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

[MassGuy]

There are other reasons that the Feds might get heavily involved. Like if they suspect sex trafficking, drug trafficking, serial killer, presiding law enforcement officer involvement, ect.

The Feds get involved whenever a local department needs their help and resources. That’s what happened here, the police asked.

 

[Mr. Obvious]

Excellent post and observations, thank you!!! Stand by, we may need to deploy you in the future!!!

My pleasure - thank you and I'm always ready for another road trip!

 

[NewMama]

The white van story is an urban legend which occurs in almost all states, and in other countries too.

Except for Cherish Perrywinkle. For her the white van existed. Her case still makes me very sad.

 

[Knox]

I did watch the interview and honestly I don't know. I think a lot of times people who aren't used to media attention are persuaded/tricked/lured into talking to the press when it isn't in their best interest. I do think the FBI/LE had a reason to be on the property but I'm not sure what I think of the person himself. I think if he was a serious suspect the FBI would have brought him in for a formal interview and advised him to get an attorney. Showing up twice after an interview for 5-10 minutes struck me more as something you'd do if you thought someone witnessed something out of the ordinary - "Hey, did you see those trucks again?" "Did you hear anything else?"

I'm hesitant to really point to any individuals without more information because many of my own clients are deeply unlikeable but completely innocent people. I know there are whole fields of psychology dedicated to profiling but personally I think it's difficult without actually being in a structured interview and hearing what someone says and how they say it.

Thanks. WC just doesn't ring my hinky bell, although his mannerisms are certainly odd. I agree that the multiple conversations with LE seem more targeted to something he may have observed. Or maybe they simply can't check him off their list, but have nothing concrete either. Time will tell.

 

[gregjrichards]

I'm with you Nancy -- and margarita25.

After a week-long break I returned this evening to find some commenters taking on other commenters more aggressively or directly than usual.

A. Putting down commenters reacting to a second interview of WC.
B. Putting down a commenter for suggesting some minor inferences might be made from a 'trucker's tan.'

Jeez.

Perhaps in part it is due to the growing sadness and anger about what might have happened to poor Mollie.

Not sure why. But this one hits me much harder than even the Natalee Holloway case some of us commented on here at WS way back in 2005.

I think we are all getting tired and frustrated by the case and things can get tense when we are not our usual cordial selves. That’s why it is important to take time out when we need it as it can really affect your mental wellbeing and cause a person to be irritable to those around them both online and in our own lives.

“A 16-year-old girl has reunited with the mailman who helped her escape from a three-month sex trafficking ordeal, publicly thanking the postal worker.

Teen Crystal Allen met with mailman Ivan Cristotomo on Thursday in Sacramento, California, where she spoke to the press and described her ordeal of kidnapping, drugging and abuse.

'They made it impossible. They had guard dogs and people that would watch us all the time and not let us leave. I was tied to chairs,' Crystal told KCRA.

Crystal, who lives in Placerville, ran away from a group home and was turned over to a pimp in Sacramento by the 'friend' she left with, her mother said.”

Joyful moment 16-year-old girl thanks the mailman who rescued her from three months of sex slavery | Daily Mail Online

Is there any chance this is what could have happened to Mollie?

 

[SharonNeedles]

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.

You are absolutely right. You’re going to get torched for saying it, but you’re absolutely right.

 

[margarita25]

Like pissing in the snow

(You must be a dude hahahaha!)

 

[ptandj]

I’m the odd man out here, I do not think she was abducted. LE’s choice of words leads me me to believe they’re not entirely convinced either.

Do you think she’s still alive, just voluntarily missing? Just wondering

 

[SharonNeedles]

So you’re telling me that if they had evidence that indicated no foul play, they would allow themselves to be criticized by both the public and the media, without releasing that information? That the FBI would remain involved? That there would be no sightings, no sign whatsoever of Mollie still being alive? I absolutely disagree. I can’t fathom a scenario other than foul play here.

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

 

[Nancy1954]

I live in Vermont and I have been happy to see Mollie's disappearance on the major news channels here for the past three days. Tonight they (ABC News) were talking about the items that they didn't find of hers..her white ear buds, her fit-bit or her phone..I thought it strange that it was also mentioned that her computer was found..I never thought that it had been missing? You should be able to find what I am talking about at ABC and NBC-Sunday night news.

 

[Alethea]

My pleasure - thank you and I'm always ready for another road trip!

Great summary of the area, thank you! I think the unmarked SUVs you saw are feds. So make sure you obey the speed limit if you go back and see them again

 

[liz b.]

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.

Interesting post. One thing I don't understand : the basement where the dogs were kept was a finished basement.Carpeted and furnished. Yet when M's BF got home,after she was known to be missing, he said that the dogs had been cared for, fed and watered etc ?

 

[PaulR]

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.

This is why I'm leaning towards the FBI thinking that there may be a SK involved. They seem to have a lot of presence when there are many other missing person cases out there.

Of course the FBI could be wrong, and that Mollie was taken by a random person, or a victim of a hit-and-run, or any number of other scenarios that WSers have mentioned.

 

[Confusion]

About her eyesight, she is near sighted. One of her family members said she needed them for driving, and I think it was her aunt who said she can't see anything without them.

That's possible, but I was always far sighted (until I had my cataracts removed last month and got new lenses put in), and they got bad enough that I needed them for driving eventually. I also couldn't make out facial features of people I was talking to without them. What I do know is that when looking at someone with glasses, things (especially their eyes) look bigger through the lenses if they're far-sighted and smaller if they're near-sighted. Her eyes look bigger with her glasses on, and things you can see partially through the lens look bigger through the lens than the part outside the lens. If someone in her family said she is near-sighted, I'll take their word for it, but her case doesn't fit with what I've seen over the years. MOO

 

[mnnative]

Bring Mollie Tibbetts Home Safe Reward Fund
Page 2 of 2

3. If information is provided to Crime Stoppers, the family of Mollie Tibbetts, or authorized law enforcement prior to August 1, 2020, and if this information leads to Mollie Tibbetts’ safe return, Crime Stoppers will transfer the entirety of the Reward Money to the person providing the information

Also, see Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa (Admin) for more details...
Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa

I saw that. It doesn't really address my questions posted earlier at all. Based on that, a person could throw out any random "tip" like a dart at a board and, if it somehow turned out to be right and resulted in her safe return, they'd get the reward money.

Like playing the lottery without having to buy a ticket. Seems like there must be more to it or I'd imagine that tens of thousands of (unsavory) people would be phoning in guesses with hopes of hitting the jackpot.

 

[Knox]

If you make that trip again continue West from Deep River and check out Montezuma. That’s where the Deep River folks would likely go groceries and such.

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?

 

[SharonNeedles]

Do you think she’s still alive, just voluntarily missing? Just wondering

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.

 

[margarita25]

Speaking of the dogs, I’ve seen many times on Forensic Files where a victim’s dog’s (or cat’s) hair is found in a perp’s vehicle, etc, providing an evidentiary link for Law Enforcement.

 

[MsBetsy]

I don't believe her. If she saw this, I would think she would have mentioned it sooner - like maybe 2 or so weeks ago. And if she just thought about it, how does she know she had the right date? I could be wrong, but you've got to wonder if she wants to insert herself into the investigation for attention, or if she wants the reward (which if it's false, she wouldn't get anyway). JMO

I just read the article and it does say she reported it when she was questioned, which was probably one of the early interviews as she lives so close. I don't think she is lying, just that Fox is trying to make it seem like they have a new clue when in fact it was probably told to investigators in the first few days.

 

[mnnative]

The Feds get involved whenever a local department needs their help and resources. That’s what happened here, the police asked.

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?