IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #36

[DocBrew]

He is claiming that Mollie threatened to call police and then he had a black-out. He is blaming the victim for the fact that he murdered her.

Not to mention "psychological blackout" doesn't meet the rigid criteria for insanity or diminished capacity anyway. I know of a case where a murder defendant had documented PTSD and other residual disorders stemming from his service in Vietnam, had been shot in the head with part of his frontal lobe having to be removed, had spent half his adult life in mental institutions due to rage blackouts/limited executive functioning, and STILL was convicted by a jury of his peers and affirmed by all appellate courts.

This dude has zero chance of a "but I don't remember" defense.

JMO.

 

[Seattle1]

One other point that your post brought to mind (and I know this has been discussed on here): For someone whose crime seems so reckless and impulsive, I think that he has definitely done something like this before...he didn’t leave a trace of evidence, he went to work the next day (would a first time offender not be shaken up and worried about being caught?), he managed to prevent the phone & Fitbit from tracking movements, he even seemingly tried to frame the hog farmer, diverting everyone’s attention early in the investigation toward someone with a locally-known history of mistreating women.

The way he characterizes it does make it sound impulsive but the execution of the crime itself looks quite sophisticated for a first timer, which is why I don’t think this is his first time.

Good points except I don't believe he was responsible for any attention on WC -- that was just a bonus. Instead, CR smartly focused on the the words and/or opinion of Mollie's parents by responding [to Mollie's disappearance].. "It's probably like her Dad said," and "She's probably with somebody she knows that got the wrong idea." By using Mollie's Dad's words, he took attention directly off himself, and did not have to craft his own response, and easily satisfied his audience. CR definitely has a pattern; he was described by local women as well spoken, and knew it important to befriend his targets. Nobody reportedly felt threatened or creeped out by him until he involved a car and tailing them. And even then, it was not enough that any women reported him! He was that skillful, and that's what makes this so frightening to me. Think about it, he even had LE believing there was no threat to the community!! Gasp...

 

[tabitha111]

In my sad opinion, if this was a true lust-induced crime, or a combination of lust and the desire to simply slaughter someone, then there is always the "fainting" type of blacking out. After the evil act is done, the killer doesn't actually pass out.
I The account (don't have a link handy) of his baby's mom saying he acted "odd...didn't want to talk about the MT case" is enough to make me curious.
I am not pointing a finger of suspicion at anyone other than him.

We have no MSM quotes from the baby's mother. It was a "friend" of his, a female friend, who lives in another state now, who came to Brooklyn for a visit, and hung out with him, that said this.

 

[kc1023]

Looks like there's a creek nearby? Maybe he rinsed off / jumped in that real quick to clean up.

 

[Pixie Dust]

I'm a little confused. I keep reading that CR's employer insists he was 'cleared' to work because he gave a fake name. However, the only 'alias' I can find in MSM is Cristhian Bahena, which is actually part of his name. Can anyone clarify this discrepancy for me? TIA.

 

[feralwriter]

I really can't fathom *no one* noticed any sort of change in him that night or in the weeks after. He must really be a silent type, cool as a cucumber. Or the folks around him pay him no mind. I mean, some people just aren't observant, I guess. But then, we don't exactly go thru our days thinking someone we interact with has just murdered a woman basically the whole world's looking for. Just puzzling, imho.

 

[The Farm]

He has the eyes of an unsuccessful rapist. I don't believe a damn word he says.

I said right from the beginning I do not believe a word he is saying.

 

[MsBetsy]

I just re-read the arrest warrant. It does not say “black out”. It says he claims to “block out” the memory. I don’t believe it for a second, but that’s distinctively different from having a blackout.

Right, saying he " blocked it out" implies he knows what happened, and it was so traumatic that he blocked it from his memory. I believe he misspoke, and he is referring to being unconscious of what occurred. When we block something out, so to speak, it usually refers to an event that occurred long ago. He was just using the wrong term, is what it would appear from what we know. He says when he came to he was at an intersection, and suddenly realized there may be a body in his trunk. He is referring to a " blackout."

 

[Q.E.D.]

He had to have a knife to cut the cornstalks to cover her body. This guy knew exactly what he was doing. JMO

How tough are green corn stalks to cut? Does it need to be sharp, maybe serrated? Could a pocket knife do it easily? Also, just curious, how common are "corn knives" in rural Iowa?

 

[duster1979]

He had to have a knife to cut the cornstalks to cover her body. This guy knew exactly what he was doing. JMO

Cornstalks are pretty easy to break off, no knife required.

 

[Inthedetails]

Autopsy....UGH!! He had a knife???
Preliminary autopsy findings show that Mollie Tibbetts was killed by 'sharp force injuries'

It's awful to think of her injuries, but carrying a knife is rather common, as people hear have attested. I'm not shocked the perp had a knife, though I'm angry he used it to kill.

And, as someone mentioned, he probably used it to cut the corn that he used to cover her.

jmo

 

[Rossymom]

He had to have a knife to cut the cornstalks to cover her body. This guy knew exactly what he was doing. JMO

Oh, good catch!
The stalks were still good and green too, so their roots were rooted well.

 

[The Farm]

I really can't fathom *no one* noticed any sort of change in him that night or in the weeks after. He must really be a silent type, cool as a cucumber. Or the folks around him pay him no mind. I mean, some people just aren't observant, I guess. But then, we don't exactly go thru our days thinking someone we interact with has just murdered a woman basically the whole world's looking for. Just puzzling, imho.

If they did notice anything I do not think they will say and I will leave it at that.

 

[tabitha111]

Sharp force wounds would be stab wounds from an instrument such as a knife.

exactly, a rock would be blunt force trauma

 

[kkdj]

I'm not nearly caught up....just jumped to the last. Does anyone think he stabbed her when he got out of his car on 385th and that is how he got her in his car?

 

[jillycat]

He had to have a knife to cut the cornstalks to cover her body. This guy knew exactly what he was doing. JMO

Great point.

 

[Ilovemy3boys]

A knife, a scissor, a machete, box cutter, pocket knife. Sharp anything

 

[bluedivergirl]

With a machete? I'm going to have to take for granted that you've never taken part in or witnessed a castration.

Besides, the dude worked on a dairy farm. No castration goes on at a dairy farm. It's all cows, which are female. Any bull calves born are quickly farmed out to someone who raises bottle calves.

Thanks for the image of castration with a machete, it gave me a solid chuckle.

Sorry I wasn't clearer! The machete would be for overgrown grass and brush. Heck, we have one.

You're right, I haven't seen it first hand. All my knowledge comes through DH.

 

[duster1979]

How tough are green corn stalks to cut? Does it need to be sharp, maybe serrated? Could a pocket knife do it easily?

Easy for any adult to break off with no knife whatsoever.

Also, just curious, how common are "corn knives" in rural Iowa?

Very common. I probably have two or three, and I live in town. But nobody uses them for corn, and it would be highly unlikely for an employee of a dairy farm to carry one around in the trunk of his car.

 

[Enchantment]

How are the Feds involved - what grounds do they have for this case? Serious question. I hadn't known that was an option in this case to make it federal.

jmo

Is kidnapping considered a Federal offense?