Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #15

[MesquiteO21]

UPDATE: Body found in rural Lee County identified as Sadie Alvarado

Body found has been identified. RIP Sadie.

so it was a hit and run situation, geez poor girl. RIP Sadie

 

[crumbcleaner]

I still believe she was taken on her run, and I think it's possible that happened without anyone seeing. I think back to Kelsey Smith Murder of Kelsey Smith - Wikipedia
She was abducted from a busy Target parking lot in broad daylight (7 PM in June, which is still very light out). A random crime--the guy saw her in Target, followed her, and then ambushed her by her vehicle. At first glance, they didn't even see it on CCTV until they slowed it down.

So daylight, cars around, people in the parking lot, and no one saw anything that we know of. It was solved by thankfully there being cameras at Target and at the Macy's where he ditched her vehicle. All this to say that even before dark when we think some people may be out and about, it really just takes a second to grab someone and shove them in a car. Then you are out of there in seconds. Ambushed perhaps with no chance to even scream or yell out. And of course, if it was someone she knew fairly well and went with willingly, there would be no struggle or anything odd to even see.

I also think about the poster in the last thread from IL who drove to Brooklyn yesterday. He (she? I am unsure of poster's sex) is not from the town but said driving through, most people they saw just waved at them as they went past. So I don't know that people would be all that suspicious or on the lookout for a vehicle that didn't belong as we may believe.

I agree that it could've happened anytime, especially in such a rural area. I immediately thought of Dru Sjodin, she was taken by a sex offender at 4pm in a mall parking lot. If it was this type of situation, the perp may not have thought things through and acted more on impulse. With this, it's plausible she could've been taken around 7:30-7:45 as LE seems to be focusing on this timeframe, at least publicly. I'm still leaning more towards someone she knows or is at least familiar with but starting to think it did happen while she was out running. Otherwise, I think LE would focus more on asking the public for tips on suspicious activity around the house at a different time.

 

[badgersmythe]

Black SUV circled neighborhood on the night Mollie Tibbetts vanished

Black SUV was seen circling neighborhood where Mollie Tibbetts vanished | Daily Mail Online

 

[kkdj]

Has anyone seen a reward listed for other than “safe return”?

I sure hope a safe return is possible.

 

[allboys]

@allboys Impossible for two reasons, IMO:

(1) The sheriff was quoted as being confident that all such buildings and properties in the immediate area were thoroughly searched

(2) It didn't rain Wednesday evening, it rained Thursday

Thanks! That is exactly the information I assumed, but was still looking for.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Kelsey's case is ever in my mind when I go to Target. I NEVER park by the cart returns anywhere after that case. And her dad was LE! Such a terrible, terrible crime. We lost a really beautiful young lady that night!

What about the cart return areas?

 

[Mr. Obvious]

Completely agree with this statement, but outside of people on here and a handful of others in each town, most don't even pay that much attention to their own family, yet alone a strange vehicle.

Totally agree - apathy - the byproduct of our self centered society! :-(

 

[kkdj]

Without more info I'm still thinking Mollie is with someone she knows. That seems like the most likely scenario. The next would be she was hit by a vehicle and that person is running scared and hid her. The next would be she was taken by a random unknown person, but a pervert or a thrill seeker or could be even a group out thrill seeking. Mollie running away is last on my list, unfortunately.

 

[Sachi]

Predators are stealthy per my life experiences.
To qualify, I have been running nearly 34 years and have had some scary experiences in college and beyond while running. I don't know if this story below is helpful/insightful, it did illustrate to me in real time how fast something can happen in broad daylight on a well travelled road which negates many "movie-ish" images that people may have about how one would escape or elude an attack.
Last year, I was on a main road in a suburban town running and at a curve where for aprox. 300yrds there are no houses, just trees on each side and a curve in the road, this is where
( I had no headphones on)
a little red truck crossed the median and came up behind me as I ran against the traffic, with engine seemingly cut and gliding quietly as it is down hill for a short spell and visibility of oncoming cars clear, I only turned because of crackle of stone close behind me, jumped back , perp sped off. Note : not my normal running time, 9:30am post school and commute traffic burst- broad daylight.
I was in shock and found myself trying to convince myself and my husband and kids- saying such things as " do you think they thought I was younger from behind? Were they practicing?, etc" it was real and I was so discombobulated that I couldn't see the license plate as truck sped away, not helpful at all. The Driver could have easily tasered me, hit me with the door etc.
A woman or child with head phones on, running -listening or not in runner mode when their brain is elsewhere is like a white bunny in a mowed green field to a raptor, totally totally totally at risk.

 

[Veracity]

No need for “sorry”. I hear what you are saying, but I think that it is based on an assumption that putting more info out there would find her more efficiently. If I believed that, I would agree with you. I don’t believe that is the case, so I don’t. Having different opinions and beliefs is what makes this forum so useful.

I always have equated assumptions with laziness. The truth can't hurt you - it is what it is.

However, if you put blinders on or turn aside from reality and truth and walk through life assuming or even worse rationalizing, there will be pitfalls and failures and they ripple,don't they?

I hope whoever out there - and we ALL KNOW THEY'RE THERE- has the keys to unlock the answer as to where MOLLIE TIBBETTS is and thinks time will make it go away - YOU ARE SO WRONG!

When it comes to missing persons it is not a criminal investigation. It is a quest to simply find a person. Mollie is categorized as "OTHER ADULT MISSING" for Pete's Sake. Do it now! Before that case being built finds you!

If you know where she is - tell someone! If you think you may have an idea - tell someone! If you are afraid - GO to the LE and tell them! Or go to an attorney and tell them! I bet there is some attorney or maybe more than one who would love to help FIND MOLLIE. Let them help you!

There are three different branches of Law Enforcement involved - you could go to MO or IL or ... and walk into a FBI office or you could meet LE in a different County, town or city in Iowa.

Maybe you are just assuming something-- DON'T DO THAT!

The #1 thing is to FIND MOLLIE! And anyone who helps LE find her in my book should be thanked!

 

[Twistinginthewind]

No. Molly is waaay too old - for sex trafficking the subjects want their victims to be young - the younger the better. Ideally, between 6 and 15 or so. These are people that are looking for girls they can sell to places like Saudi Arabia, Africa, India, etc. Many do stay in the US though, and are moved from hotel to hotel. It's actually quite common to see groups of traveling escorts; if you've ever been at a hotel and you see one guy with a group of girls - there you go. As far as Sherry Pappini, well, you should review that case very carefully.

It has been noted in several posts on this thread that Mollie was very petite so looks younger than her 20 years of age, and a past incident occurred where a 10 year old girl was missing that LE mistook Mollie for while she was away at college.

 

[JudgeJoe]

it is likely most retail places in town have cctv, even the funeral home. the systems are now fairly low cost. I hope they have saved cctv footage from time in question. even if cctv didn't see her it could have seen something that might seem nothing but put together with info that may come in future could be useful.

Not likely in such a small town.

 

[SteveP]

Totally agree - apathy - the byproduct of our self centered society! :-(

Most people have their heads in their phones almost every waking minute that they can anymore. They wouldn't see a strange car if they were leaning against it. Look around next time you go to a restaurant. People sitting at tables, no one talking, everyone playing on their phone. And I confess, I am often guilty too. Sad.

 

[kkdj]

Predators are stealthy per my life experiences.
To qualify, I have been running nearly 34 years and have had some scary experiences in college and beyond while running. I don't know if this story below is helpful/insightful, it did illustrate to me in real time how fast something can happen in broad daylight on a well travelled road which negates many "movie-ish" images that people may have about how one would escape or elude an attack.
Last year, I was on a main road in a suburban town running and at a curve where for aprox. 300yrds there are no houses, just trees on each side and a curve in the road, this is where
( I had no headphones on)
a little red truck crossed the median and came up behind me as I ran against the traffic, with engine seemingly cut and gliding quietly as it is down hill for a short spell and visibility of oncoming cars clear, I only turned because of crackle of stone close behind me, jumped back , perp sped off. Note : not my normal running time, 9:30am post school and commute traffic burst- broad daylight.
I was in shock and found myself trying to convince myself and my husband and kids- saying such things as " do you think they thought I was younger from behind? Were they practicing?, etc" it was real and I was so discombobulated that I couldn't see the license plate as truck sped away, not helpful at all. The Driver could have easily tasered me, hit me with the door etc.
A woman or child with head phones on, running -listening or not in runner mode when their brain is elsewhere is like a white bunny in a mowed green field to a raptor, totally totally totally at risk.

Taser. How simple, fast and rendering a person helpless. I hadn't thought of this. Isn't this how Jaycee Dugard was taken?

 

[JudgeJoe]

I have concerns about her being in a cornfield.

Yes. And crops won’t be harvested until mid-October-ish.

 

[Deleted member 227095]

So a question for those who are in the camp that a PC that answers no questions is fine (I’m not sure how I feel at this point so I don’t consider it bad. I just don’t know if I consider it good/useful.).

What about the case could be compromised about confirming they suspect foul play? That’s the one thing that keeps me from being 100% in the camp that LE is doing this to protect the investigation. They won’t even say that. To me ‘this is out of character’ is not the same thing. Sure the volume of resources pretty much answers the question but then why the heck not just answer the question? What am I missing about the ramifications of answering at least that question.

Just thinking out loud, maybe they felt strongly that she was alive and didn't know how she got to where she was but also didn't know exactly where she was being held and they didn't want to spook the perp/s into killing her or doing something rash? Also, maybe they aren't convinced or don't know that the situation does involve foul play and if they publicly named it as such that the perp/s would do something unfortunate as they would think they have been tried and found guilty by LE? Digital information from phone/fit bit could have been providing a trail for LE but its not the same as eyewitness accounts -- its just raw data with no context. So, unless there was solid CCTV some place along the route to give some context and color to the situation there might be much that LE didn't know at the time of the 1st or even 2nd PC. Just speculation.

 

[boomzilla]

Yes. And crops won’t be harvested until mid-October-ish.

And farmers don't tend to check their fields for people before they start harvesting

 

[SharonNeedles]

@allboys It didn't rain Wednesday evening, it rained Thursday

Probably splitting hairs, but it rained on and off overnight. By the time I got up around 6:30am it had rained. Signicant to me only because I know that could affect any evidence.

 

[curvecuti]

I am leaning away from stranger abduction because of the statement made by LE that they're fairly certain there is no threat to the public.

 

[bizzle2]

I really think some of you are overestimating the wherewithal of a 20 year old to voluntarily disappear without a trace. That alone is reason for me to look at any theory involving a voluntary disappearance with a great deal of skepticism. A voluntary disappearance might still be on the table if she had disappeared three days ago, but not three weeks. She still has to eat. She still has to have shelter. She would have had to get far enough away without her own vehicle. With as much media coverage as this has received there is absolutely no way someone wouldn't have seen her by now. Unless you think she found a secret cabin in the woods, stocked it with food/sleeping bag/toiletries, and managed to go there all without drawing any suspicion from family and friends -- that's pretty darn far-fetched.

Sometimes a lack of evidence is evidence. Lack of social media activity after being a pretty avid user of social media. Lack of contact with family/friends after having daily contact with many of them. Lack of a history of running away from home. Lack of reason to disappear. Lack of ability to survive living off the grid (she wasn't known as an avid hunter/fisher/camper/outdoors person from any account I have seen.) Throw all of that in with the fact that there are 30-40 Department of CRIMINAL Investigations people working on her disappearance -- I think any reasonable person would put a voluntary disappearance at the bottom of the list of possibilities if not cross it off altogether.