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

[bbbd4u]

I have my pilot license and subscribe to FAA and pilot alert lists to places I’ve flown. I got an alert for a temp flight restriction nearby Mollie’s town. Is this anywhere near where they are looking for evidence, if we know where that is? Maybe keeping out media helicopters?

8/3346 NOTAM Details

That is where one of the local news station was staging where the DOT had the road blocks up

 

[MsBetsy]

By "solved it themselves" I mean they didn't aggressively engage the public and divulge every last detail as has been seemingly demanded by several people here. They engaged who they needed to engage and went to the public only in a very limited way when they felt it would help, and for what they did, they seem to be very close to solving the case doing it their way, so I don't think there is any reasonable grounds to criticize LE when/if they successfully solve the case, but just not in the way that sleuthers want them to.

I understand that people's motivation is compassion and desire to help, but in these cases I often sense a lot of frustration in communities like this one when LE doesn't engage people's desire to help, which is most often because they know more than the public does and knows that they don't need full engagement from the public at that point in the investigation. That frustration with not being able to help often boils over into criticism of LE, and almost always, it is unwarranted.

I agree with you. Although the media and family helped bring this case to the public, we can hardly compare that to the long hours and intensive, unrelentless work of LE. It is just not comparable. Many believed it would take years or that LE may never find Mollie. They have found her, and faster than I thought. They deserve nothing less than praise and our gratitude. May they and Mollies family find peace and justice.

 

[feralwriter]

This just sucks. The family gets some form of closure, and won't be walking corn fields and waiting the rest of their lives at least. And if the body found wasn't immediately recognizable, at least maybe she wasn't 'held' long by the monster. FWIW

It was good to be a part of a group of genuinely caring strangers on this website. Take care of yourselves right now, okay?

 

[Emilyf886]

It might be, but I seem to remember seeing plenty of camera footage of bodies covered by cloths and LE searching for evidence. So I don’t know. It seems odd to me. ETA maybe they don’t want someone creeping in too closely with a drone.

Drones, you hit the nail on the head!

 

[turanna25]

Sometimes medical examiners do not get to a scene/location immediately because they are out at another case and have to finish up their investigation there first. Some counties only have 1 medical examiner and if there have been a lot of cases in a short amount of time it may take the examiner some time to get on scene. It’s pretty common. I’m sure there are other personnel on scene collecting evidence and securing the scene properly for when the examiner arrives.

 

[chihuahua]

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?

The short answer is yes. I retired early as a funeral director.
This has happened here in Memphis (but one way buried alive.)
It happens but I do remember Firefox and his postings about cemeteries holding a strange attraction to killers. And he held the theory of cedar trees being a likely spot to be a memorial of sorts to the victim.
Are there only red cedars there?
Guernsey Cemetery :

And entrance featuring Holly Bushes

 

[kkdj]

Since it seems the body was found when it was still dark, I think that LE were told where to find the body by the suspect.

But not by the perp? I ask because the reward is now for finding the perp.

 

[Paligal]

Can someone tell me the source of the Medical Examiner only just arriving? The news that Mollie’s body was found first broke over 3 hours ago. Why would the Medical Examiner only just be arriving?

It’s for certain there will be far more than one medical expert attending the scene including forensic pathologists who will all meticulously examine both the body and the scene prior to transport. Isn’t it possible the local ME was called within minutes of LE’s discovery and made the official Id and now it’s other forensic pathologists arriving in the standard type white van from further away that the mistaken assumption of the ME just arriving is being based on?

I imagine it takes several hours for investigators to document the scene before moving anything, including her body.

 

[bowler]

Is issuing a no flight zone normal? For some reason I find it odd for the US where they are more open to media?

Could there more to this case beyond poor Mollie?

May also stop drones...

 

[duster1979]

Can someone tell me the source of the Medical Examiner only just arriving? The news that Mollie’s body was found first broke over 3 hours ago. Why would the Medical Examiner only just be arriving?

It’s for certain there will be far more than one medical expert attending the scene including forensic pathologists who will all meticulously examine both the body and the scene prior to transport. Isn’t it possible the local ME was called within minutes of LE’s discovery and made the official Id and now it’s other forensic pathologists arriving in the standard type white van from further away that the mistaken assumption of the ME just arriving is being based on?

The ME didn't "just arrive", he/she arrived about an hour after the discovery was announced this morning. At the time people were posting links and pictures from the local news sources reporting this, I didn't pay that much attention because it's an irrelevant detail beyond confirming that the area was blocked off as the result of discovery of a body.

 

[Emilyf886]

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.

There is actually a difference between a ME and CORONER. A coroner may or may not have medical background and they are elected officials who hold other jobs as. a ME is a doctor who chose to further into forensic pathology. That is their full time job.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

Investigators were working to confirm the identity of the body.
Body of missing student Mollie Tibbetts found, reports say

This was updated within the last hour. They are still working to identify the body. Another words they believe it’s her body, but they haven’t confirmed that it is.

 

[Falcon500]

Sometimes medical examiners do not get to a scene/location immediately because they are out at another case and have to finish up their investigation there first. Some counties only have 1 medical examiner and if there have been a lot of cases in a short amount of time it may take the examiner some time to get on scene. It’s pretty common. I’m sure there are other personnel on scene collecting evidence and securing the scene properly for when the examiner arrives.

Let me add that the medical examiner in rural counties are often doctors in private practice. He could have been seeing an office full of patients when the call came in.

 

[MistyWaters]

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.

If nobody knows the source of the ME just arriving then it can be written off to pure rumour or speculation.

In a high profile case such as this, neither is it logical that LE would announce a press conference prior to official confirmation of the identity of the victim.

 

[flute4peace]

maybe don't want drones with cameras ..it would seem to be common respect to not fly a drone with a camera over the area but you never know.

Common respect goes out the window when it comes to breaking news (source - this newspaper photographer who just had words with a colleague who was preparing to photograph an accident scene that still contained the victim)

 

[TeaTime]

From the map pinpointing the location, it appears that there are 2 houses in that immediate area and that the body was located between 2 private driveways adjacent to, and connected to, those houses. Hmmm. Is the perp a resident of one of those houses? IMHO, no random stranger happened upon that site to dump a body.

 

[Al Hoffman]

If the report of 460th and V21 is correct, it's about 3.5 miles from the "pig farm" as the crow flies.

As the pig flies Paul! It is Iowa after all. By the way, thanks for all of your informed feedback, info and observations as it really helps!

 

[Dushi]

Does anyone have a link for the time ME arrived?

 

[JnRyan]

I haven't been since last evening near the beginning of Thread #31, then I come back at lunch today to find things have moved VERY fast. I was hoping for good news, so I can't believe this. Given the length of time she was missing I suspected but didn't want to believe it.

This is truly sad. Someone really wasted a rising star. She is truly in heaven now. And the who is responsible has Hell coming his way.

 

[bestill]

That no fly zone matches this maps pinpoint so I think this map must be correct.

Google Maps

Very close to two homes if that is correct? Maybe someone felt the heat was waning on the investigation and decided to revisit the scene last night...