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

[Warwick7]

I went back to Maps Media and Timeline. I want to go back to a couple things that have nagged at me for some time.

1. "... he dragged Tibbetts on foot from his vehicle to a secluded location in a cornfield,"

Who was on foot? CR? This makes no sense. How else was he going to drag her out of the trunk....on roller skates?? Naturally he was on foot.

Unless...he is partially lying partially telling the truth. Could it have been....just hear me out.... That she was fighting him but yet was drug on foot to a secluded location in a cornfield???

2. "...came to at an intersection.” Rivera told police he “then made a U-turn, drove back..."
Again he is probably partially lying partially telling the truth. Could it be that "made a u turn and drove back tot he cornfield? Then this would be the time frame he would "throw her over his shoulder and take her 20 feet into the cornfield and cover with with corn stalks?

I have more to add, but I would like others take on this first.

 

[Leney]

I believe that it is important prior to equating the fitbit to a cell phone that we address the potential/current issues people have related to the fitbit.

Rather than go through all of them, including the syncing of 3rd party apps, I am going to drop the community forum link here.

Third-Party Integrations - Fitbit Community

 

[Stormy21]

I went back to Maps Media and Timeline. I want to go back to a couple things that have nagged at me for some time.

1. "... he dragged Tibbetts on foot from his vehicle to a secluded location in a cornfield,"

Who was on foot? CR? This makes no sense. How else was he going to drag her out of the trunk....on roller skates?? Naturally he was on foot.

Unless...he is partially lying partially telling the truth. Could it have been....just hear me out.... That she was fighting him but yet was drug on foot to a secluded location in a cornfield???

2. "...came to at an intersection.” Rivera told police he “then made a U-turn, drove back..."
Again he is probably partially lying partially telling the truth. Could it be that "made a u turn and drove back tot he cornfield? Then this would be the time frame he would "throw her over his shoulder and take her 20 feet into the cornfield and cover with with corn stalks?

I have more to add, but I would like others take on this first.

Throwing 120 pounds over a shoulder is not easy. For a normally athletic person a 120 pound 'military press' is pretty good. Perhaps with adrenaline a suspect could do that.

I would think it would be like dragging a body into a cornfield, not carrying ala a battlefield type situation. If a person were unconscious that would be especially difficult.

Then again, this suspect is a farm worker. He could develop the strength to do that. Doesn't look like it though.

 

[Warwick7]

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.

Whu not just say that then? Why incriminate yourself so badly by saying....I chased her and attacked her then blocked out...?

 

[Stormy21]

Whu not just say that then? Why incriminate yourself so badly by saying....I chased her and attacked her then blocked out...?

It's difficult to think like a suspect - a criminal who is arrested and even if he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed knows he is about to be questioned to determine if he committed one of the most heinous crimes in recent memory. (not to demean any crime). Bet he could not think straight.

We also do not know what recreation 'substances' he may use. Looks like the place where they stay is quite fond of drinks.

 

[travelbug]

"Rivera worked for the last four years at a dairy farm a few miles from where Tibbetts was last seen. He and Tibbetts have no known connections other than that Rivera allegedly told investigators that he saw her running previously."

After reading this article I'm thinking back to our discussion, a few threads back, wondering whether some of the wounds were inflicted by a hay hook?

Medical examiner says Mollie Tibbetts died from stab wounds

snipped ..."Authorities announced Thursday that preliminary autopsy results from the state medical examiner's office show 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts was the victim of a homicide who died from "multiple sharp force injuries."

State medical examiner Dennis Klein said in an interview that the finding means a sharp-edged or pointed object"...

 

[Warwick7]

Throwing 120 pounds over a shoulder is not easy. For a normally athletic person a 120 pound 'military press' is pretty good. Perhaps with adrenaline a suspect could do that.

I would think it would be like dragging a body into a cornfield, not carrying ala a battlefield type situation. If a person were unconscious that would be especially difficult.

Then again, this suspect is a farm worker. He could develop the strength to do that. Doesn't look like it though.

Then, why even tell LE he threw her over his shoulder if he didn't do it? What would be the point in lying? It just baffles me.
I had a friend back in 1984 and her little boy was hit by a car. Before the tow truck arrived she asked the LE hysterically, "What do we do now? What do we do next?" LE told her to settle down and that they had to get the car off her son. So....she walked over to the car picked up (hip high) and lifted it off her son. So, yes adrenaline can do amazing things!!!

 

[MassGuy]

Throwing 120 pounds over a shoulder is not easy. For a normally athletic person a 120 pound 'military press' is pretty good. Perhaps with adrenaline a suspect could do that.

I would think it would be like dragging a body into a cornfield, not carrying ala a battlefield type situation. If a person were unconscious that would be especially difficult.

Then again, this suspect is a farm worker. He could develop the strength to do that. Doesn't look like it though.

I don’t doubt his ability to do this. It would also be easier because he was lifting her from an elevated position, the trunk.
How else would he transport the body into the corn?

 

[Stormy21]

After reading this article I'm thinking back to our discussion, a few threads back, wondering whether some of the wounds were inflicted by a hay hook?

Medical examiner says Mollie Tibbetts died from stab wounds

snipped ..."Authorities announced Thursday that preliminary autopsy results from the state medical examiner's office show 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts was the victim of a homicide who died from "multiple sharp force injuries."

State medical examiner Dennis Klein said in an interview that the finding means a sharp-edged or pointed object"...

Those rusty old things? Do they even use hay hooks anymore? The days of square bails are gone. All I see are those huge round monsters of hay that always appear half rotted. I suppose the help still uses them to pull the big rolls apart??

Every farm kid I ever knew carried a pocket knife. If not a couple. More than likely that would cause the wounds.

Aren't authorities looking for a murder weapon?

 

[Stormy21]

I don’t doubt his ability to do this. It would also be easier because he was lifting her from an elevated position, the trunk.
How else would he transport the body into the corn?

It's not easy to pull that weight from a trunk, you have to lift up and then again. Something like a 40 lb salt bag is not even easy to get out then up and over the shoulder. I am also going to posit she was 'slippery' from blood loss.

 

[noodler2]

Moving the body would have been difficult, leading to supposition he is covering for others involvement?

 

[Stormy21]

I don’t doubt his ability to do this. It would also be easier because he was lifting her from an elevated position, the trunk.
How else would he transport the body into the corn?

Drag it. And even then with difficulty.

 

[Stormy21]

Moving the body would have been difficult, leading to supposition he is covering for others involvement?

That is interesting. Entirely possible. Or the guy is not telling the truth about how she got into the cornfield. Evidence in the trunk will be vital.

 

[Warwick7]

I don’t doubt his ability to do this. It would also be easier because he was lifting her from an elevated position, the trunk.
How else would he transport the body into the corn?

That's what I was thinking. So, when did he drag her on foot?

 

[Stormy21]

Then, why even tell LE he threw her over his shoulder if he didn't do it? What would be the point in lying? It just baffles me.
I had a friend back in 1984 and her little boy was hit by a car. Before the tow truck arrived she asked the LE hysterically, "What do we do now? What do we do next?" LE told her to settle down and that they had to get the car off her son. So....she walked over to the car picked up (hip high) and lifted it off her son. So, yes adrenaline can do amazing things!!!

Yes it can. There are many documented cases of someone performing some incredible task with adrenaline rush.

Remember too that the police are using their own words at a press conference. May not be verbatim of that the suspect told them.

 

[MassGuy]

It's not easy to pull that weight from a trunk, you have to lift up and then again. Something like a 40 lb salt bag is not even easy to get out then up and over the shoulder. I am also going to posit she was 'slippery' from blood loss.

From my military days, I’ve seen small men and women do similar things without a great deal of struggle. I’m not talking about people necessarily in tremendous shape either. I personally don’t think this would be difficult, and certainly not impossible.

 

[Warwick7]

Moving the body would have been difficult, leading to supposition he is covering for others involvement?

That's exactly what my husband said.

 

[MassGuy]

That's what I was thinking. So, when did he drag her on foot?

When he was removing her from the trunk, and taking her to the place where he dumped her body. I suppose it’s also possible that he made her walk (if she was alive and able, or dragged her by her hands for a period of time.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

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.

They were transporting two vehicles, only one of which I think is a Chevy and that's the one on the flatbed. That's the one sporting what appears to be damaged right front fender and hood.

 

[travelbug]

Those rusty old things? Do they even use hay hooks anymore? The days of square bails are gone. All I see are those huge round monsters of hay that always appear half rotted. I suppose the help still uses them to pull the big rolls apart??

Every farm kid I ever knew carried a pocket knife. If not a couple. More than likely that would cause the wounds.

Aren't authorities looking for a murder weapon?

They are more or less required if you have horses, cattle, etc. that are being fed hay and alfalfa. The "old rust things" are now fancy stainless steel, etc. and come in a multitude of sizes. They would make a formidable weapon and also be useful when moving a heavy weight. I'm just covering bases, since the ME said they are bringing in additional specialists before confirming the weapon and will only confirm a "sharp or pointed" object. The pointed hooks could certainly inflict deep puncture woulds.