Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #16

[Raccoon]

"..leaving everything else behind." Hmmm.

You would think if she left voluntarily with someone she knew (which still sounds like an open issue or question) why leave your wallet OR purse OR Fanny Pack behind?

Color me confused as to why there is still talk that she may have left 'voluntarily.'

The only thing I can think of is, could she have left in a “voluntarily” in a hurry. As in, being tricked to leave in a hurry. Someone who knew she had a kind heart and an interest in psychology could have used something along the lines of “help me, so and so needs help, they might hurt themselves”. In that case, she’d grab her phone and go? Other than that, she just could have been quickly overpowered with a weapon, but would she have time to grab her phone, less doubtful IMO.

 

[jkloc420]

Right. You stopped getting involved because you’re not a stalker. I believe that stalking is about power. I think that the stalker is delusional in his/her belief that the act of watching is an act of control. It makes sense that over time the stalker would need to increase the level of control in order to satisfy that need (because just watching isn’t enough). So much probably happens in the stalker’s mind that the stalked person has no idea that it’s happening.

I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever took her, watched her and stalked her. Not sure for how long, but if a ride was involved, I think she knew the person enough to get in the car. It’s also possible that she was knocked down, drugged, incapacitated in some way. IF this happened, I think it would have to have happened when it was dark outside. There are neighbors on her route, cars that go by, and she is well known. It is perplexing that if she got into a car during the daylight hours even with someone she knows, that no one saw her. Sunset wasn’t until 8:45 pm that night. This makes me wonder about whether she made that walk to her mom’s early the next morning. I keep going back between the evening before of the morning.

Someone said this in an earlier thread: If LE have her FitBit data, they know if she slept that night.

As far as who did the abducting, I have no idea. Maybe her cell phone pinged near WC’s house, but that is highway 21. This looks to be a major backroad artery out of town. There is a cell phone tower there, and his prior conviction definitely drew the attention of LE. This doesn’t actually mean much. It’s circumstantial.

The fact that they keep searching that area tells me that perhaps something has been found in addition to the a cellphone ping that indicates that something happened there. Something corroborated their suspicion that MT was in that area. It could be a dumping of some item that LE knew she had, or something seen or heard on the night in question, or unexpected tire tracks. Or something else. Pure speculation. No idea.

Wow. This post became a lot longer than I expected. I’ve apparently been thinking a lot about this, and needed to get it out!
MOO

It just gives them an area to search. It gives them a radius. Basically take a point and make a circle.

 

[Cortne]

I don’t think they have a solid poi. I don’t think they have much. I think LE thought they had their big break when something was found near the pig farm, and that WC would be connected. I think the reason today’s presser was canceled was because they have zilch to share and are looking for a new avenue. Moo

Or maybe they got a lead that she being held and is alive? Oh how I wish that were the case.
I just don’t know what to think. I know what I’m leaning towards but don’t wanna accept it or think about it. Continued thoughts and prayers.

 

[WideOpen]

Missing Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts' father says not too late for abductor to return her

Rob and other family members have discussed what they would do when she comes home.

One of Mollie's brothers joked the family would make her watch each interview they had done with reporters...Dalton Jack, said they would slap the magnets displaying her face on her car and have her wear the T-shirts that warn “MISSING” in large red letters...“And go pull every one of those flyers out of every store in the state of Iowa,” Rob added.

Without victim blaming when I read the article and "hear" the tone the loved ones express, I question how they could respond in such a context. What are they thinking and how could they say that? They are going to make her "relive what they are going through". In their most loving & joking way they hold her some part responsible.

So, under what circumstances might this make any sense? They have insinuated that Mollie (unbeknownst to her) caused this. Was she a defiant girl who wanted to change the world? or... Was she a person who would play a practical joke? ... or was she involved with a dangerous humanitarian cause? or was she doing an undercover investigation for her school newspaper on the sex trade in Iowa?

The family and LE have insisted she is alive, but cant tell us why? why?

JMO

 

[zecats]

Mollie’s VSCO collection is interesting. I guess I had an image of a peppy, naive, small town girl. These photos show a different side of her. Her twitter shows some of that too (@motibbs).

https://vsco.co/mollietibbetts/images/1

Her father saying that he thinks she left willingly, LE emphasizing “getting to know Mollie” and figuring out “WHY she is gone”...

I think they are trying to lead the public to shed this pure and wholesome image of her because it’s more helpful for everyone to have a realistic perspective.

I still don’t think she ran away and I don’t think that’s what her father was trying to say. Just that she might have left the house willingly before something happened. Maybe someone stopped by to hang out outside on a nice summer night, or picked her up to go hang out. And then things took a turn. I think that’s what dad was getting at - that he doesn’t think someone took her out of the house or took her while she was running.

The only missing item that doesn’t really fit that theory is the armband. Seems like that would come off as soon as she was done running. Although maybe not. Does anyone just wear their armband around the house? I guess she might have kept it on if she was listening to music on her phone with her earbuds.

Could be so that she continued to wear it after her jog. Say she cooled down after running by walking a bit and came directly into the house to do (or continue to do) schoolwork. She may have left on the running attire, the armband and the earbuds so as to listen to her music while her hands were free to type her assignment. Maybe she figured she could get the schoolwork out of the way for the evening then take a shower. I'm still torn though between her making it home or going missing while running. More time specific info from LE would help narrow this down.

 

[PommyMommy]

I


If that’s the case as in the late 60s and working in our farm I recall a lot. After harvest the ground is turned. Depending on the rotation and what is to be planted the following crop, a plow can go pretty deep. I know as I plowed many years.

Also by air LE is looking for areas in any planted field that are disturbed. And That would most likely cause a pattern disturbance even in tall crops because all crops generally are planted close together for a high yield.

I also tend to believe after 3 weeks she is dead. It means a very sad end to this story. Statistically the best resolution would have been the very few early days.

Law enforcement knows the stats and I recently read them again. It’s very unlikely she is going to come home alive, and I am almost ready to conclude they may not find her.

I’m hoping her name is not added to the missing along interstate 80. The serial killers active in that highway corridor are believed to number a few. Some are long haul truckers who are very difficult to track. (FBI stats)

And I believe I 80 is within 5 or so mikes of Brooklyn. There are trucks in and out of that area with loads to meat processors and pig plants. A truck in that general area wouldn’t raise any suspicion at all. And there’s plenty of room to hide a petite female.

The only grace is most loads withmeat as cargo are sealed for theft.

I can only hope they were able to obtain info from her phone and Fitbit. Most likely the reason they are targeting searches.

They have obtained enough information from her phone and FitBit (along with information from witnesses) to aid in the reconstruction of her jogging route, at least.

JULY 26: Late Thursday, investigators said they had completed reconstructing their timeline of Mollie's run, relying on Fitbit data, cell phone pings and eyewitnesses. Investigators turn to Fitbit data for clues about missing Iowa college student

 

[who knew?]

So it doesn’t look like we have anything new this morning. I hope this doesn’t drag out for months . . . or years. I can’t imagine the FBI still having so many people in Brooklyn if they didn’t have some idea of who did this. Maybe they’re trying to find the “where”.

 

[mountainguy777]

Do we even know if they are currently doing ground searches?

 

[zecats]

It looks like with the searches they are investigating disappearing on a run and investigating MT leaving from the home as indicated by the day. The Father's statement is strong "went into the home to harm her".

The time frame is at least semi narrowed down, from last sighting of her jogging near 7:30pm on 7/18 to no response to text from brother around 7:30am 7/19. That means it was either likely while jogging or from the house. IMOO

 

[jillycat]

I would argue that everyday they don't find a body, improves the chances of her being alive. Not by a lot, but a little bit.

If she is not alive, where is her body?

With the Heather Elvis case as an example, gone longer is not an improvement over finding a body right away.

 

[Nah]

WC's place is quite small and wouldn't be hard to search every inch of it - hog confinement building on adjacent piece of land to the east would also be easy to search.

Thought I remember reading a quote that stated they've searched WC's and MT is not there.

If LE has something on WC - he'd be questioned for more than a 5 or 10 minute stretch, etc.

The two hour meeting/questioning was done - I believe - without him having a lawyer present - given his past deeds that tells me volumes about his involvement - or lack thereof.

I'd have a lawyer if I were him - but he doesn't - I wonder why not???

I wondered why he doesn’t seem to have a lawyer. I think he either has a lawyer friend that he calls (who would have warned him not to take a polygraph)...or he cannot financially afford a lawyer (I’m always shocked at all the people who CAN...they’re WAY expensive!).

That or he is completely innocent and has no reason to feel he needs one, which is also completely possible.

If they eventually find something suspicious on his property, at that point he will have to lawyer up, though.

 

[buggiegirl]

Chloroform is hard to use, even with the skill of an anesthesiologist. But that is a good point. An unskilled guy using it could easily stop someone from breathing.

I really don't think your average kidnapper has any need for chloroform. Point a gun at someone and they'll do what you say, punch her in the face or knock her unconscious, threaten her family. Chloroform is how TV criminals do things, not real ones. IMO it complicates things way too much to have to acquire chloroform.

 

[who knew?]

Maybe (besides the red shirt, which we still don't know is Mollie's) local law enforcement suspected him in the burglary that was near the bf's home close to the time Mollie went missing.

Was it a burglary, or vandalism. I thought it was just vandalism.

 

[jkloc420]

I really don't think your average kidnapper has any need for chloroform. Point a gun at someone and they'll do what you say, punch her in the face or knock her unconscious, threaten her family. Chloroform is how TV criminals do things, not real ones. IMO it complicates things way too much to have to acquire chloroform.

Can yo buy chloroform anywhere or do you need some kind of doctor prescription.

 

[mountainguy777]

We really know nothing. It’s very odd. No timeline. No person or vehicle to be on the look for. Did she finish her jog? Has any evidence been found? Officially nothing.

 

[Jace1124]

Was thinking of DJ demeanor and facial expressions from last NC. He looked slightly angry and cried out. Possibly he knew of the possibility that she had interest elsewhere. And maybe for him she is gone for good alive, or not. Poor guy, so young, looks Like he just graduated this year. I hope he has family and friends love around him.

 

[buggiegirl]

Can yo buy chloroform anywhere or do you need some kind of doctor prescription.

I really don't know, but I bet it's way, way easier to get a gun in the US than chloroform. Plus getting a gun doesn't really raise anyone's suspicions but there is no reason random Bob Country needs chloroform!!

 

[Mr. Obvious]

I wondered why he doesn’t seem to have a lawyer. I think he either has a lawyer friend that he calls (who would have warned him not to take a polygraph)...or he cannot financially afford a lawyer (I’m always shocked at all the people who CAN...they’re WAY expensive!).

That or he is completely innocent and has no reason to feel he needs one, which is also completely possible.

If they eventually find something suspicious on his property, at that point he will have to lawyer up, though.

Totally agree.

 

[mountainguy777]

I think Friday’s press conference is key. They have to say something to keep this case alive. It feels like we are hitting that point where interest is waning. I follow the missy bevers case and the Delphi girls case, and as hot as those cases were, they are unsolved and silent now. Not a good thing.

 

[Charliegizmo49]

So it doesn’t look like we have anything new this morning. I hope this doesn’t drag out for months . . . or years. I can’t imagine the FBI still having so many people in Brooklyn if they didn’t have some idea of who did this. Maybe they’re trying to find the “where”.

There are aspects of this case that bother me.


1. No timeframe to pinpoint when she disappeared.

2. Without knowing that, the general public had to think about perhaps 36 hours which they are being asked to recall anything they might consider suspicious.


3. Lack of a reliable time may not jolt the memory of specifics in the public memory.

4. The search area, if there is any searching is 13-15 miles away. There has to be a very good reason LE MIGHT be searching there.

5. To be honest, I have seen very little to no evidence reported that any significant searches are being done.

6. I agree there is nothing that says they have to inform anyone, but there has to be good reason to keep everything so secretive.

7. 6 is valid only if they know anything. They may not.

This ones interesting. Is it possible that the FBI RECOGNIZED certain aspects of the case as being connected to another case or several unresolved cases??