Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #4

[SuperTmo]

If DCI doesn’t think she is dead, I wonder why they aren’t trying to appeal to her captor (if there is one) or to her. I recall in other cases families or LE talking “to” the kidnapper through statements to the media.
I also recall families speaking to the missing person, “we love you, please come home, nobody will be mad, everything is fixable,” etc.

It’s highly possible I’ve missed these sorts of statements. If so, disregard!

 

[MyBelle]

Ugh, I know Occam’s razor and all that but the lack of information and confusion and weird statements are bringing up all kinds of outlandish theories in my mind. Has anyone heard the story of the guy who robbed the bank and was blown up, and there was a series of clues? Crazy stuff like that. The point about bringing in even more LE and the large FBI presence and all... it really makes me wonder what is going on.

Mollie's mom was just on our ABC Omaha local news and she said she believes Mollie is still alive and that investigators are struggling with lack of evidence. Her interview was followed by another story about social media spreading misinformation about an epidemic of missing people in Iowa. Iowa LE said that is not the case.

 

[Elainera]

A route she may have taken from where she was staying. I’m not really sure how much we are allowed to say about the locations.

Someone else mentioned which street people seem to think she was staying on...

It's not a secret. We had pictures of her house posted in thread 1. I think GunslingingGranny posted them.

 

[otto]

Yes, she was staying at her boyfriend’s house and may or may not (unconfirmed) have been going to her mom’s house. Reports have said she was jogging through town but nothing more specific that I’ve seen.

Sorry, late arriving at the party, and just trying to get my bearings.

She was jogging from the house-sitting house to her mother's house, but her mom didn't know she was missing until the morning? That doesn't seem quite right. If it was a jogging route from the boyfriend's house and back to house sit, wouldn't her route be a loop?

 

[quidnunc247]

The media started spinning Mollie’s story as soon as they heard the words “missing”, “avid jogger”, and saw photos of her. They wove the tale with misinformation and details that would grab headlines.

Initially all anyone knew for certain was that Mollie was dog sitting at her boyfriend’s home while he was out of town working. She is an avid runner. She often runs after it cools off, but before it gets dark. She texted with her mother around 7:30 p.m. Her boyfriend opened a Snapchat from her around 10 p.m. She didn’t answer texts or calls the following morning and her phone was off. She didn’t show up for work Thursday. Her wallet, laptop, and glasses were found in the house. Her phone and FitBit were gone.

Most everything else the first few days was anecdotal details or quotes from friends, family and locals that were extrapolated into a story about a pretty missing girl in a black jog bra who went missing while jogging in a corn field at 5:30 p.m.

We should know by now to only believe facts that are verified by LE or the immediate family (in most cases). It’s frustrating to still read articles with false information. I so wish they would at least correct the mistakes once they are revealed.

Don’t get me started on NG’s podcast last week. I stopped listening after the first 6 sentences.

Sorry for the mini rant. I fear the worst has happened to poor Mollie. This is one of the few times I hope I’m wrong.

 

[Jethro4WS]

Do you know where those farms are? 15 minutes NW of Brooklyn?

They are along Iowa Highway 21 North of Deep River and south of Guernsey. Not all that hard to find since there are less than 10 places along the way. You can find the name of one of the property owners in a media story. And searching the tax assessor GIS maps for the county would yield the actual address.

 

[gregjrichards]

I am thinking she is alive and hiding out of town. This is my hope.

Mollie seems too responsible and I don’t get the sense from her loved ones that she would put her family through hell like this by choice. She must have been looking forward to getting her first apartment and it doesn’t appear she has anything to run away from. Just my thoughts.

If DCI doesn’t think she is dead, I wonder why they aren’t trying to appeal to her captor (if there is one) or to her. I recall in other cases families or LE talking “to” the kidnapper through statements to the media.
I also recall families speaking to the missing person, “we love you, please come home, nobody will be mad, everything is fixable,” etc.

It’s highly possible I’ve missed these sorts of statements. If so, disregard!

There haven’t been any statements like this as far as I recall since Day 1.

 

[ptandj]

It's not a secret. We had pictures of her house posted in thread 1. I think GunslingingGranny posted them.

Yeah but I don’t know where that info came from originally and I haven’t found it in any allowed sources so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[quidnunc247]

Sorry, late arriving at the party, and just trying to get my bearings.

She was jogging from the house sitting house to her mother's house, but her mom didn't know she was missing until the morning? That doesn't seem quite right. If it was a jogging route from the boyfriend's house and back to house sit, wouldn't her route be a loop?

No. That’s not what has been stated. She was jogging at 7:30 pm. She made it back to her boyfriend’s house. She went missing after 10 p.m. Everything else is speculation.

 

[MommyStephV]

SO Live PD is about that come on A&E, wonder if they’ll mention Mollie in between department calls?

They just did!!!

I may or may not be addicted to LivePD. It’s like a car accident, you know you really shouldn’t be watching but you can’t turn away!

 

[:+:MrTT:+:]

population of around 1500 in 2010 census. small town. found the fitbit at the house and then around 10 she had the thing with the bf online. It could have been while jogging someone followed her to see where she was staying headed too, and then came back for her later that night after 10............im sure they already check registered offenders released on parole or and after serving their sentence. Perhaps someone whom moved into the area and failed to register as an convicted sex offender. They looked at all that im sure. But i think someone followed her back to the house after she jogged to see where she was staying and came back later..........622 address thank you for posting that.......This was no stranger coming off the 80 and just happened to see her. Someone right in there, not too close and not too far. But had a plan and put that plan in action. Set it up and then later after 10pm went back for her.

 

[quidnunc247]

If DCI doesn’t think she is dead, I wonder why they aren’t trying to appeal to her captor (if there is one) or to her. I recall in other cases families or LE talking “to” the kidnapper through statements to the media.
I also recall families speaking to the missing person, “we love you, please come home, nobody will be mad, everything is fixable,” etc.

It’s highly possible I’ve missed these sorts of statements. If so, disregard!

I think they aren’t publicly willing to say it’s likely a recovery search.

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

How many transient workers building wind farms are in Poweshiek County now? Hundreds? It's a huge project. Are these workers coming into Brooklyn?
Poweshiek County approves wind turbine projects

 

[ptandj]

The media started spinning Mollie’s story as soon as they heard the words “missing”, “avid jogger”, and saw photos of her. They wove the tale with misinformation and details that would grab headlines.

Initially all anyone knew for certain was that Mollie was dog sitting at her boyfriend’s home while he was out of town working. She is an avid runner. She often runs after it cools off, but before it gets dark. She texted with her mother around 7:30 p.m. Her boyfriend opened a Snapchat from her around 10 p.m. She didn’t answer texts or calls the following morning and her phone was off. She didn’t show up for work Thursday. Her wallet, laptop, and glasses were found in the house. Her phone and FitBit were gone.

Most everything else the first few days was anecdotal details or quotes from friends, family and locals that were extrapolated into a story about a pretty missing girl in a black jog bra who went missing while jogging in a corn field at 5:30 p.m.

We should know by now to only believe facts that are verified by LE or the immediate family (in most cases). It’s frustrating to still read articles with false information. I so wish they would at least correct the mistakes once they are revealed.

Don’t get me started on NG’s podcast last week. I stopped listening after the first 6 sentences.

Sorry for the mini rant. I fear the worst has happened to poor Mollie. This is one of the few times I hope I’m wrong.

BBM - I think this is still pretty much all we know for sure. And that boyfriend and boyfriend’s brothers and her brothers have been cleared.

No. That’s not what has been stated. She was jogging at 7:30 pm. She made it back to her boyfriend’s house. She went missing after 10 p.m. Everything else is speculation.

I don’t think the 10pm thing is 100% confirmed, either. Depends if you believe the Ames police Twitter that has gotten other details wrong

 

[rosesfromangels]

LE saying they think she is alive is good to hear. It’s based on more than hopeful thinking. To me the statement is an assessment by the the coordination of all the LE agencies working this case.

As long as remains haven't been found, they must look for a live person and keep the public looking for this dear girl. However, I don't think they would be searching a pig farm if they truly thought she was still among us. : ( I will be delighted to report I am wrong when she is found alive. Praying it will be so.

 

[curiousLR]

population of around 1500 in 2010 census. small town. found the fitbit at the house and then around 10 she had the thing with the bf online. It could have been while jogging someone followed her to see where she was staying headed too, and then came back for her later that night after 10............im sure they already check registered offenders released on parole or and after serving their sentence. Perhaps someone whom moved into the area and failed to register as an convicted sex offender. They looked at all that im sure. But i think someone followed her back to the house after she jogged to see where she was staying and came back later..........622 address thank you for posting that.......This was no stranger coming off the 80 and just happened to see her. Someone right in there, not too close and not too far. But had a plan and put that plan in action. Set it up and then later after 10pm went back for her.

According to reports the FitBit was NOT found. Has this info changed?

 

[ptandj]

The text with her mother was about dinner. Hence, the speculation that she may have been headed that way after her run. Only speculation since nothing concrete has been reported after the run.

 

[ptandj]

According to reports the FitBit was NOT found. Has this info changed?

No, it still hasn’t been found.

 

[Jethro4WS]

A route she may have taken from where she was staying. I’m not really sure how much we are allowed to say about the locations.

Someone else mentioned which street people seem to think she was staying on...

Where she was staying is part of the public post by the Sheriff's Office of their call logs. The call to report her missing is there and gives up the address. I don't think there is an issue with that since that is a law enforcement source. Where Mollie lived is also fair game because she is the victim and we can look into the victim - that she lived with her mother is not the same as sleuthing her mother. So, at least both of those addresses are fair game for mapping.

 

[gitana1]

LE saying they think she is alive is good to hear. It’s based on more than hopeful thinking. To me the statement is an assessment by the the coordination of all the LE agencies working this case.

They don't search ditches if they're certain someone is alive.