Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #32

[blaf2]

Heart broken about this news! Serial killer? So very very sad!

 

[GraceG]

It's been quite humid in eastern Iowa the last few days. And it rained pretty hard yesterday. LE lucked out a bit; the cold front moved in and it's supposed to be cooler for the next couple of days.

I wonder is Mollie was easily recognizable.

After a month, no, hair - yes (since she had very long hair) would be identifiable, and clothing, perhaps unique jewelry. Out of respect for her family, I'm not going to describe the decomp process at one month outdoors, but no, she would not be easily recognizable.

 

[Flowercb]

Medical examiner arrives on rural road south of Brooklyn
Medical examiner arrives on rural road south of Brooklyn

 

[Inthedetails]

This is real close to that pig farmer. About 4 miles.

I'm thankful that at least she wasn't found at the pig farm. Small comfort, I know.

jmo

 

[Al Hoffman]

Ever since Elizabeth Smart I now hold out home that missing people are found alive. The odds were not in Mollie's favor but I certainly do understand the hope that Mollie would beat the odds.

Man was placed on earth as the reservoir of hope; without despair there can be no hope. You keep hoping and fighting the good fight to that end. Thanks for all that you and yours do!

 

[skyedaze]

So....they began searching in the dark this morning? That means they got so kind of tip in some way. No one searches a field in the dark for no reason. Also didn't someone mention thus area had been searched before? If so would it be easy to miss her on a first run through or could she have actually not been there earlier?? And I asked before but isn't this near the pig farmer guy? LE either figured out something or was told something in the middle of the night to warrant searching that field in the dark.

 

[Thebigh73]

About 10 miles to the SE of Brooklyn at the corner of 460th and 220th. I uploaded a satellite photo of the area a while ago.

This is the area someone posted on a few pages back of the location on google maps. The zoomed out pic shows how close it is to the truck stop. Again this is a shared location that I’m assuming is correct from posted replies from this morning. It coincides with the search area maps and the location of where media is starting to show up. Think it was back on page 23 of this thread. Was trying to compare to the Facebook page for the Police stations calls sheets too.

 

[MsBetsy]

Still odd that a body was found overnight, and not during the day. Sounds like a chance encounter by a local or perhaps LE was lead there by a suspect. On satellite view there is a pond and a waterway down 430th Ave. Maybe someone going to fish or shining deer. What a bummer, you're at the bridge looking to take an illegal deer, and spotlight a body. What to do, what to do?

That's what I'm thinking, someone discovered the body by chance. It happens all the time.

 

[GraceG]

Is this common in this type of situation?

Yes, media helicopters create a risk of midair collision when multiple craft are operating low in a small area. That puts the investigators (and the pilots) at great risk. (I've worked both as a commercial pilot and as an investigator.)

 

[Bits777]

No death penalty in IA although there is in the federal system.

Well then when the perp is caught I will hope for prison justice.

 

[gillglock]

I am sticking to my original theory that someone with the ability to observe her through cameras or disable cameras could have the information necessary to solve the case. I hope the sick person responsible for this didn't keep her alive all this time and just recently kill her. Humans are such violent predators. IMHOO

 

[Flowercb]

That was my initial thought, too. Maybe make the perp think that they have "given up" and gone back to their "normal" lives. Undoubtedly, his heart aches that he wasn't there when they found her.

I hope her Dad going home didn't scare the perp. into killing and dumping MT (feeling he was being tricked). I certainly thought it was suspicious and could be a police tactic by sending her Dad home but I didn't want to post that in case the perp. read my comment and reacted.

 

[brobi25]

After a month, no, hair - yes (since she had very long hair) would be identifiable, and clothing, perhaps unique jewelry. Out of respect for her family, I'm not going to describe the decomp process at one month outdoors, but no, she would not be easily recognizable.

Probably her promise ring from Dalton too

 

[Out Of Wichita]

My map-reading skills aren’t the best, but there are 2 cemeteries in this area. One is the Guernsey Cemetery and the other is the Harmony Cemetery. I watch too many episodes of Criminal Minds but could the perp have hidden the body in plain sight? In a grave in a cemetery?

Update of my earlier post: an internet photo I found of Harmony Cemetery shows it’s right next to a cornfield. At this time of the year, the corn is very tall.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

I think whoever did this to Mollie did it intentionally. I hope an arrest has been made or is made very soon.

 

[Ommmm]

Medical examiner arrives on rural road south of Brooklyn
Medical examiner arrives on rural road south of Brooklyn

Looks like the press conference was updated to 4:00 pm

 

[Briangriffin]

I'm guessing here, but perhaps the ME is only just arriving to remove the body for autopsy after the scene has been examined thoroughly by others. Remember, this is Iowa. The ME is probably going be a doctor who serves as ME as needed, not full time. Just a guess.

The State of Iowa has a full-time medical examiners office, both at the state and county level. We do not do elected non-medical coroners or part timers. The State Medical Examiner's Office is in Ankeny, Iowa, close to Des Moines. It has world class facilities and is linked with the Division of Criminal Investigation (the State version of the FBI). No ME rushes to a death investigation till the scene is secured, documented and archived.

 

[The Night Watchman]

I think my first post got busted for using a name- sorry. I have seen one body location posted using Google maps- not sure of the accuracy of this though. The posted map location is near a driveway and house on the north side of 460. I might guess they are searching on the south side, where there is a small dirt road off with what looks like a couple old buildings. Seems a more likely spot if you don't want a body found. Hope they catch the perp soon, but the reward being posted for information is not a promising sign (if they think they know who it is).

 

[CJohnson9410]

After a month, no, hair - yes (since she had very long hair) would be identifiable, and clothing, perhaps unique jewelry. Out of respect for her family, I'm not going to describe the decomp process at one month outdoors, but no, she would not be easily recognizable.

Jumping off this and remembering the Caylee Anthony case .... 6 months and Caylee was nothing but skeletal remains and hair (although there had been flooding where she was located). Clothing was identified.
I agree Grace G, not easily recognizable unless the clothing or something else that may have been with her (ie arm band/headphones - figuring the phone is long gone and destroyed)

 

[strawberry]

This KCCI video shows a huge media presence in the discovery area...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=328118261260510

KCCI

I think this intersection is Iowa 21 and 460 ave. The street view on google is 7 years old but it seens to match

Google Maps

I wonder if she is in that Lincoln Wildlife area