Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #30

[i'm someone]

One more time and that's all I'm going to say about it. I was referring to the statement that since she has a background in psychology and a strong support system she can get out of this situation.

Well, now you're just misquoting me. I never said any such thing.

 

[sripey]

So I wonder if there were tornado warnings in Brooklyn? Or the weather turned suddenly? Just trying to think of reasons for her to have altered her plans or route.

Mollie went missing on the 18th. The tornadoes occurred on the 19th.

 

[kkdj]

It seems in many of these cases eventually Family comes to a point where they return to their routines. I think it's important to keep their sanity in a heartbreaking, surreal situation. Often LE checks in frequently and it must be some measure of comfort their loved one is not forgotten. I cant imagine. The month must have felt like years. It would be with you every second, minute, hour. I think if folks don't find some kind of a new normal they are of no help to themselves, family and their missing loved one.

It would be so hard to leave and do anything else but look for my child. I don't know if I could leave. That's what RT is going thru. So sad.

 

[DocBrew]

A traveling serial killer who happened to be passing through the area and saw Mollie as a victim of opportunity would be very hard to find and connect to her disappearance. JMO

A traveling serial killer would've also likely turned onto I-80 from 200th rather than continue on south. That's why I feel that whomever did it, serial killer or no, is relatively local.

JMO.

 

[chihuahua]

As far as "working girls/men", I have been around many truckstops and other places. I have brought huge men having PTSD meltdowns from combat out of some really seedy places.
Having slept at truckstops more times than I can count, these women/men are victims of their own addictions and their own mental issues almost all of the time. They are referred to as lot lizards and chicken-heads (because they are assumed to "gobble" up crack like a chicken does its feed).
I like to refer to them simply as "humans". Broken in many ways?
Yes.
Human and worthy of my compassion and outreach?
Certainly.
Just saying and my own experienced opinion.

 

[Bravo]

When WOULD be a good time for him to return home so that he isn't judged too harshly? Six weeks? Eight? A year? The fact is, it could be months before Mollie is found-or even longer.

I have lived through the death of my child and one of the hardest things to accept is that, despite how badly you are hurting, the world DOES contine to move: bills must be paid, your other children need you, you have job responsibilities, your spouse needs you, etc. Eventually you HAVE to rejoin the world. It sucks, but it's still there.

So very sorry for your loss. Sending you a big cyber hug.

 

[i'm someone]

No.


Mollie went missing on the 18th. The tornadoes occurred on the 19th.

She went missing on the 19th, according to the title of the thread.

 

[ab01]

As a farmer, you would definitely notice it, there is generally a lot you are paying attention too. But if it was beans with a 40’ or longer head you may or may not notice it till it clogs the throat. The same a rock or a clump of weeds would do. Now with a corn head, you would probably either see it before you hit it or you would push it with one of the row pts. But you would definitely know. I have myself had a lump in my throat when I have come up on bags of remains while combining, but lucky for me every time they have been from lazy hunters who gut there deer and leave the remains behind. Sorry for the blunt and probably disturbing visual, but that is the best I can explain it.

And just to add, farmers are generally very aware of their surroundings. During harvest, I generally am looking at tree lines around fields, ditches etc. Always looking for broken down drain tiles, wildlife, large rocks, Brocken parts from planting season etc. Now I know in Iowa with their huge 1k acre fields and few tree lined fence rows, it’s a bit different. But I know if a body was in a field it wouldn’t go unnoticed. And to be quit honest if MT had been placed in a field or died from medical complications. Somebody in a high boy sprayer spraying the fields with herbicide and or pesticides would have very likely already found her! My 2 cents

 

[Rocco]

I don’t know what they meant, but 1 thing that comes to mind...if someone thought the heat was dying down and no 1 was watching, they might return to the scene of the crime or the site where they disposed of a body in order to try to button it up tighter and make sure there’s no evidence trail left behind.

Yes, that's what Jacob Wetterling's murderer did. He went back to where he had buried him and noticed part of his jacket was starting to show so he re-buried him.

 

[Mrs. Friday]

Longtime follower/ Firt time poster - At the end of the day I think we are all over thinking this case.

The odds that someone just happened to abduct her on a night she was going to home alone is slim to none. Somebody within her inner circle knew she was going to be home alone. Similarly to when people on Facebook post pictures while they are on vacation!

I am interested to know more about the daycare workers. A father or boy friend at that facility could have easily known more about her private life. I have a gut feeling this is somebody she knew and willing left with and not expecting the outcome that occurred.

Additionally, don’t you find it odd that three other people have died fairly close by recently? The 14 year old autistic kid, the girl they found on the side of the road.

I have been wondering if they interviewed all of the children at the daycare. Maybe Mollie confided in one of the children she works with, said something she wouldn’t share with her friends or family. I know some people might find this ridiculous but I work with middle schoolers. I’ve had some great conversations with some and shared with them things about my life that maybe they could relate to in some way. Kids ask direct questions. Maybe Mollie shared something that could be used to find her. Just a random thought.

 

[RANCH]

A traveling serial killer would've also likely turned onto I-80 from 200th rather than continue on south. That's why I feel that whomever did it, serial killer or no, is relatively local.

JMO.

I don't understand your post. You know which way the perpetrator came and went?

 

[i'm someone]

After a little searching, I found there was a tornado warning broadcast that included Poweshiek Co, and the weather forcast on KCCI for that day tracked a line of severe weather going through Grinnell and Guernsey. If she had a weather alert come through on her phone, she may have changed course abruptly. May have taken shelter somewhere not safe. May have accepted a ride to get somewhere faster. Just speculation. I've heard weirder theories here.

 

[Justintime]

The whole tornado theory is very far fetched.

 

[Jabarn]

A traveling serial killer who happened to be passing through the area and saw Mollie as a victim of opportunity would be very hard to find and connect to her disappearance. JMO

Not sure it’s mutually exclusive, a serial killer vs. a victim of circumstance. Serial killers live somewhere. Not sure that is it all, and even typing it doesn’t feel right. But someone who does it to one has the potential to have done it to someone else, and do it again.

On the other hand, another angle I thought about was the possibility she was entangled in something with an older male, like a professor. Not sure why, because there has been no evidence in that direction, and it makes no sense at all, based on the evidence of a tight abduction route... within a few miles from her boyfriend’s brother’s house. But nothing has turned up, so just thinking outside the box, momentarily.

 

[MsBetsy]

I have one that accounts for all 5 points, but I'm not saying it's a good one. This is all hypothetical so please don't ask for sources even though I'm stating it as fact. TIA
The "man" decided to go on the prowl that day/evening, but obviously didn't want to hunt too close to home. He drove to Brooklyn, and stopped at the truck stop (point 1) to buy a few supplies. He's been there enough times in the past to have a good idea where the cameras are, and was able to avoid them for the most part. I believe he was wearing a hat and sunglasses to help obscure his face. He bought duct tape, gloves, a small rope and probably a few other small items to make his purchases less suspicious. He put on the gloves, left there and started checking out the town. If there had been no easy mark, he would have just moved on to another town.

Mollie was on her run, and was just crossing the street by the car wash (point 2) when he came by. He drove around a bit checking to see how busy the streets were, and how likely witnesses were. When he decided that he had a good chance of success, he went back and tracked her down just as she was getting ready to turn onto 385th (point 3) to get back home. He stopped, grabbed her, duct taped her mouth, hands and feet, threw her in the back seat and took off. Because he caught her off guard and she was pretty well worn out from the run (and probably at least a little out of breath), it only took a minute or so to complete. He then drove following 385th through town, without worrying about being seen because she was out of sight in the trunk.

When he got to 385th and 200th (point 4), he turned into one of the field roads, turned off the lights and got into the backseat. After he did whatever he planned to do, and strangled her with the rope he just bought he either dragged her body further into the field or left her in his car to leave somewhere else. It would have made the most sense to leave her, but I think she may have been found already if he did. Anyway, about the time he got to point 5, he noticed that her phone was in the car, possibly because of a text or call coming in, and he smashed it. In case it was tracked, he didn't want to leave it where it last worked, so he threw it out several miles down the road. From there, he just continued on his way home, and dropped her off somewhere else along the way if he hadn't left her in the field or with the phone. He threw the gloves, hat and sunglasses away, along with any excess tape and the rope.

A clerk at the truck stop told LE that a man had bought those things, but couldn't give a very good description of him, and definitely not enough for a sketch. What they're looking for now is anyone who was at the truck stop and saw someone putting those things into a vehicle, hoping to get a better description. They're most likely also looking for anyone who saw a strange man fitting the vague description around the car wash at the time she ran by, anyone who saw a car stopped on 385th & Historic US 6, anyone (especially from the farm near the corner) who saw a car pull off the road, and anyone who may have seen anyone unusual at 200th and 385th.

Wow. Thank you for that very detailed account. Has confusion brought us back around to describing scenarios based on points on the map? I can't seem to get those scenarios out of my head! One thing I was thinking, if the perp disabled, got rid of the phone in the search area near the farms and cornfields, would he hide the body in that same location? I know many people are suggesting that she may be in the cornfields, but I would think one would take a body to a totally different location.

 

[i'm someone]

The whole tornado theory is very far fetched.

Picture this: She's out running, there is a weather alert, she cuts her trip short. I would.

 

[lateott]

Some of the theories involving the map seem to hone in on serial killers.

What explanations might we theorize that involve a local acquaintance instead?

For example, hypothetical: local accidentally hits Mollie with car or sees her get injured in a drunk boating accident. She is clearly dead.

Panics.

Drives around trying to think of what to do.

Stops in a random lot (truck stop) to search their phone or their brain for an idea on where to dispose of body.

Drives out toward pig farm. Tosses phone and Fitbit.

Drives a little further to forest preserve and dumps body.

Still panicked. Goes to car wash bc they want to immediately wash away all evidence and put this behind them.

Need to think about the time frame as well:

• Sunset on July 18 was 8:41 with darkness at around 9:15. Sunrise and sunset times in Grinnell, IA - July 2018
• The time frame LE are seeking info at the red hot spots is between the hours of 5 PM to 10 PM
• Therefore, there were only 45 minutes in darkness during the window of interest

If you think about it, 45 minutes of darkness is not a long time, and that may rule out some scenarios and make others more likely.

As an example it seems unlikely to me that it would leave enough time for Mollie to get picked up one way or another, have a talk, mini-date, or for things to go horribly wrong. Then more time for someone to hide Mollie one way or another, then think about all the consequences and even begin to plan covering a trail then race back to the car wash for clean-up, however long the car wash is open. (Therefore it seems unlikely they want witnesses to a car washing at the car wash.)

I think it also means LE don't believe she is being held near those hotspots (else why only care about them until 10 PM?)

This makes me think LE is after car wash and truck stop sitings for some other reason than a perp is washing away evidence.

So for all of the hotspots, why is 10 pm the latest LE would be interested? Also the perp could only be in one spot at one time. This suggests the window in darkness has to be 15-30 minutes more narrow at some of the hot spots.

 

[sripey]

She went missing on the 19th, according to the title of the thread.

She went missing on the 18th. Not sure why the forum is marked 19th.

 

[Justintime]

Whoever it is had to know the area well...just think of yourself going through a small town. You will have no idea which way to go to not be scene.

Nobody responded to my question around townies knowing everything that goes on i their twin. This is a very small town and somebody knows something.

 

[RANCH]

Not sure it’s mutually exclusive, a serial killer vs. a victim of circumstance. Serial killers live somewhere. Not sure that is it all, and even typing it doesn’t feel right. But someone who does it to one has the potential to have done it to someone else, and do it again.

On the other hand, another angle I thought about was the possibility she was entangled in something with an older male, like a professor. Not sure why, because there has been no evidence in that direction, and it makes no sense at all, based on the evidence of a tight abduction route... within a few miles from her boyfriend’s brother’s house. But nothing has turned up, so just thinking outside the box, momentarily.

BBM
Everyone alive is living somewhere.

When I say a traveling serial killer I'm talking about someone who is nomadic and doesn't live in the same place for any length of time.