IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #39

[Peaches96]

We runners don't typically take a ride with anyone while out running, even in the rain. It kind of defeats the purpose. The only exceptions I can think of would be a terrible lightning storm or an injury.

Totally agree. I’ve been caught in severe rain and just pushed through until I got back to my car. I don’t think any of my running friends would take rides either.

 

[The Farm]

I'm comparing the license plate to the Nissan's, as well as the tow truck's. They look the same, and at least the tow truck you would assume is Iowa. The Nissan's is a little closer and I think it looks like a smaller word at the top, Iowa vs. Minnesota.

But yes, VERY hard to tell!!
http://oskynews.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DSC3560sm.jpg

Thank you,,,to me with my glasses on and a magnifying glass the plates seem to match the tow truck.

 

[Slyster]

I'm comparing the license plate to the Nissan's, as well as the tow truck's. They look the same, and at least the tow truck you would assume is Iowa. The Nissan's is a little closer and I think it looks like a smaller word at the top, Iowa vs. Minnesota.

But yes, VERY hard to tell!!
http://oskynews.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/DSC3560sm.jpg

Pretty sure they are both Iowa - Minnesota plates have a small map graphic between the sets of numbers/letters. And blue at bottom.

 

[gregjrichards]

1998 -2018
May Mollie Tibbetts Rest In Peace.

It’s Mollie’s funeral service today I hope he can be forgotten for a while and the focus be on remembering Mollie. Sincere condolences to Mollie’s family and friends. Mollie is gone but will not be forgotten.

 

[Jax49]

And yet, they DID! Astonishing. Especially after knowing full well what he did at that time. It made me cringe.

Because they spoke Spanish and most store employees did not, she said, they did not talk at length with staff. “I thought he seemed like a very nice person — a clean-cut, American person,” Ms. Seaton said.

I'm sure they're in shock now that they know what he is...moo.

 

[Jaclin]

Good point. Knowing the lawyer, he will try anyway. But you're right, it would be hard to prove without a battery of tests and real life history. I can imagine this lawyer saying something like he covered it up because he didn't want it to get cold. The poor guy was only thinking of her welfare!

I don't think anyone that stupid would be able to dress themselves or drive a car, and his employer said he was a good employee. They didn't take him in as a charity case. He must have been following the directions he was given. If he needed constant supervision and hand holding, I don't think he would have been there 4 years.

 

[DizzyB]

The earbud is bothering me. Why was the earbud mentioned-how did it play into the story? Was it in his pocket when they brought him in for questioning? Why was it so specific- did they keep hammering away at him and he threw that detail in for the end of his blackout? Was it tied to the blood on the side of her head? Blood on the earpiece to tie it all together as it was in his possession?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

That appears to be a Minnesota license plate.

It's Iowa. The short State name and the lighter areas to the left and right of the State name are the giveaway.

 

[Al Hoffman]

Hard to know how he might be treated in prison, without knowing something about the makeup of the prison population, but barring him being connected to, tried and convicted, of other crimes as well as the abduction and murder of Mollie, and I suppose that is a possibility, I don't see that he would get multiple life sentences, nor do I see him being viewed as a child predator for killing a 20 year old young woman. For me, him getting one life sentence, with no possibility of parole, will work. Nothing could really ever be enough, anyway. JMO

I looked at the Iowa DOC quick facts page and found that the State prison population is around 8400, and over half are violent offenders. The system is overcrowded by about 1000. Less than 800 inmates are serving terms of more than 40 years. It costs $92/day to maintain an inmate. In a state that is 95% white, the racial make up of the prison population is 67% White, 25% Black, and 7% Hispanic.

CR may be too high profile to be safe in GenPop, as there are such things as status killings. Consider what happened to Jeffrey Dahmer. Nor do I think that CR's anger management skills will endear him to anyone. Depending on how bad the backlash is on the outside Latino community from his actions, I don't think that the inside Hispanic pop will be too happy with CR, and he might not be able to find safe harbor with any of the main groups. I think that life without parole in Adminstative Segration is a start.

Though, as the Iowa penal system is over capacity, one could wish that they pay Louisiana to hold CR for them at Angola. Even today, the new guys start working in the prison farm fields, working crops the old fashion way, in the hot Delta sun, and may work on the farms for years before getting a better job. But that is just wishful thinking on my part!

 

[EaglesSpeical]

At this point, there's one scenario that makes sense to me, and it's probably nowhere near what happened. He had obviously been circling around watching her and eventually stopped. I think he may have offered her a ride and she told him she was just out for a run and then going to her mother's to eat. If she continued to run, he may have gotten out, chased her down and thrown her into the back seat. Once she was back there, she may have pulled out her phone and said she'd call LE if he didn't let her out. During the struggle for her phone, her earbuds may have broken/fallen off in the front seat. He drove down the road (obviously since they weren't found sitting there!) and pulled into one of the field roads at/near the corner of 385th and 200th Street, which is where I believe he assaulted and probably murdered her. When he was done, he threw her in the trunk because if anyone saw him pulling out of there he wouldn't want her body found there later. He drove down 200th Street to the intersection trying to figure out what to do, or maybe even planning to go home. Seeing her earbud made him more aware of his surroundings and he realized he still had her phone in the car and he had just passed another cornfield. He turned around and stopped there, took her out of the trunk and put her in the cornfield. This made more sense in my head than it does in writing. MOO

Very possible scenario. My one question to the WS'ers is how did the sharp instrument play into this crime? Did he threaten her with it to get her to go with him in the vehicle? Was it used initially then she was put in the trunk and driven to the cornfield? The sharp instrument and its role are key IMHO but changes this situation to premeditated assault and murder I would think. Sure LE looking at this issue. I do not mean to be to "Law and Order" on this post as today is the funeral for MT and that should be the main focus but have been really curious on this point. MOO

 

[ChuckMaureen]

That is the Impala - not the same car as seen being towed along with the Nissan.

Whoever took that photo of the house with the Impala had no idea the confusion they were setting off. The cars are both Chevy's, dark in color, and look very similar!

Exactly. The vehicle on the flatbed is, indeed, a Chevrolet Malibu. Match the taillights.

 

[The Farm]

I looked at the Iowa DOC quick facts page and found that the State prison population is around 8400, and over half are violent offenders. The system is overcrowded by about 1000. Less than 800 inmates are serving terms of more than 40 years. It costs $92/day to maintain an inmate. In a state that is 95% white, the racial make up of the prison population is 67% White, 25% Black, and 7% Hispanic.

CR may be too high profile to be safe in GenPop, as there are such things as status killings. Consider what happened to Jeffrey Dahmer. Depending on how bad the backlash is on the Latino community from his actions, I don't think that the inside Hispanic pop will be too happy with CR, and he might not be able to find safe harbor with any of the main groups. I think that life without parole in Adminstative Segration is a start.

Though, as the Iowa penal system is over capacity, one could wish that they pay Louisiana to hold CR for them at Angola. Even today, the new guys start working in the prison farm fields, working crops the old fashion way, in the hot Delta sun, and may work on the farms for years before getting a better job. But that is just wishful thinking on my part!

Maybe Supermax in Colorado will take him, that seems to be a spot where the really bad boys go.

 

[Kensie]

Thinking of Mollie's loved ones today.

RIP Mollie.

 

[Jordan10]

Iowa plate
RIP Mollie..

 

[TL4S]

Very possible scenario. My one question to the WS'ers is how did the sharp instrument play into this crime? Did he threaten her with it to get her to go with him in the vehicle? Was it used initially then she was put in the trunk and driven to the cornfield? The sharp instrument and its role are key IMHO but changes this situation to premeditated assault and murder I would think. Sure LE looking at this issue. I do not mean to be to "Law and Order" on this post as today is the funeral for MT and that should be the main focus but have been really curious on this point. MOO

That's something I've contemplated also. As much as it makes sense that he killed her right then and there, or close to site of abduction, the blood loss in a 30 minute drive to cornfield would make a mess of the interior of the trunk (MOO). Unless he replaced the trunk liner, or wrapped her in plastic, I can't imagine him doing it that way. But he quite possibly did, too.

I think it's also possible he could have used a knife to threaten her. She was "bleeding on her head" according to him. We don't know if he hit her, knocked her onto the ground or car, or stabbed her (if it's true).

 

[Quill]

I would like to hear what his aunt and uncle, friends, and ex girlfriend have to say about witnessing these black outs, since he has them so often when he gets upset.

This is a great point, MsBetsy!

I am trying to imagine a response to that question.

Would it be something like this:
"Yes, my nephew is a wonderful person. He is a great father and a hard worker but once in awhile he gets so angry that he completely blacks out" ?

Can both be true? The person that I personally know who has intense rages is also thought to be a sweet, wonderful person by those who know her casually. However, those who have lived with her and a very few who have worked with her have seen her in that state. I have seen her rage intensely and witnessed it get physical but I have never seen her "black" out. Does she "block" it out? That I don't know. She has denied doing things that I, myself, have witnessed. But would be hard to tell if a pathological liar is telling the truth when they deny doing something.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

Very possible scenario. My one question to the WS'ers is how did the sharp instrument play into this crime? Did he threaten her with it to get her to go with him in the vehicle? Was it used initially then she was put in the trunk and driven to the cornfield? The sharp instrument and its role are key IMHO but changes this situation to premeditated assault and murder I would think. Sure LE looking at this issue. I do not mean to be to "Law and Order" on this post as today is the funeral for MT and that should be the main focus but have been really curious on this point. MOO

It is possible, though not likely that MT carried a defensive weapon with her on her runs, whether it was a knife or other item and CR took it from her during a struggle.

I'm throwing that out there just to be complete.

 

[EaglesSpeical]

True but if one truly cannot distinguish right and wrong I would think the punishment would be different. It would prove they may not understand the consequences of their actions. It will be interesting to hear Aletheas answer. If anything I would think he would be placed in a forensic psychiatric prison but still that is not good, imo

IMHO he will never qualify for the insanity defense. To qualify typically the murderer (they are murderers regardless if insane or not), I believe the person truly has to not understand right from wrong. The technical term is mens rea, defined as "the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime..." Learned that one in law school. forms the basis of all crimes basically. This guy knew right from wrong otherwise why hide his identity from ICE? Why hide the body? No one from his work ever indicated any type of mental impairment or issue. Nah that defense will not fly IMHO. MOO

 

[Jaclin]

The earbud is bothering me. Why was the earbud mentioned-how did it play into the story? Was it in his pocket when they brought him in for questioning? Why was it so specific- did they keep hammering away at him and he threw that detail in for the end of his blackout? Was it tied to the blood on the side of her head? Blood on the earpiece to tie it all together as it was in his possession?

I believe the earbud on his lap supposedly "jogged his memory" as to having put a body in his trunk. It plays into the story because one of the things circulating was the Mollie was last seen with her jogging gear and that included her phone and earbuds. As to why it came up, I suspect that he was compelled to confess for some reason, and whenever someone confesses, they are asked questions such as how they did it and what the person was wearing. It seems like he possibly had a real fear of being deported. He claims to have gotten so angry at Mollie just because she said she would call the police. Now the police have him and might already know he is here illegally, so maybe they told him that if he came clean he wouldn't be deported. Maybe he has a greater fear of being deported than going to jail.
Actually, I interpreted the statements in the affidavit differently than some. It mentions the description of the clothing after saying that Mollie was in the trunk, but I am not convinced that the headphones were necessarily still on her, even partially, after being placed in the trunk. I think the clothing description is a separate statement of what Mollie had been wearing, and because of where it was placed in the summary it has made people think it was the description of Mollie's clothing while in the trunk. CR acknowledged she had been wearing headphones, but I don't think we can know for sure that she still had them on in the trunk or in his car.

 

[MsBetsy]

How about Mollie?

Exactly. You would think when the reporter asked about what she thought about Rivera her response would be, I can't believe what he's done. MOLLIE was the all American girl!