Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #6

[Momma2cam]

OK where is the press conference or interview with the FBI's public information officer or for that matter the lead agent alerting the public how to contact them directly?

Not like all other cases. I have followed cases for over 40 years. And every state has a set of protocols they use when it comes to missing people. And the FBI can't just enter any missing person case - they have to be invited. And there are plenty of cases where they are asked to help but they don't send agents. They handle evidence or particular leads which cross jursidictionally.

In this case, we see lots of FBI shirted folks but whose in charge? I would respectfully disagree. with you.
MY posts have by and large been about the way the investigation and the subsequent or here maybe the word confusing media information is being delivered to the public.

I was shoulder to shoulder the the Walshes when they began their work to change the way missing people cases are handled in our country. And the last time I checked IOWA is not SMART compliant. More Indian Tribal lands are compliant than states! It was put on a back burner during the Obama administration - seemed sex offenders became almost a protected class at one point -- I could go and on.

Bottom line - I am not sure how IOWA works - some states counties feed their information directly to the FBI. Other states send their information to their State Police or their Public Safety or Bureau of Investigation or whatever they are called. I think it is DCI, ( Department of Criminal Investigation - interestingly the same acronym is used to identify a specific officer in England Detective Chief Inspector) And it is someone from the State level who coordinates with the FBI. The difference may seem minor but it can actually means hours or days lost while the right people are brought in. And when local agencies have folks who communicate routinely with the FBI I believe it makes a difference in how easily the two are able to hit the ground running.
AND in some cases you will hear from a SHERIFF even after the FBI is there- that is because the SHERIFF is leading the investigation. Until the local or state guy says I hand the baton off the FBI have protocols which do not allow them to take over any missing person case unless the evidence pushed the investigation across a jurisdictional line and the crime jumps from state crime to federal crime.

I have seen tiny hamlets in coastal communities quickly turn the batton over to the FBI because there was a chance he was viewed as having a conflict or being too close. In Mollie's case have we heard from the SHERIFF there? Who is the SHERIFF there? Can you recognize him? Have you seen him leading this investigation? His name is Sheriff Tom Kriegel. But the person I have seen on TV or referenced in media reports is a man with IA's DCI. There is someone who is leading the FBI team. I would sincerely like that person to step into the limelight and bring the fear of GOD to the town and neighboring counties, if necessary. I wouldn't mind if it rippled all the way to Chicago!

The perception of the public and the fear factor can be a very helpful tool IMO. The FBI can go anywhere in our land and they have the finest labs and manpower (hopefully still). We live in a land of sanctuary cities and where political party affiliation is tainting some areas.

I am wondering if there are any C.A.R.D. members in this investigation. CARD was, may still be, a specialized team who investigate missing children. Their success rate is over 90 percent. There are I think 60 or so teams - task force who make up CARD. As I have watched Mollie's case I wonder if we need to be creating such a team for missing adults? Or maybe we need to ease into it by widening the parameters to include missing folks aged 19 -24, college aged?

Just thinking... I mean no disrespect to anyone here. I am only offering my opinions based on what I see, hear, and have witnessed and learned along life's way.

Respectfully, it is not unusual to not be given a lot of details in an investigation. We are not privy to all of the details and the lack of public clarity or "putting the fear of God" into the community may be because they are hard at work with the details they already have. I think it is far too early to jump to accusations that the investigative team is not doing enough. JMO.

 

[wary]

From that article, which was posted by the Washington Post at 11:34 today:



I saw this same excerpt upthread but assumed it was old information. It just struck me that we have never heard who is actually running the investigation at this time, have we? We know FBI was brought in, so did they take over? The few quotes we've had have been from DCI, and not FBI. This guy - Rahn, "special agent in charge," has he been quoted in in other articles?

Yes, Rahm is the main, perhaps only, LE spokesperson.

 

[human]

Delete

 

[Veracity]

No. They are also conducting interviews (over 100 on Friday, it was reported), combing through her Fitbit, cell phone records, social media records, etc. They have also continued physical searches.

Mollie has been missing for 12 days. IF they interview 100 people per day they can interview the whole population of Brooklyn in 15 days.

Here's my question - I believe if you lie to the FBI it is a crime - if you lie to your local Sheriff or State Police is it?

 

[Rhia]

I think people are over analyzing her social media, pictures, etc. From what I gathered, I see nothing out of the ordinary.

Pictures with her in her underwear, showing cleavage, etc. is in the norm with the youth today. I would say her pictures are rather modest compared to most I've seen. As long as she's not revealing her private areas, there's nothing wrong.

I am 26 and girls/guys have been doing this since I was in high school. Guys take pics with just their boxers on; sometimes they take a pic with their butt mooning the camera. Nobody bats an eye but girls in bra/underwear or bikini is just too much.

If theres one thing to know about social media, take it all with a grain of salt. I cannot tell you how many times I've come across people who are nothing like they are in social media. Everything gets blown out of proportion. A quote here a quote there doesn't define a person.

For a middle aged man no it’s not the norm looking for a victim. That might be your generation and younger but that is not my generation. If we are to worry about any sort of person abducting her those being public are perfect for the wrong sort viewing. I said they weren’t BAD compared to some but if I can view them then ANYBODY can. Just saying what is acceptable to you and perhaps younger is not to all and potentially a lure for the wrong sort. ( although my 22 yr old daughter would never do it that I know and she’s model thin so I don’t even want to say ALL the younger generation behaves in that manner)

 

[Squirrel85]

Mollie has been missing for 12 days. IF they interview 100 people per day they can interview the whole population of Brooklyn in 15 days.

Here's my question - I believe if you lie to the FBI it is a crime - if you lie to your local Sheriff or State Police is it?

I believe they call it, "hindering an investigation"

 

[osu]

Per Fox News, an update on the case will take place this afternoon.

Was this announced on TV? I’ve checked Twitter, the FoxNews website and their FB and can’t find anything.

 

[slowpoke]

Does the Fitbit technology register a difference between no vitals (death) and it being removed? Does it stop recording when removed or just show zero vitals? I would also be curious as to her keys. Were they found in her home? I use an iTile on my keys as I lose them constantly and my app can tell me exactly where they are and make them ring.

Your post was from back on pg 27 of this thread, but I just got back from my exercise hike and wanted to reply to your post. Things move fast here, don’t they.

I don’t know anything about Fitbit at all, so I have nothing to say about that. (I wear a simple, low-tech pedometer, lol.)

But I wonder about her keys, as well. If the keys are missing from the house, then it would be a good assumption she had them on her person. And if that is the case, maybe it could mean she intended to return to the house (if she voluntarily decided to run off and disappear, why take the keys).

It also could show she was leaving the house for an extended period of time and distance from the house (as opposed to just going out front to let the dogs do their business, or to go to the mailbox, as examples).

I’m sure it’s just one more thing the authorities know that we don’t.

 

[Squirrel85]

Maybe someone else can see it, but I can't. They want me to give them $1, lol.

I don't see what you are referring to...

 

[PommyMommy]

Mollie has been missing for 12 days. IF they interview 100 people per day they can interview the whole population of Brooklyn in 15 days.

Here's my question - I believe if you lie to the FBI it is a crime - if you lie to your local Sheriff or State Police is it?

Yes, I believe it is a crime to lie to the FBI. As to your second question, IANAL, but I'll take a wild guess and say it could be obstruction of justice or interference with a law enforcement investigation.

ETA: The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said they did more neighborhood sweeps, searched more rural parts of Powesheik county and have interviewed more than 100 people Friday.

DCI: “We think she’s still alive,” not scaling back efforts to find Mollie Tibbetts

 

[gitana1]

One topic that hasn't been discussed much yet is the reward. I haven't followed other missing persons cases very closely, but $2,000 seems quite low. I am surprised that LE or the family is not inviting people to chip in to add to this pot.

People in this area aren't wealthy folks, so of course $2,000 is something -- but it's not a life-changing sum of money. There are a number of reasons why people might hesitant about ratting out a suspicious friend/relative/colleague/neighbor, especially if doing so can't be anonymous to that person (for example if they would likely realize that you ratted them out). There is a real risk of destroying social relationships, especially if your hunch turns out to be wrong. This is an area where people are highly interconnected. You may be implicating your sister's boss, or your neighbor's husband, or the cousin of a good friend. Or people may feel vulnerable if they worry that their tip may be insufficient to lead to arrest/conviction. In that scenario, you've pissed off a violent criminal who remains walking free. To my thinking, $2K may be insufficient to outweigh some of these concerns. Now $50,000? $100,000? That might get people talking, because the prospective benefit starts to outweigh the (considerable) risks.

Edited to add: I feel like Mollie's case is getting enough press that they could easily crowdfund a MUCH larger reward. People who don't even know her would happily chip in $50 or $100 and it would grow quickly. But the only I've seen is to support her family's living costs while they take time off from work. That's also a good cause, presumably, but the reward to me would be a more attractive way to get donations, and more likely to actually help solve the case.

It crossed my mind. Coupled with other things I'm getting the sense they just may not really need tips as bad as we might think.

 

[usernameidk]

For me, someone who has two rescue dogs myself, (one small, one large,) the dogs being a part of the household eliminates the possibility that someone would be watching the house, hiding by the house, sneaking into the house, etc. the risk is too high to sneak into a home with dogs.

Just a hunch from what i read and watched. The perp may had not known the girl. But knew the comings and goings of those in the house. Maybe not directly knowing them, just knew whom stayed there etc. Knew she was alone and not concerned about the dog at all. She was probably upstairs and not downstairs. Someone local followed her back to the house to see where she was staying and went back sometime after 10. And went inside and found her upstairs. From past cases i have read and study this person had one hell of a adrenaline rush going on. Perhaps prescription speed or maybe meth, but some kind of speed to increase the rush. This seems more of a thrill seeking situation than the actual taking or whatever. Probably drove back to the house later and not walked, could have parked anywhere. And probably entered through the garage area, i think i seen a door their in one of the photos and not the main front door which could have been locked or vice versus. From the noise he heard her upstairs and the dog was not a vicious guard dog like. Probably wave his tail while he creeped upstairs to the room she was in. Some of the similiar cases i have looked at over the years after solved, more often then not it seemed on those cases the perp drove a two door truck with no camper on the back. And was a white male between 25 45 and most had long, middle white or grey hair. ALL MOO AND SPECULATION BASED ON NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT I READ AND WATCHED ABOUT THIS CASE.

 

[wary]

Your post was from back on pg 27 of this thread, but I just got back from my exercise hike and wanted to reply to your post. Things move fast here, don’t they.

I don’t know anything about Fitbit at all, so I have nothing to say about that. (I wear a simple, low-tech pedometer, lol.)

But I wonder about her keys, as well. If the keys are missing from the house, then it would be a good assumption she had them on her person. And if that is the case, maybe it could mean she intended to return to the house (if she voluntarily decided to run off and disappear, why take the keys).

It also could show she was leaving the house for an extended period of time and distance from the house (as opposed to just going out front to let the dogs do their business, or to go to the mailbox, as examples).

I’m sure it’s just one more thing the authorities know that we don’t.

I asked that question a while back, and was told that this is the type of town where no one locks their door, and it's likely that she didn't have any keys.

 

[PommyMommy]

I don't see what you are referring to...

Sorry! It was a Washington Post article. Please disregard.

 

[Jethro4WS]

Why would Google map car not actually include some roads? It is irritating the rest of 170th Street is not there and the not have the rest of 385th Street is missing from street view.

In a tiny town of 1500 that there is a 100th or 300th and anything street is interesting and a bit odd to me. What does it take to get a street to bear a name and not a number. It looks like Mollie may not have been running town streets but old country roads! How I wish they would release a graphic with the routes she may have used.

In places like that streets outside the city borders have county street designations so 170th and 385th are streets in the unincorporated part of the county. As for why the Streetview car didn't travel those roads it is probably because they are gravel rather than paved.

 

[JC40]

Authorities also point out there’s no person of interest they’re publicly sharing at this time but encourage people to continue to send tips to them.

Suggesting they have someone in their sights?

DCI: “We think she’s still alive,” not scaling back efforts to find Mollie Tibbetts

 

[Rhia]

It is always possible the person who did this thought mollie was a 15 year old girl for all we know

I have been thinking that too since the beginning and I know it was partially because of the two other girls...but she is super tiny and wholesomely cute making her look younger.

 

[otto]

Oh Otto,
I have always respected and trusted your opinions. You are thorough and thoughtful of each and every detail in cases. You are on key and consistently logical! I have been holding out hope and resisting thinking LE would say they believed Mollie was alive if they didn't have some evidence that gave them reassurance of that idea. But, seeing you say this just makes my heart sink and reality inflicts a punch to the gut. tears poor Mollie and her loved ones
JMO

Thank you. It's just an opinion based on following too many similar missing persons' investigations on this forum for the past 15 years. There's always a remote possibility that she is alive, but the longer she is missing the smaller that possibility. I don't know what to make of the fitbit information, but if LE are assuming that she is alive because the fitbit is transmitting a heartbeat, I would compare the current heart rate to her heart rate history to determine whether the fitbit is registering her heart beat, or whether someone else is wearing the fitbit. Even if she is alive, whoever has her is going to do everything possible to ensure that she can never tell the story of what happened to her.

Since 2012, I have been waiting for another abduction of a young woman in Iowa. We know that there is at least one person in Iowa who is very good at getting away with abduction and murder, and that person will not stop by choice. I would almost be tempted to look at isolated fishing and hunting spots in a 20 mile radius of Brooklyn for a body.

 

[Veracity]

Yes, Rahm is the main, perhaps only, LE spokesperson.[/QUOTE

Richard Rahn apparently is leading this investigation. SO my next question what is his experience, training for this type of case? How many years has he been doing this work? And what are his stats? How many missing people cases has he lead the investigation and how many has he solved?

The reason I ask is because I have NEVER EVER heard the family of any missing people do interviews like these parents have (after the FBI has been called in) where they have pretty much stated the case has no leads and cases require tips to be solved AND there is no direct contact information for the FBI on the County's Missing Person's page. here is the link. Can't use the excuse the site's information is old. It was updated on July 27 AFTER THE FBI got there!

Poweshiek County Missing Person Update

Personally I would demand the FBI assume the reins if I heard that! And again, fear of GOD time imo. Someone knows something - 15 days to interview the whole town!! Lie to the FBI - it's a whole different world!

Let's see if that will shake the tip tree!

 

[slowpoke]

I don't see what you are referring to...

Not sure, but maybe the poster is referring to the Telegraph Herald article that’s been posted with some headline of a jogger in Dubuque being attacked?

It seems to be behind a paywall or something for me, too. It says to log-in, subscribe, or pay $1 for a day pass. That’s all I can see. How is everyone else able to see the article?

This one:

UPDATE: Police seek tips on man after reported attack on jogger in Dubuque