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

[MassGuy]

I honestly have no idea, but wouldn't it take hitting a person with a LOT of force to produce the kind of damage that looks like? I still tend to think that damage itself might be the unique feature about the car the LE was talking about.

I agree. I recall reading that the car had “distinctive chrome,” and that’s how it was identified. There was no mention of it being identified because of damage.

 

[TL4S]

If she had a kick that could take apart a car fender I’m pretty sure she could have got away.

Maybe he couldn't see since he was blacked out, and hit something, which did amp up his rage.

 

[Alethea]

It looks like a dent to me

Maybe that’s how they identified the car?

I wonder who owns it and the other car being towed

That was my thought - if there is front-end damage, maybe they could see it in the surveillance video and it made it easier to both find the car and connect it with the surveillance video. Early in the case we actually joked that if the POI's car was a white pick-up truck, they're going to have to look at half the people in the state. If they knew they were looking for a newer Chevy Malibu with chrome window piping and door handles with front-end damage, that makes it easier to narrow down. Also harder for the owner or driver of that car to say it was a different car on the video.

 

[MsBetsy]

For those unable to focus in on the 'damage' that appears on CR's towed vehicle:

Thanks. But to be clear, is it the one on video and used in the crime? Or a different car? It looks like it was just washed.

 

[Jaclin]

Budget problems in Poweshiek County. Maybe they got a 2-for-1 deal on felony towing. (Just kidding, please don't ban me)

maybe when they executed the search warrant they discovered one car was stolen? or maybe CR had help. or maybe sometimes CR drove the other car as well and a luminol spray showed blood in it too? I was thinking maybe the media jumped to the conclusion that it was the same malibu, but it was really another one involved in a collision, but the cars don't look that badly damaged to not be drivable, so now I'm really curious as to why the other car was taken.

 

[TL4S]

Thanks. But to be clear, is it the one on video and used in the crime? Or a different car? It looks like it was just washed.

And from experience, any vehicle that drives off pavement does NOT look that clean, ever.

 

[MsBetsy]

If that is in fact damage, it is unlikely to have been caused by that scenario. You’d see scratches and dents, but not significant body damage.

To me it look more like a heavy object landed on it, like a tree branch.

 

[1987]

.

 

[wary]

Maybe he couldn't see since he was blacked out, and hit something, which did amp up his rage.

My understanding is that 'blacked out' refers to his claim of short-term memory loss, not to any lack of vision.

 

[CheetosDust]

Maybe he couldn't see since he was blacked out, and hit something, which did amp up his rage.

The lesson: Don’t black out and drive or do whatever

 

[Aero_Rising]

Anyone know anything about Iowa vehicle licensing? In my state, licensing with a farm/agricultural plate (when applicable) is less expensive than regular. Is there any indication about anything from what you can see of these plates?

They look to be just regular plates. The only kinds of special plates for Iowa I've ever seen like commercial ones don't have the plate numbers separated like that. The regular plates in Iowa usually have 3 characters on one side 3 on the other. I see what people are saying about the damage to the front end and if that is from him hitting Mollie then other people have known something was up this entire time and said nothing. I don't think I can look at the image anymore though seeing it and knowing that Mollie was in that trunk and may be the place where she died just makes me start to cry.

I've been trying since Tuesday to figure out why this happened. Usually you can see the logical line of thinking that caused someone to commit a crime. Such as they wanted revenge on someone who caused them problems or they are upset over something personal the person did. In this case I just can't see anything. Mollie never hurt anyone. She was by all accounts a very sweet and caring girl. I have a hard time believing if CR approached her and was trying to hit on her/seduce her whatever you want to call it that she would have been so mean in her rejection that he would get that upset. I have come to the conclusion that there is no explaining it because it has no logic behind it. It is what I am calling evil. There are just some people who are evil such as serial killers. Their actions don't make sense because whatever reason they may say they had is really just a pretext for them to do their evil things. I am normally opposed to the death penalty but in cases like this where someone hurts an innocent person for no logical reason I guess I feel different. I think those people in cases where there is no doubt of their guilt should not be allowed to live.

I am upset that MSM is focusing on this man who does not matter. He will be convicted and will go to jail for the rest of his life but they keep focusing on him. They should be focusing on the incredible young woman that this world lost too soon. Because we will never get to know what kind of difference she could have made in her future career. The people she could have helped. DJ will never get to kiss her good night again. Her dad will never get to have 3 hour long conversations with the daughter who called him her best friend again. She will never get to see her younger brother graduate high school. That is what I wish the media would focus on and not on this vile human being that did this to her.

Ok I'll get down off my soapbox now. I just have been feeling this all week and needed to get it all out.

 

[MassGuy]

My understanding is that 'blacked out' refers to his claim of short-term memory loss, not to any lack of vision.

True. When I get “blackout drunk” I can see just fine.

 

[TL4S]

My understanding is that 'blacked out' refers to his claim of short-term memory loss, not to any lack of vision.

That part I was being snarky. But seriously, you do have to wonder about events that could have exacerbated his rage. Scary.

 

[Schmitz5100]

Could this be why her family thought she was on the computer?

No...the data from your Fitbit would just sync to the laptop but you wouldn’t necessarily need to be doing anything with it. I don’t know if that makes sense but the desktop version of Fitbit would not be why they thought she was on her computer at home.

 

[MassGuy]

That part I was being snarky. But seriously, you do have to wonder about events that could have exacerbated his rage. Scary.

Very. Especially if this is in fact a common thing for him, like he apparently claimed. What did he do those other times?

 

[Sanz]

Interesting! Thank you. Just when I thought I learned everything about fit bits and there is still more to learn.

This is another feature that is used with your phone GPS. You can run, walk, run around your house and it maps you and keeps track of it in cloud storage.

 

[Alethea]

To me it look more like a heavy object landed on it, like a tree branch.

That's exactly what I thought too. I showed my husband the picture without telling him what it was or where it was from and he said it looked like a tree branch fell on it.

 

[rebel123]

Some of the members here have posted the opposite scenerio; maybe he pulled over and Mollie stopped and did chat to him (his ex-girlfriend was a friend on Social Media, went to the same school etc). She said she was going to her mum's to eat; he offers to her there. It was a hot and humid evening. Mollie gets into the car; he strikes her on the side of the head with something. He drives to the cornfield where she was found. If he used a knife or similar object; it's a 'cowards' weapon. So I think he gained her trust. The further autopsy and car DNA results will reveal more of what actually happened.

 

[kpm]

No...the data from your Fitbit would just sync to the laptop but you wouldn’t necessarily need to be doing anything with it. I don’t know if that makes sense but the desktop version of Fitbit would not be why they thought she was on her computer at home.

I keep thinking about that commercial of the guy jogging in the shape of a heart and then printing it for his wife.

 

[kpm]

Some of the members here have posted the opposite scenerio; maybe he pulled over and Mollie stopped and did chat to him (his ex-girlfriend was a friend on Social Media, went to the same school etc). She said she was going to her mum's to eat; he offers to her there. It was a hot and humid evening. Mollie gets into the car; he strikes her on the side of the head with something. He drives to the cornfield where she was found. If he used a knife or similar object; it's a 'cowards' weapon. So I think he gained her trust. The further autopsy and car DNA results will reveal more of what actually happened.

That’s very plausible, considering the area she was in with the houses around

I tend to think there was not a scuffle in that area, that she could have gotten in the car for a ride or to help him with something

His face might be familiar to her from seeing him around his GF at school functions