NE NE - Tyler Goodrich, 35, left his house to go on a run, Lincoln, 3 Nov 2023

[charminglane]

Some information around rewards (BBM) from the Texas Crime Stoppers Operational Resource Manual:

Reward Eligibility

1. Any person, except those defined below as ineligible, who directly contacts Crime Stoppers and gives information which leads to the arrest and/or criminal charges filed against an adult or juvenile, or the arrest of a fugitive wanted for a felony crime, is eligible for a reward.
2. Under unique circumstances, where the purpose of Crime Stoppers is best served, and upon the coordinator’s specific, detailed request, a reward may be approved by the board and paid to a tipster prior to arrest, filing criminal charges, or fugitive apprehension.
3. Under unique circumstances, where the purpose of Crime Stoppers is best served, and upon the specific, detailed request of the law enforcement coordinator, a “reward pre-payment” may be approved by the board and paid to a tipster prior to the regular payment date.
4. Under rare circumstances, where the purpose of Crime Stoppers is best served, and has been approved by the board, a reward may be paid to a tipster, who provides information directly to a law enforcement officer. Examples include situations where the tipster was unable to reach Crime Stoppers and the information is of such immediacy that contact was made directly with a law enforcement officer. The tipster must notify the officer that an attempt was made to reach Crime Stoppers.
5. Under rare circumstances, where the purpose of Crime Stoppers may best be served, a reward may be approved by the board for a tipster where no felon’s arrest is, or can be made:
   1. 1.If the tipster is instrumental in property recovery,
   2. 2.If the tipster is instrumental in illegal narcotics recovery, or
   3. 3.If in the solution of a felony crime, the district attorney feels there is not sufficient evidence to file criminal charges, or criminal charges are dropped by a law enforcement officer’s recommendation, the payment is made based upon the coordinator’s specific detailed request.
6. The following persons are not eligible for a reward:
   1. Commissioned law enforcement officer and/or members of her immediate family;
   2. The crime’s perpetrator or co-perpetrator;
   3. The victim and/or his immediate family;
   4. The fugitive;
   5. Law enforcement informants funneled into the program;
   6. Board members, and
   7. Crime Stoppers staff.

If more than one person furnished information about the same crime or fugitive, the cash reward is divided as the board may determine, based primarily upon the tips relative importance.

Payment Methods

1. The board is responsible for approved reward payment method and timing. The treasurer or board designee shall make the payment available for pickup. The law enforcement coordinator or other law enforcement officers assigned to the program should not handle cash rewards or make reward payments.
2. The procedures for identifying a tipster generally include using the tipster’scode number,as well as a code word that is assigned at the time payment is confirmed. After following procedures designed to ensure that the payee is the correct person, the tipster is paid in cash to help preserve anonymity.
3. Generally, payments are not mailed or wired to tipsters within the local Crime Stoppers program’s service area.
4. Suggested procedures for reward payments:
   1. Month’s end serves as the deadline for all cases considered for reward payments.
   2. The board at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting considers the law enforcement coordinator’s recommendations for approval or disapproval.
   3. Once the rewards are approved, a check for the total approved monthly reward amount is issued payable to the financial institution where the reward fund is maintained. The check is given to the treasurer or other board designee immediately after the meeting for payment processing.
   4. The check is cashed and the cash placed in plain envelopes for each tipster.
   5. The envelope is marked with the tipster’scode number and code word. The code word is assigned after the reward is approved.
   6. The envelope for each tipsteris left with a specified supervisor at the bank.
   7. The drive-in teller at the bank is instructed on the specific procedures for making the reward payment.
   8. Reward payments are made on days specified by the board until such time as the board determines, at which time all unclaimed cash rewards are duly noted and re-deposited into the appropriate account.
   9. The law enforcement coordinator and/or law enforcement agency staff instruct tipsters that rewards must be picked up by within a specified time period.
   10. If a reward is unclaimed and is re-deposited in the bank account, the tipster must re-contact the Crime Stoppers program and make arrangements for payment.
5. Prepayment procedures:
   1. Prepayments are made when the tipster’s life is in danger.
   2. Prepayments are made when a tipster is involved in multiple cases and encourages continued information.
   3. Prepayments are made when a tipster has an emergency financial problem (behind in rent, car note due), is giving information on another case, and Crime Stoppers is best served.
   4. Prepayments are recommended by the law enforcement coordinator and approved by the board. The law enforcement coordinator notifies designated board members of all prepayment recommendations.
   5. Prepayments may require at least one full working day’s notice.
6. Procedures for cash reward payments made to tipsters outside the service area:
   1. If payment is made to a tipster in an area where there is not a Western Union office, a cashier’s check is purchased and mailed to the specified address in a registered, return-receipt requested, envelope.
   2. If payment is made to a tipster outside the service area, purchase a money order and deduct the cost from the reward. Note: Under either of the above methods, the tipster may have to reveal her identity and in such cases the tipster is fully advised. Consider in such cases to arrange payment to the tipster through a Crime Stoppers program in closer proximity.

It seems there would still be the ability to be recorded on camera or identified by a teller when picking up payment at a bank.

 

[MyBelle]

I may have stated it badly.

IMO, the purpose of anonymity is not primarily to protect the informant, it is to generate good quality, accurate tips that will help solve crimes.

The most accurate, high quality info comes from associates in criminal enterprises. Those associates may or may not want protection from the perp. They definately don't want to reveal themselves to police.

For example, who will know someone is operating a drug business, better than a user or associate. Why they make a tip on the guy, whether they need 'protection', police don't care, just give us accurate info so we can bust him.

JMO

BBM. The purpose of Crime Stopper rewards is to solve the crime. For example, jogger Mollie Tibbetts had a huge reward fund to generate tips for her safe return. It was LE who solved the case but not because of a tip. The Crime Stoppers reward money was returned to the donors and her killer is now in prison. The big difference is that TG's home was along a rural road with houses far back from road.

If the couple had an argument and TG ran out of the home without reflective jogging gear, drivers would have a hard time seeing him. Especially if the driver had been drinking.

JMO

Crime Stoppers: Bulk of Mollie Tibbetts reward fund money to be returned to donors

The bulk of money given to an reward fund set up to bring Mollie Tibbetts home safely will be returned to contributors, officials said.

www.desmoinesregister.com

 

[amytothekate]

Search for Tyler Goodrich continues as visionary letter offers no concrete leads

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said they’ve been able to talk to the author of a handwritten letter sent to Crime Stoppers, but it didn’t bring them any closer to locating Tyler Goodrich.

So, a woman had a "vision" of Tyler getting hit by a drunk driver and sent a handwritten letter about this vision to Crime Stoppers. It seems like the letter did not make it clear this was a "vision".

 

[haggis]

Search for Tyler Goodrich continues as visionary letter offers no concrete leads



So, a woman had a "vision" of Tyler getting hit by a drunk driver and sent a handwritten letter about this vision to Crime Stoppers. It seems like the letter did not make it clear this was a "vision".

What?!

 

[Betty P]

Search for Tyler Goodrich continues as visionary letter offers no concrete leads



So, a woman had a "vision" of Tyler getting hit by a drunk driver and sent a handwritten letter about this vision to Crime Stoppers. It seems like the letter did not make it clear this was a "vision".

Credit to the county sheriff's office for doing the right thing and following up to see if this was a legit tip.

 

[Scatcat]

What?!

Crazy

 

[Pricklykitty]

Search for Tyler Goodrich continues as visionary letter offers no concrete leads
When first reading about this I did think it might turn out that the ' vision' was actually a confession, but seems not....

 

[Valiant]

Search for Tyler Goodrich continues as visionary letter offers no concrete leads



So, a woman had a "vision" of Tyler getting hit by a drunk driver and sent a handwritten letter about this vision to Crime Stoppers. It seems like the letter did not make it clear this was a "vision".

To be fair, that scenario (a hit and run driver grabbing a victim and taking them from the scene) is commonly suggested in missing person cases on these forums.
It's a shame this lead wasn't something more than a vision.

 

[MyBelle]

To be fair, that scenario (a hit and run driver grabbing a victim and taking them from the scene) is commonly suggested in missing person cases on these forums.
It's a shame this lead wasn't something more than a vision.

I think the body was taken from the scene. I'm still wondering if the "vision" was real, and she knows the identity of the driver.

JMO

 

[Valiant]

I think the body was taken from the scene. I'm still wondering if the "vision" was real, and she knows the identity of the driver.

JMO

While it is a commonly proposed scenario, it would be very hard for most people to remove a guy like Tyler from the scene of an accident. Plus accidents tend to leave vehicle parts behind.

 

[MyBelle]

While it is a commonly proposed scenario, it would be very hard for most people to remove a guy like Tyler from the scene of an accident. Plus accidents tend to leave vehicle parts behind.

A guy threw Mollie Tibbett's body into his trunk and then drove several miles to dump it into a corn field.

It is very possible Tyler was hit by someone who feared arrest and later dumped somewhere else.

JMO

 

[Valiant]

A guy threw Mollie Tibbett's body into his trunk and then drove several miles to dump it into a corn field.

It is very possible Tyler was hit by someone who feared arrest and later dumped somewhere else.

JMO

Mollie was 130lbs. Tyler is 185lbs.
Most people could not lift 185lbs into the trunk of a car.

 

[MyBelle]

Mollie was 130lbs. Tyler is 185lbs.
Most people could not lift 185lbs into the trunk of a car.

Mollie's killer claimed he "found" her body in his trunk. He claimed not to remember what happened.

If TG was hit by a car, why are you assuming there would be only one person in the car? Especially if the person was breaking the law, they would get help to cover it up.

JMO

Mollie Tibbetts' Accused Killer Describes Finding Her Body in His Trunk After Her Jog: Police

According to an affidavit, Cristhian Rivera led investigators to missing Mollie Tibbetts' dead body, where he had allegedly concealed it with plants

people.com

The affidavit also shows Rivera’s alleged explanation for Tibbetts’ death: how he said he pursued her while she was out for her regular evening jog and then later found her body dead in his trunk, her head bloody.

Rivera allegedly said that he had “blocked” himself from remembering the time between — “which is what he does when he gets very upset,” according to the arrest affidavit.

 

[Cedars]

Mollie's killer claimed he "found" her body in his trunk. He claimed not to remember what happened.

If TG was hit by a car, why are you assuming there would be only one person in the car? Especially if the person was breaking the law, they would get help to cover it up.

JMO

Mollie Tibbetts' Accused Killer Describes Finding Her Body in His Trunk After Her Jog: Police

According to an affidavit, Cristhian Rivera led investigators to missing Mollie Tibbetts' dead body, where he had allegedly concealed it with plants

people.com

The affidavit also shows Rivera’s alleged explanation for Tibbetts’ death: how he said he pursued her while she was out for her regular evening jog and then later found her body dead in his trunk, her head bloody.

Rivera allegedly said that he had “blocked” himself from remembering the time between — “which is what he does when he gets very upset,” according to the arrest affidavit.

I don't understand the comparison, MT was a beautiful 20 yr old girl who was stalked and killed in daylight by a sexual predator who wanted to cover up his rape and murder. How is this related to a 35 year old man who was upset by a fight with his partner and ran away from his house one night?

Sadly, I think the most likely scenario involves self-harm.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

I don't understand the comparison, MT was a beautiful 20 yr old girl who was stalked and killed in daylight by a sexual predator who wanted to cover up his rape and murder. How is this related to a 35 year old man who was upset by a fight with his partner and ran away from his house one night?

Sadly, I think the most likely scenario involves self-harm.

JMO

The comparison is in location. Mollie's jogging included roads not densely populated. So did Tyler's.

<modsnip - off topic>

Lincoln, NE Crime Rates and Statistics - NeighborhoodScout

Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Lincoln, NE. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Lincoln is 1 in 256 and property crime is 1 in 34. Compare Lincoln crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout.

www.neighborhoodscout.com

 

[Betty P]

The comparison is in location. Mollie's jogging included roads not densely populated. So did Tyler's.

<modsnip - off topic>

Lincoln, NE Crime Rates and Statistics - NeighborhoodScout

Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Lincoln, NE. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Lincoln is 1 in 256 and property crime is 1 in 34. Compare Lincoln crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout.

www.neighborhoodscout.com

I'm finding it difficult to ignore the scent dogs tracking him into the back, then over to the nearby road, where his scent ended. That normally means he got into a car. There's aren't any other conclusions to draw - he walked or ran to the road, then left in a vehicle, one way or another. Had he continued running along the side of the road, on the road or across the road, the dogs would have picked up his scent.

I assume LE had professionally trained scent dogs. They did pick up his scent and were able to follow it until it ended.

 

[MyBelle]

I'm finding it difficult to ignore the scent dogs tracking him into the back, then over to the nearby road, where his scent ended. That normally means he got into a car. There's aren't any other conclusions to draw - he walked or ran to the road, then left in a vehicle, one way or another. Had he continued running along the side of the road, on the road or across the road, the dogs would have picked up his scent.

I assume LE had professionally trained scent dogs. They did pick up his scent and were able to follow it until it ended.

I agree with you. I think he was hit by drunk driver and his body was moved to hide it.

JMO

 

[amytothekate]

I'm finding it difficult to ignore the scent dogs tracking him into the back, then over to the nearby road, where his scent ended. That normally means he got into a car. There's aren't any other conclusions to draw - he walked or ran to the road, then left in a vehicle, one way or another. Had he continued running along the side of the road, on the road or across the road, the dogs would have picked up his scent.

I assume LE had professionally trained scent dogs. They did pick up his scent and were able to follow it until it ended.

I don't believe the scent dog search was conducted by LE, it was conducted by a professional hired by the family. The search took place over 20 days after Tyler's disappearance. Most of what I've read suggests a scent trail is typically viable for about two weeks. It depends on the dog, the area being searched, and the weather conditions when the scent was left and afterward.

The post about the scent dog search on the official FB page says "However we do want to caveat that this was 20+ days past disappearance. The two family members who assisted with the tracking said it was amazing to see the dogs work and it appeared they had picked up Tyler’s scent, but we do know there is margin for error as the time span between disappearance and scent tracking was significant."

How Long Can Scent Survive

 

[Betty P]

I don't believe the scent dog search was conducted by LE, it was conducted by a professional hired by the family. The search took place over 20 days after Tyler's disappearance. Most of what I've read suggests a scent trail is typically viable for about two weeks. It depends on the dog, the area being searched, and the weather conditions when the scent was left and afterward.

The post about the scent dog search on the official FB page says "However we do want to caveat that this was 20+ days past disappearance. The two family members who assisted with the tracking said it was amazing to see the dogs work and it appeared they had picked up Tyler’s scent, but we do know there is margin for error as the time span between disappearance and scent tracking was significant."

How Long Can Scent Survive

I’d like to know more about that search. I seem to recall it was sooner than 20 days. It’s disappointing that LE didn’t do a search earlier. Didn’t LE track his cell phone too? This is one of those frustrating cases where the original facts get changed over time due to gossip and spread of bad information.

Obviously, the property behind the house was heavily overgrown and near impossible to get through. He wouldn’t have gone through that, wouldn’t have had a reason to. The obvious routes would have been the one described by the canine search or doubling back to leave via the front driveway.

Being struck by a car is a possibility, but one would expect some evidence found nearby.

If, as most assume, he left to go on a long run and somehow expired shortly thereafter, they should consider how he might have left the property. JMO

 

[Valiant]

I agree with you. I think he was hit by drunk driver and his body was moved to hide it.

JMO

And the drunk driver, with help from friends who have managed to also remain silent, were able to not only remove the body but also pick up every piece of the car that broke off during the accident? That seems like a lot to happen since the spot the accident would have occurred is known.