Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #34

[CheetosDust]

Mollie couldn't call 911 fast enough - she was being chased! One must turn phone on, click or slide, enter pass code, select phone pad and dial - all of which takes precious seconds that allowed him to overcome her.

Yup. I think it all happened within a minute- minute and a half.

 

[PommyMommy]

Law enforcement said yesterday they had to go through hours and hours of footage to find Mollie and Monster.

Yes, and one report said "frame by frame."

 

[Bravo]

It just doesn't make sense to me. His story is he ran behind/beside and then chased her. Would he not be worried he would be seen? So according to him his car would have to be a distance away now. Then he has to get her back to the car quiet and compliant? I see it as he pulled up close, disabled her and put her in the trunk. I think it was quick. Then on to the secondary crime scene. IMO

 

[agilbe]

Someone was using my social security number for a few years. I had to argue with the IRS because they accused me of not reporting income from a packing plant in Oregon. I lived in Southern Cali and was in my 50's, and was a SAHM. It took a few years to straighten out. But the IRS kept sending me letters about 'unreported income'---very frustrating.[/QUOTE
The company my husband used to work at had an instance of 2 employees with the same SS#. That was a nightmare. That was before e-verify.

 

[Jax49]

In the arrest warrant, it states the video footage was collected "shortly after Tibbets was reported missing". But Rivera wasn't questioned until 8/20/18?
Does this mean LE had the video all along, but went back to it later? Or had not viewed the video until recently? I'm confused, has Rahn addressed this in the media?

http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/082118+DCI+Arrest.pdf

According to the press conference they (LE) got the video a week or two ago. About the 5:20 mark.

 

[CTPDMom]

I agree with a pp, it's my opinion based on the FB friends that he likely DID know her. Perhaps not introduced to her, but knew her name, etc. and imo became obsessed. Whether he went hunting that night, or just took advantage of the situation when he saw her alone, no clue. But I think he already had thoughts about her.

And on an iphone if Siri is active you can say 'Siri call 911' without dialing anything. The poor teen who got trapped in the third row of his minivan and couldn't reach his phone successfully reached a 911 operator by using this method. (Sadly, they didn't find him in time, but there WAS a dispatch based off his Siri call.) That's IF Siri is activated. (Side note: mine isn't activated, but I'm thinking I should.)

 

[PaulR]

Mollie couldn't call 911 fast enough - she was being chased! One must turn phone on, click or slide, enter pass code, select phone pad and dial - all of which takes precious seconds that allowed him to overcome her.

Depends on the phone, but for Androids, you don't even need to unlock your phone to dial 911 - you literally swipe up and hit the "emergency" button, and it calls 911.

Apple appears to have something similar: Use Emergency SOS on your iPhone

 

[Stippling]

A couple of sleuthers early on - don't recall their names - advocated she was possibly hit by a car while jogging and then abducted by the driver that hit her. Whoever that was, you were closer to being right than anyone else.

 

[Marie224]

I think CR ran her down with his car and hit her, knocking her unconscious/fatal. I don't think he left his car idling, ran alongside her, engaged in a flirtatious conversation while she had headphones on. I also don't think an argument/physical fight happened between them on the side of the road that day.

If she was listening to music while running, he probably decided to circle around then hit her from behind, without a warning, then put her in the trunk then drove her to 460th Street. I also think he washed MT's blood off his car off at the car wash we have been discussing.

JMO

 

[Spartygirl]

Quoted from Alethea- think people are trying to read between the lines because it's not a very good lie. If he was going to lie and make up a story, why would he say something that makes him seem so guilty? Why wouldn't he say it was an accident, she ran in front of his car and he couldn't stop and he panicked and covered it up? Instead he admits that he followed her, stalked her, got out of his car and ran up to her to attack her while she was frightened and said she would call 911 - all of which made him angry. It doesn't take a lot to make the jump to what happens after a man who is trying to attack you says he's angry. Know what I mean? I don't believe his story is the full truth but I think parts of it are true and he's hiding the really bad stuff behind his "black out."-end quote

I am a bit concerned with this "Blocking out what happened" as in the PC, it was stated by LE that--
"Rivera said Tibbetts grabbed her phone and said "I'm gonna call the police," , according to the affidavit. Rivera said he "panicked and got mad," and then said he "blocked" his memory, "which is what he does when he gets very upset." He said he couldn't remember anything after that until he came to at an intersection. "

If this is what he does when he gets very upset how many times has this happened before?? ( if in fact it is even true, which I don't think it is, but if it is true, then he has "blocked out his memory" before?? why? has he done this before?)

It just raised a red flag to me and I know some have questioned if this could be his first killing and the quote makes me wonder about that. My instinct is that the whole "blocking out" is a lie but....what if??
Just my thoughts this morning as I am over the initial shock of yesterday's news and now going back through PC and news articles.
Carry on you wonderful sleuthers... I thank each and every one of you for being in this group and sharing your thoughts and ideas for Mollie.
I hope the newcomers will hang around and join other threads here as it is always nice to have fresh thoughts for each missing person that needs to be found.
Edited to add link to presser where this is stated Mollie Tibbetts case: Murder charge filed in case of student found dead

 

[Dushi]

Hi! This is my first post but I’ve been reading the threads for weeks. I was wondering if anyone could tell me whether CR could have known Mollie’s boyfriend would be out of town via any social media posts and that this in fact was premeditated days or weeks before she was abducted. It’s my understanding that first degree murder is premeditated. Thank you for any insight you guys can give.

No way of knowing
In my opinion, it wasn't planned in advance. He saw her, he went for her.
She was taken on the street , so it didn't matter who was home or not.

Until I hear more, this is what I believe and believed it almost all through this sad situation

 

[CheetosDust]

I hear you and this may in fact be the truth, but I don't put too much weight on killers' tales when they confess. Minimize, minimize, minimize, is what they do. I'm surprised he didn't insinuate that "she asked for it!" but I suppose there's always time for his defense attorney to smear her for him.

In any case, the sticking point for me is the purported location that all of this occurred. While I agree that he certainly could've brazenly incapacitated her/overpowered her in any given circumstance, someone in that area would've likely heard or seen such a struggle. Perhaps even road by and/or caught it on camera, because it more like than likely wouldn't have been a quick submission. Yes, he was on adrenaline, but someone in imminent fear for their life while under physical attack is on even more adrenaline, and are certainly not going to go easily or silently. However, someone with a gun that says "get in the car or I shoot you right here" is more likely to subdue without major incident.

I have a feeling that we may end up finding out that she was ultimately shot to death but that he "just doesn't remember doing it". Sigh.

There is absolutely nothing in that stretch of gravel road and with any small hill it would be completely hidden from view. When I was a teenager I used to walk on similar rural road and would often think that if someone wanted to abduct me it would be the perfect place to do it.

 

[rebel123]

In the arrest warrant, it states the video footage was collected "shortly after Tibbets was reported missing". But Rivera wasn't questioned until 8/20/18?
Does this mean LE had the video all along, but went back to it later? Or had not viewed the video until recently? I'm confused, has Rahn addressed this in the media?

http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/082118+DCI+Arrest.pdf

Something doesn't tally; it didn't in the presser yesterday on the same points you raise. LE looked a bit uncomfortable on that point.

 

[Anthony96]

How terrable thoughts and prayrs to her family

 

[Inthedetails]

Hi! This is my first post but I’ve been reading the threads for weeks. I was wondering if anyone could tell me whether CR could have known Mollie’s boyfriend would be out of town via any social media posts and that this in fact was premeditated days or weeks before she was abducted. It’s my understanding that first degree murder is premeditated. Thank you for any insight you guys can give.

IDK if CR knew about Mollie being home alone, but "pre-meditated" doesn't necessarily mean the murder was planned far in advance. Premediated can mean in an instant before the murder. In other words, it wasn't an accident, neglect, or self-defense. He knew he was harming her and he harmed her enough to kill her - he made that decision so it's pre-meditated.

Perhaps people better at legal definitions can chime in and clarify, but I just wanted to point out that pre-meditation doesn't rule out that this was a crime of opportunity committed on impulse.

jmopinion

 

[rebel123]

You didn't say it was your opinion in your post. So your theory is he was afraid ICE was going to be called so he murdered her?

I also didn't state anybody else said it; you've assumed.

 

[strawberry]

If I allowed a political discussion about illegal immigration Websleuths would melt down in minutes. Seriously. The forum would go under from the massive amount of hatred that would spew from both sides and attract others who love to fight about politics.

The fact of the matter is this man is charged with 1st-degree murder not with being an illegal immigrant. If you want to discuss the illegal immigration problem feel free, on another forum. Not here.
Today and for the rest of this discussion, we will focus on Mollie and the facts of the case.

Illegal or not he killed Mollie.

Thank you. I logged off of here shortly after I heard that status because I knew what would ensue.

 

[zecats]

Thanks for the visual. I finally see that streets Middle and Boundary joining 385th (not to scale) placed Mollie closer to her Mum's than DJ house.

Same here. All the while I was thinking they meant 385th Ave on the other side of town and she was heading back to boyfriend's house. Now I see the eastern side of 385th near Middle and Boundary. I do have questions (mostly rhetorical) as to why she ran that way if he was chasing her? Or why she ran that way at all instead of sticking to more populated areas. It seems pretty far out and would be a long loop back to her mom's. Perhaps it was just a regular route for her and she was comfortable, and she didn't notice him at first.

 

[Marie224]

A couple of sleuthers early on - don't recall their names - advocated she was possibly hit by a car while jogging and then abducted by the driver that hit her. Whoever that was, you were closer to being right than anyone else.

Not bragging... It was me... I was the first to point it out around threads 3 or 4... It came to me around 3-4 am the night I first joined WS... I couldn't sleep trying to wrap my mind around what happened to MT and it was one thing that hadn't been discussed and I couldn't let go of... I will go back and look at my posts and see.

 

[feralwriter]

I think most girls would blush, stay silent or tell them to 'go away'. Mollie seemed to be a bit outspoken when it came to feminism (something I noticed after going through her social media), perhaps she made a point on calling him out on his disgusting behaviour and it enraged him.

Honestly, I'd hate to see what refusing to give this man a phone number would have done to any woman.... much less a no, please don't chase me down on a rural road surrounded by corn and no witnesses to murder me in stone cold blood while I completely mind my own business, engaged in my health routine and just want you to drive away now 'k tnx bye.

 

[CheetosDust]

IDK if CR knew about Mollie being home alone, but "pre-meditated" doesn't necessarily mean the murder was planned far in advance. Premediated can mean in an instant before the murder. In other words, it wasn't an accident, neglect, or self-defense. He knew he was harming her and he harmed her enough to kill her - he made that decision so it's pre-meditated.

Perhaps people better at legal definitions can chime in and clarify, but I just wanted to point out that pre-meditation doesn't rule out that this was a crime of opportunity committed on impulse.

jmopinion

To me it seems if he circled her a few times that is premeditation enough

 

[Grapey]

IMO the big take away for women is this: Don't threaten to call the police.... Just call 911.... A threat only gives the other person warning that he or she can react to.

You don't think reaching for her phone is a 'warning that he or she can react to'?

Unsure how much time you think she had to get her phone out and dial...

It is his story; LE are buying it at the moment; but LE will find big holes in it soon enough; as more evidence is gathered. Some things already don't add up.

I verrrrry highly doubt they're buying it. They've just included in the affidavit what his story is at the time of arrest. 100% does not mean they believe it.