Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #22

[FindHG]

I recall seeing days ago that the fitbit must be paired with a phone to view the data. If the perp were to have destroyed Mollie's phone, or even powered it off, would anyone be able to see the data from the fitbit after that point?

I ask because I saw theories that the perp might be younger because they knew the fitbit could track Mollie, but is this the case if the cell phone is no longer able to pair up? I think most people these days would know a cell phone can track location and any perp would get rid of it. Not to mention a victim could try to call for help.

Since it's rumored the last ping from the device was near the pig farm, I wonder if the phone was also tossed in that area as well and if that's why the FBI and LE are so focused on that area.

Thanks again for your thoughts and great work on the map, Jennifermn.

Some thoughts and heavy speculation in my messy way:

If it wasn't just a random stranger off a highway who took her, going off your post and Otto's very convincing theory:

When either the phone or fitbit last gave a location, it may have been an attempt to mislead and distance the crime from the perp.

If the distractions were placed to lead people to believe Mollie was taken to I80, then does that mean the perp is actually located in another direction closer to Molly's town or work area?

Could the perp have simply let the devices geolocate there, then kept them, adept enough to later download info from Mollie's phone without having it ping?

If the perp or perps spent so much time planning this crime,
picked the perfect time to strike,
knocked out lights and cameras,
created distractions,
waited for darkness and isolation,
until after she'd spoken to mom about dinner,
then it could be based on some super sense of wanting to control her.

As such, could the cell phone have too much insight into Mollie or connection to her for the perp not to keep?

More to the point, if it wasn't a stranger and the perp did spend all that time planning and stalking Mollie without being noticed or standing out in any way, could Mollies devices have been hacked?

If her device weren't hacked, then for the perp not to be noticed, they may have had to have had some reason to be seen between Molly's home and DJ's home on a regular basis without raising suspicion.

If the perp knew just exactly when to act so she wouldn't be missed, and that Mollie may go back to her own house for dinner, did the perp have some way of watching her remotely?

If the perp had Mollie under surveillance for a while, could not being able to have that access while she was away have been a motivating factor?

If nobody has noticed the perp acting differently since this occurred, could the perp be thought to be away on summer vacation all this time?

How long did this obsessed person need to grow habitually attached remotely or through actual contact and normal interactions to feel triggered to act now?

Did the capacity to be connected to Mollie become a need, a habit?

Was it about her specifically or just the perp's circumstances, being able to do this?

This is too clean a situation from the little we know to have been a fluke.

How did the perp know exactly when to strike if Mollie decided during her jog to go home for dinner?

Was the snapchat sent to DJ by Mollie or to buy time? If DJ were asked 'have you heard from Mollie', he'd see the snap chat and think she was fine.

If the perp needed the night to take Mollie and time to set up distractions, is it because they would be recognized or would have no reason to be seen there normally?

If the farm and park searches were placed as ruses to distract, parting with the camp T shirt could be leaving something behind the perp could let go, placed where it was found, if this is at all true.

 

[RavenCC2020]

As far as your daughters and their friends are concerned, just because they are curious and seemingly unconcerned about contacting strangers on what are basically hookup sites is what every single predator is looking for. I don't know, maybe you might want to mention that the next time they are "curious".

I don't think it's very kind to imply that if a girl is from a poor or non-wealthy family they are trashy or from skid row. I winced when I read that. There are plenty of criminal, badly behaving people from "wonderful wealthy families". This is the time to be caring about actual human beings, not pretending to be someone else just for kicks. It may be a trend among this generation, but so was smoking once. Just because they are doing something does not make it healthy. And I am not referring to Mollies' social media patterns, because from what I saw they were very, very tame and conservative.

Um trust me, I HAVE warned them that their behavior is NOT using good judgement because of the risks involved. As far as "hook up sites" yes, I am aware that Tinder is one but it is not used by some people AS hook ups, rather a way of meeting people. Fortunate for me my daughter is a scarety cat for the most part and she has told me that she has not ever met up with anyone. She showed me her account (I didn't ask to see it) and the responses she had gotten. As far as the other girls go, they are all of age, I am not their mother and it is not my place to tell their mom's to intervene.

I only worded the trashy/ skid row / wealthy thing because SOME people would assume that anyone using such an app was a low moral person. In fact they are not. They are from all backgrounds and are all great kids WITH morals. Yes, I am fully aware of the fact that kids from wealthy families can be less then stellar in their behavior and their morals. THIS is what I attempted to point out when I said ALL the spectrum.

As far as who Molly is or isn't neither you nor I can get a true reading on her simply from her visible SM accounts. The girls I mentioned before that use other SM apps have FB and Twitter accounts that if YOU purused them you would believe they were all angels. Guess what, they are, great kids who still use SM apps out there that are MARKETED to them and their peers advise them, challenge them or simply their own curiosity get them to use. It does not change who THEY are as good vs bad girls. It appears you are doing some judging here yourself that is not really accurate. I am actually a very conservative person who just happens to BE AWARE of how kids today act. I do NOT judge them because to do that will only result in them closing down communication with me. They can get THAT attitude at home. I only attempt to guide. Have a good night.

 

[katydid23]

Is that possible? I know phone records can be acquired to see number of calls/texts and to what numbers... but can they actually get the text contexts?

We went through this exact issue in a few previous cases. IN fact, some cell providers DO have text logs. But they vary in how long they retain them.

Mollie apparently uses Sprint. I don't know how long they retain the logs, but I do know they have access to the actual texts for a little while. I had actual, real world experience with that.

Years ago, when my daughter was a teen, her brand new i-phone went missing at a birthday party. She was certain it was stolen. The next morning we went to our Sprint store, and asked if her cell was being used. The salesman got right on the computer, and he read her latest texts to us, word for word. Asked us if those were sent by her. They were, and later we found that someone had found it and took it because she thought it belonged to her friend.

Anyway, I was shocked to find out that the salesman could click onto the computer and read our texts from the night before. The question is, how long are they kept before deleted?

 

[LaylaD]

Am I the only one looking at a map and trying to figure out what's 50 miles away from Brooklyn, Iowa?

Iowa City/University of Iowa

 

[Cardinal47]

Plenty of suspects have inadvertently lead police to a body. You’re right about surveillance being difficult, but they could use a GPS device to track his vehicle and monitor his phone communication.

Yes and then there is his phone...that tracking device that LE so depends on these days.

 

[jillycat]

I don't think a scenario where she's alive, they know who did it, but they're sitting on that for any reason is remotely plausible.

If she's deceased, which I believe is the case, and they know or come to know who the person is, neither the FBI nor any other LE agency is going to spend time playing cat and mouse with her killer to hopefully glean her location or other info. They simply want such a person in custody.

 

[Tricia]

When people sometimes discuss psychological issues such as narcissism or things that possibly could be related to the case because we know the perp has to have some issue I let those posts stand usually. Talking about criminal mentality and how it can relate to the case at hand is an OK topic to discuss...usually.

Some interesting posts about how childhood trauma can affect the brain. Could be related to what happens in Mollie's and OK to leave up...usually.


What I am not leaving up are the following:
: Sports scores
: Sports banter
: Discussion of someone's personal disability that has NOTHING to do with the case
: Posts making fun of that disability.

Or any other off-topic post.

Please STOP.

 

[cluciano63]

I’m not convinced there is a POI. Her dad seems to have had not even a hint from LE that progress is happening...which I do think they might give them that much info, if it might be coming to a head soon. Partly so he would be able to make plans to stay around. There is just no reason to think they do have a POI, really, excepy that they have lots of agents on the case.

I do wonder though about how quickly they ruled people out...seemingly almost at once, if I remember correctly, yet the first reports had her in denim shorts and red shirt, so I don’t think they knew at once when she had really gone missing. Jmo

 

[Q.E.D.]

Does anybody remember this case?

• " ... investigators are unable to obtain medical records and cellphone tower information because there is no evidence of a crime."

Also:

• "She probably went for a walk," Turner told Fox News on Wednesday. "And she's unable to come home at this point in time."
  (This sounds eerily like how Mollie's dad has spoken.)

Of course, the ending wasn't what some expected.

 

[cluciano63]

Plenty of suspects have inadvertently lead police to a body. You’re right about surveillance being difficult, but they could use a GPS device to track his vehicle and monitor his phone communication.

But if they have video, as the other poster suggests, they have proof of crime and sitting around waiting for something useful to happen could backfire, i.e if he manages to elude them leave town in another vehicle, buy a new phone etc

 

[thesaint]

I facilitate trainings like this. Neuroscience in the last decade + has given us so much insight into the impact of trauma on development and behavior. It gives us in the field hope that we can at least make an impact. Moo.

I just think the typical "monster" image "we" have of violent offenders can be paralyzing when evaluating who may be responsible for crimes. Many look just like the average person and live otherwise "normal" lives. Often the history of trauma or violent tendencies go unknown or unnoticed. It also makes it hard to consider crimes of passion, which are also common in murder cases, and do not necessarily fit the "psychopath" mold. Moo.

Wonderful that neuroscience is making strides identifying the impact of childhood trauma on adult behavior. Recognizing the cause is the first step to cure. Hopefully neuroscience finds/develops solutions for traumatized individuals which allow those individuals to end up somewhere other than dead or in prison or zombified by pharmies.

According to the US DOJ, somewhere between half to two-thirds of the people in prison are suffering from either undiagnosed or diagnosed-and-under-treated mental illness. I imagine a large percentage of those folks can trace their issues back to some sort of pre-adult trauma.

 

[Cardinal47]

I’m not convinced there is a POI. Her dad seems to have had not even a hint from LE that progress is happening...which I do think they might give them that much info, if it might be coming to a head soon. Partly so he would be able to make plans to stay around. There is just no reason to think they do have a POI, really, excepy that they have lots of agents on the case.

I do wonder though about how quickly they ruled people out...seemingly almost at once, if I remember correctly, yet the first reports had her in denim shorts and red shirt, so I don’t think they knew at once when she had really gone missing. Jmo

It's taken them a while to get everything and hours of reviewing and putting a case together. Then once they have an idea of who they are looking at they have to subpeona those records. We think in this world everything moves swiftly but I think hours and hours of good police work will produce results in this world of ours where everybody is being watched and followed by electronics!

 

[MassGuy]

But if they have video, as the other poster suggests, they have proof of crime and sitting around waiting for something useful to happen could backfire, i.e if he manages to elude them leave town in another vehicle, buy a new phone etc

That’s true. But what I’m suggesting is that they don’t necessarily have proof, just enough evidence to obtain probable cause to get the necessary surveillance warrants.

 

[PFer]

There were 53 vacant housing units in Brooklyn as of July 1, 2018. I hope these have all been searched.

On a similar note, I was surprised that there are only 674 total housing units in Brooklyn. (I think there are that many apartments in my complex. It certainly puts the size of the town in perspective.)

Brooklyn, IA Profile: Facts, Map & Data

 

[cluciano63]

Also, there was a case in GA years back...I think the woman’s name was Kristy Cornwall, abducted while on a walk, talking to boyfriend in phone in another city. For some reason, she was not found for a long time, though sadly her brother finally found her remains from his repeated searches...details sketchy to me at the moment. It was heartbreaking and something I could see happening to Mollie’s dad.

 

[Cardinal47]

But if they have video, as the other poster suggests, they have proof of crime and sitting around waiting for something useful to happen could backfire, i.e if he manages to elude them leave town in another vehicle, buy a new phone etc

We have all watched many, many trials. Police are put on the witness stands. They have to be sure and correct. The pendulum swung and not to the side of the prosecution.

 

[cluciano63]

That’s true. But what I’m suggesting is that they don’t necessarily have proof, just enough evidence to obtain probable cause to get the necessary surveillance warrants.

Ok but the theory presented was LE does have video evidence of the crime.

 

[Deleted member 228069]

Especially with parents, they can’t risk it. Do you mean to say you or other family members would not be tempted to seek out the POI yourself, if LE was moving too slowly? Or that you could keep info from other family members? I have my doubts about anyone having this ability.

Actually, I could and would if the life of my child depended on it. As a parent, I'd want informed.

 

[MassGuy]

Gotcha. I highly doubt there is a video of the actual abduction. But there may be video evidence of a suspicious person or vehicle.

 

[otto]

Am I the only one looking at a map and trying to figure out what's 50 miles away from Brooklyn, Iowa?

Let me help.