Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #14

[margarita25]

Can you tell us about the search today at the "bog" in Guernsey? Flood plain, or just a low lying area? I live in drought stricken California, bog is not in my vocab : )
Is the bog near anything?

(“Bog???”....me either Knox, lol.
Same thing happened in Adrienne Salinas’ case when they said she was found in a “wash”...I didn’t know what that meant either.)

 

[IceIce9]

I wonder what make her a priority over any other missing person. There isn’t even evidence of a crime, and it is equally as likely that she is voluntarily missing as it is that she came into contact with a serial killer or something. That makes no sense and I can’t help that it is because she is a young, pretty, white female.

When I was in my early twenties there were two horrific murder cases in the city where I lived. They were unrelated, just happened to occur the same week. The way they were treated could not have been more different and was a real eye opener for me.

One crime occurred in the inner city.

The other happened in a wealthy suburb of the city. It happened to be the highest per capita income suburb in the entire state.

Each crime had three victims. All were young people.

The suburb crime murder victims were two teenagers and a man who was I think 19 or 20. All were white. The home was in a neighborhood of very large, very expensive homes.

The inner city crime murder victims were young as well, two teenagers and a young woman who was I think 25 or 26, and who was pregnant. These victim were black. These murders occurred in the apartment where the victims lived.

The media coverage of the white victims was extensive: front page, headlines, day after day for a week or more. Pictures of the large and beautiful home, pictures of the beautiful neighborhood, interviews with the neighbors, shock from the tv news reporters that such a crime could happen in this suburb, in this neighborhood, to this family.
Then there was extensive coverage again at the one year anniversary of the crime, two year, five year, and recently the twenty year anniversary.

The black victims crime was buried in the back pages of the paper. Brief mention for a day or two on the tv news.

Local leaders and government officials expressed outrage about the crime in the suburbs. LE stated repeatedly that they were prioritizing this crime above all others.

I remember wondering at the time how the family members of the inner city crime must feel, seeing the constant media coverage of the three white murder victims, while their own loved ones barely rated a mention on the local newscast.

How do the families of the victims of crimes feel, when other cases are prioritized?

The suburb murders of the three white victims were quickly solved. I honestly don’t know if the inner city black victim murders were ever solved. The story fell out out the news quickly, with very few updates.

I realize this is off topic. I don’t even know why I felt the need to post this story here. Just something that has always bothered me. Sorry for the rambling on.

By the way, I am white and lived in the suburb.

 

[margarita25]

Regarding the body found in Lee County:

An Iowa woman reported missing July 8, 2018:

Michaela Cook: https://www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/Controller.aspx?cmd=personDetailCommand&id=70934

An Iowa woman reported missing July 30, 2018:

Selena Hernandez: https://www.iowaonline.state.ia.us/mpic/Controller.aspx?cmd=personDetailCommand&id=72199

Interesting, good finds, Pixie Dust.

“Michaela Cook was reported missing to the Dubuque PD, in Dubuque on Jul 08, 2018.“

“Selena Hernandez was reported missing to the Council Bluffs PD, in Council Bluffs on Jul 30, 2018.”

—-looking to see if they have threads here.
—-eta: not seeing any, but sometimes I can miss them somehow as I’ve posted duplicate threads in the past.

 

[PommyMommy]

The black SUV perhaps being part of a MO also made me wonder if that was the reason behind the additional agencies. But then I'd think the agent who is speaking at the press conferences would have addressed the public safety question differently. One step forward, two steps back kind of thing.

Yes, it seems like he would have at least strongly encouraged people to take precautions, but he did encourage them to do that, nonetheless. He also said everybody should be cognizant of their surroundings.

The part that stands out to me now though, in light of the black SUV report from the neighbor is this (and I'm not putting it in quotes, because it may not be exact, but I will link the video so you can hear it yourself):

Um, you've heard the expression for years now, if you see something, say something. If you observe suspicious activity, don't be afraid to report it. Local law enforcement is our first line of defense and they're all standing right over there for a greater part of Poweshiek County. They are not opposed to go out to suspicious activity calls whether somebody's just alone at night and they hear a noise around their house, they will respond. That's what they get paid to do, I know the sheriff supports that. I mean they live, they work in this community. Our agents are all working and living in Iowa.

I may be tired or my imagination may just be running wild, but could he be thinking about the neighbor not calling local LE about the black SUV at the time she noticed it?

 

[PaulR]

I absolutely do. And I don’t think she anticipated how big of a deal this would become. She’s scared to death now of the backlash and ramifications if she just comes home. And whoever provided her ride out of town is terrified too.

Where do you think her final destination was going to be?

And the big question, if this is true, how does it get resolved?

 

[Stormy21]

Yes. Not really a very big town, but that’s where the Deep River kids go to school. I’ve only been there once, it’s kind of out of my way.

The county seat is Montezuma.

 

[Dogmen]

I absolutely do. And I don’t think she anticipated how big of a deal this would become. She’s scared to death now of the backlash and ramifications if she just comes home. And whoever provided her ride out of town is terrified too.

Wow, this is an interesting take that would certainly be positive news. It would be very tough to return but it would also be difficult to stay hidden. I’d love to think you’re right though.

 

[SharonNeedles]

Can you tell us about the search today at the "bog" in Guernsey? Flood plain, or just a low lying area? I live in drought stricken California, bog is not in my vocab : )
Is the bog near anything?

I’m not even aware of anything I’d call a “bog” in the area.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

Absolutely there should be a digital trail if Mollie was alive and well in the morning. She typically collected the car in the evening and she did not pick it up. With that type of change in routine she should have texted her brother to let him know that she was on her way, or to ask him to swing by and collect her. In fact, he checked in with her at 7:30 to find up what was up with the car.

I think something interrupted her plan to collect the car in the evening, and that same interruption prevented her from letting her family know that there was a change in plans.

I think we can narrow the timeline down to sometime between 7:30 when she was jogging and 10PM, which would be a reasonable time to let her family know that she would not pick up the car.

I've posted in a previous thread that I thought MT went missing after 9:45 pm. Then I thought she never returned to home after her early evening run. I think her run included a path to retrieve the vehicle but she never got to complete that part of her journey. The question would then become: how far along was MT in her journey to her mother's house before the event occurred?

 

[MassGuy]

But this level of Federal assistance seems excessive for a single missing persons case. I've seen many others that didn't garner a fraction of this level of Federal assistance. The question is why?

Perhaps they didn’t ask. Perhaps the Iowa FBI field office doesn’t have a lot going on. Many agencies just don’t ask for help because they have other state resources to supplement them.

 

[Alethea]

I absolutely do. And I don’t think she anticipated how big of a deal this would become. She’s scared to death now of the backlash and ramifications if she just comes home. And whoever provided her ride out of town is terrified too.

It's an interesting thought. Do you think it's someone she met online and ran away with? I wonder about money, though - she doesn't have her wallet and I'm sure there's been no activity on her accounts or LE could have tracked it. What is she doing for food, shelter?

 

[MassGuy]

Evidence that indicates no foul play? Assume there’s a crime until they can prove there wasn’t? No wonder I don’t understand...

If they had evidence that she ran away (no foul play) they would come out and say it.

 

[zencompass]

I’m wondering how the black SUV sighting fits with the timeline law enforcement have. I’m sure this question will be asked at the press conference but I don’t know if we will get an answer.

Dear Gregjrichards,

We are also not aware if this was the only sighting of a black SUV driving slowly that night.

There may have been more tips called in about this. Who knows?

 

[MsBetsy]

If the answer is that she is near sighted (or far sighted) how does that impact your thoughts on this case? Just curious as I'm not sure the significance of this detail.

Since her mom thinks all her contacts and glasses were still in the home, many people think she was abducted at night or early morning, since she probably wasn't wearing them. Some people think she may have gone for a jog without them but many people who have bad eyesight, ( I for one) would not even walk down the hallway without them.

 

[SharonNeedles]

Wow, this is an interesting take that would certainly be positive news. It would be very tough to return but it would also be difficult to stay hidden. I’d love to think you’re right though.

Listen to the family’s press conference again with this in mind. I believe mom already knows she’s alive but refuses to accept it was by choice.

 

[Dogmen]

Where do you think her final destination was going to be?

And the big question, if this is true, how does it get resolved?

And why didn’t she take that hot and single pig farmer with her You’d never get me out of Iowa without that handsome, witty and articulate hunk by my side.
Oh my, I’m tired...have to call it quits for the night after this silly reply.
But, I would love to think she is somewhere willingly and safely.

 

[shanadk]

SharonNeedles said: ↑
I absolutely do. And I don’t think she anticipated how big of a deal this would become. She’s scared to death now of the backlash and ramifications if she just comes home. And whoever provided her ride out of town is terrified too.

~This is interesting, hope you're right... Can you tell me why you feel this way, that this was voluntary? Any other strong feelings, maybe about who she left with?

 

[Alethea]

If they had evidence that she ran away (no foul play) they would come out and say it.

I think I would believe it more if the person was more independent. MT seems to have very strong family, friend, local, university ties. No real signs of being a rule breaker. Every picture is with a friend or family member. No brooding selfies. I realize this sounds like very superficial analysis and maybe it is.

 

[Mr. Obvious]

I’m not even aware of anything I’d call a “bog” in the area.

Guernsey itself is flat with hills to the north and east of town - during the short time I was there - I saw nothing that caught my eye as being out of the ordinary. The only bodies of water, et al I saw were the typical farm pond.

 

[margarita25]

I’m wondering how the black SUV sighting fits with the timeline law enforcement have. I’m sure this question will be asked at the press conference but I don’t know if we will get an answer.

And if LE believes this is a strong possibility they may appeal to the public on this. So far they haven’t. It could be because they just aren’t sure and do not want to narrow it down and have everyone looking for that vehicle if there’s a chance it is not the vehicle. Also as mentioned maybe it was LE.

“Between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m., the woman said she observed the suspicious vehicle. She told Fox News that she reported it to the FBI when she was questioned. Investigators so far have not commented on it.“

Suspicious black SUV circled neighborhood on night Mollie Tibbetts vanished, neighbor says

 

[MassGuy]

I think I would believe it more if the person was more independent. MT seems to have very strong family, friend, local, university ties. No real signs of being a rule breaker. Every picture is with a friend or family member. No brooding selfies. I realize this sounds like very superficial analysis and maybe it is.

Exactly. Her lifestyle is crucial in piecing this together. That’s why LE talked about “Getting to know Mollie,” which LE has determined means that she would not simply walk away.