigators have executed search warrants for Tibbetts' Fitbit, which she was known to wear, and her Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook accounts, said Mitch Mortvedt, spokesman for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation."


Mollie Tibbetts' Fitbit being used in search for her - CNN

 

[Deleted member 227095]

He is local alright. When you look at rural areas, it is better to refer to counties, rather than towns. In Iowa, court records are public. And you can see Powashiek Co has quite a database on certain people.

I would add certain people in the area not only stalk, but repeatedly violate restraining orders.

I also believe he could be considered a local as one of the articles stated that he had sold his farm to the large industrial ag firm a few years ago. Given that we have seen the same last name in other articles my guess is that the family has been around for quite awhile but this bears further investigation if things change.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I think they are putting heat on him because there is some evidence that he may be involved. LE hasn't publicly, implicated him, we know all these things from media reports. I don't have much of an opinion on his viability as a suspect, and I agree that refusal to take a polygraph isn't at all indicative of guilt.

If it is one of the "agencies" that is requesting he take a poly, there is a very good reason for it. Yes, we all know there have been occasional targeting errors, but not common. LE would not be grasping at straws and trying to demonstrate progress by bringing some local in unless they were on to something; too many eyes on this case. The DA needs to insure enough for not only an arrest, but a conviction. They won't risk that. IMO, if the FBI is administering the poly, he should take it. He doesn't have to, but I think he should. If he is innocent and concerned about Mollie like the rest of the community, it will release precious resources to focus elsewhere once he passes.

Amateur opinion and speculation only.

 

[Pixie Dust]

I think that all a denied polygraph says is that you have someone who knows something about polygraphs. Interesting, but not worth too much.

And, in this case, someone who has not had positive experiences with LE in the past.

WC seems too...easy. It's likely most (if not all) of the residents in the area knew his past. What better place to toss evidence? Or, if we're going by LE quotes, who is most likely to be garnering the greatest number of 'tip' calls in that area right now?

 

[Mom24]

In regards to WC, I'm not even remotely looking at him. Here's what I assume happened, can't prove it, don't have sources, just imo. Mollie is missing and people in the area all know who THAT guy is, the one who raises the hackles of women in the area. So someone calls in and says "hey, probably nothing, but this guy has a history of issues with women, and he lives on a pig farm that he was raised on". Any LE is going to do a thorough check and bring the man in for questioning, it's part history of the guy and a CYA move. There's nothing about WC, including his history, that would link him to this kind of thing. He's nervous, and rightly so, it's a small town and girl is missing and he until she's found and the abductor admits it, he's in the crosshairs of every resident in that town. Personally I think he was promised by the reporter if he gave an interview they'd help him clear his name, he got flustered when he realized where things were going and couldn't stop the interview without looking even more guilty. Seems like a bit of a curmudgeon, definitely has boundary issues, but I don't see him going from his previous crimes to abduction. It doesn't fit. He and Mollie weren't in a previous relationship, and his previous issues were with women he was in relationship with.

 

[Stormy21]

I’d just say that you could pick any area, and find many people with sordid pasts, who you could identify as potential perpetrators. Every area has sex offenders, abusers, stalkers, etc.

Very true

However most areas do not report missing, active 20 y/o female college students.

 

[mnnative]

Maybe those who are leaning more towards the “known” suspect camp can help me out here. I have no idea what happened (clearly) and am torn when thinking through all of the possible scenarios. However, what I can’t work out is why the stranger angle is being so discounted. Specifically, this reminded me of the jogger in Princeton, MA who was attacked and killed. Although Princeton is larger than Brooklyn (~3k), it’s by no means a “large” town (at least imo). Could the same thing not have happened? Just curious on why the consensus across these threads seems to be leaning more towards known assailant/suspect.

The reasons that I'm leaning toward the "known" suspect are many. First, it's just the most likely scenario considering the surroundings. Second, look and listen closely to what has been said at the press conferences.

If this was a random stranger kidnapping and LE had no idea who/what/where, they'd be sharing what little info they had and be begging the public to help solve this case. There are several other reasons as well. I see almost zero reason to think this was a random stranger abduction.

 

[SharonNeedles]

He is local alright. When you look at rural areas, it is better to refer to counties, rather than towns. In Iowa, court records are public. And you can see Powashiek Co has quite a database on certain people.

I would add certain people in the area not only stalk, but repeatedly violate restraining orders.

Maybe that’s how you look at rural areas. I live here and what you’re saying is wrong.

 

[Veracity]

Camping appears to be big past time for folks in this county - where do they go? Are there any campsites which are more locals only sort of place? There are a few campgrounds along 80 in either direction.

Have LE checked along these lines? When a storm rolls in what do folks in RV parks or campgrounds do/go?

I saw the storm shelters for the county included

"POWESHIEK - Church shelter, Brooklyn; Shelter, Montezuma; GARC-Rec Center, 1500 Penrose St. (special needs), Grinnell; Grinnell Regional Medical Center (special needs); Ahrens Center, Grinnell."

Storm shelters open across state

What church are they referring to for Brooklyn? It is so well known they don't even bother to name the church! And there is only one for the whole town.

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.

Would the tax assessor know of these places?

In KC they are a commodity and they can't be built except with proper permits and the govt's knowledge.

In a place like Brooklyn or really Poweshiek - could someone call up a concrete company and ask for a delivery and say they are building something AND the only ones to know would be the concrete company and the person who placed the order? That was the problem with the wells. They had never been mapped and so many were dormant. They didn't know specifically what was what. Thank Heaven for the concrete co and their expertise!

A barn, house, cabin, storage building and I think most trailers (except cargo trailers trucks pull) would be able to be plotted or listed by the Tax Assessor. NOW old abandoned vehicles - like an old school bus or the cargo trailers that come off of ships and trucks transport them - those are completely different. Not a clue how or when or by whom they are tracked? Are they common in IOWA? Some shipping concern owned them at some point and vehicles were owned by someone at some point. But when they roll off the DMV's records or the Shipping concerns records is a mystery to me.

I know some places folks are using some of the cargo trailers to create tiny houses or she sheds or man caves or whatever you want to call them. Is there an application for them in ag biz? As an aside, some folks who horde use those things to stuff their junk.

 

[Kapua]

In my mind, a stranger angle isn't discounted. It's just less probable.

I totally agree. Which is more possible in your mind, considering that Brooklyn is a small town?
1. Someone has noticed Mollie jogging through town on her regular routes.
2. Someone (delivery truck driver, etc.) is passing though town and so happens to see Mollie jogging at the particular time he's there.

To my mind, 1 seems far more possible, but 2 is also possible.

 

[Stormy21]

In regards to WC, I'm not even remotely looking at him. Here's what I assume happened, can't prove it, don't have sources, just imo. Mollie is missing and people in the area all know who THAT guy is, the one who raises the hackles of women in the area. So someone calls in and says "hey, probably nothing, but this guy has a history of issues with women, and he lives on a pig farm that he was raised on". Any LE is going to do a thorough check and bring the man in for questioning, it's part history of the guy and a CYA move. There's nothing about WC, including his history, that would link him to this kind of thing. He's nervous, and rightly so, it's a small town and girl is missing and he until she's found and the abductor admits it, he's in the crosshairs of every resident in that town. Personally I think he was promised by the reporter if he gave an interview they'd help him clear his name, he got flustered when he realized where things were going and couldn't stop the interview without looking even more guilty. Seems like a bit of a curmudgeon, definitely has boundary issues, but I don't see him going from his previous crimes to abduction. It doesn't fit. He and Mollie weren't in a previous relationship, and his previous issues were with women he was in relationship with.

Nothing? Past stalking convictions (or pleas). Numerous restraining order violations.

= A stalker who apparently cannot resist at times.

 

[Deleted member 227458]

Cell networks may be able to triangulate the location of the phone using tower data, but it's not terribly accurate - the FCC says about 3/4th of a square mile.

If the Fitbit was forcing the phone to poll GPS/GLONASS and sending it to Fitbit servers, it would be accurate to within a few meters. I also suspect it is transmitting more often, plus you get heart rate which could be useful (did she fight someone, etc.)

Thank you, PR! I hadn't even thought at all about the fact that the FitBit would be recording her heart rate, including if/when her heart rate was increasing OR slowing dangerously, while also recording her steps and distance travelled...wow. What a potential treasure trove of info for LE!

 

[MassGuy]

Very true

However most areas do not report missing, active 20 y/o female college students.

Yes. But when it happens there are invariably numerous people, who live in the general area, who have criminal backgrounds.

 

[JnRyan]

Well in theory, when it comes to who would let police search their home/property without a warrant, the answer might be...an innocent person.

Yes, a TOTALLY innocent person. For example, someone growing marijuana would likely not want LE to search their property, but searching it would likely yield nothing for Mollie's case. I remember following the Liberty German/Abigail Williams case in Delphi IN. Over a 100 LE were brought in and there were more arrests as a result of increased searches. When LE was questioned about whether or not this would hamper cooperation LE stated they can't turn their back on any violation.

 

[SharonNeedles]

I also believe he could be considered a local as one of the articles stated that he had sold his farm to the large industrial ag firm a few years ago. Given that we have seen the same last name in other articles my guess is that the family has been around for quite awhile but this bears further investigation if things change.

Deep River and Guernsey are not really tied to Brooklyn at all.

 

[renarde]

Are there even any pigs at this pig farm?

 

[mrtnira]

Sometimes announcing something is a distraction, so that attention is diverted while other actions are carried out somewhere else. Sometimes announcing something is used to "sweat" a suspect so they become anxious and make a mistake.