Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #21

[Purplepixii]

Looks like a "software issue" led the sheriff to pull the public call logs for the 15th and 16th, per his Facebook page. Sez he will not be posting them in response to a question. Maybe they were never posted but seems odd all the others have been. Software issue? Really?

Not sure I believe in coincidences like this...

 

[UltraViolet4545]

I wonder if she hopped in the car with someone who wanted to “go for a drive and talk?” When I was that age, it was fairly common to drive around with friends just chatting, or talking through things if they were upset about something in their lives.

Perhaps Mollie was being kind to someone who she felt needed a listening ear, and the person took her kindness the wrong way (which would mesh with things her dad has said, about someone thinking their relationship was more than it was).

Maybe she went running, got back home, threw on a T-shirt over her running top (planning to shower and wash her hair when she returned), and then the person pulled up and she hopped in with him. Planning to go for a drive and chat, but be home in an hour or two. It would explain not bringing anything with (wallet, etc).

 

[carbuff]

What could they have found that would lead them to believe she is no longer in the area? Are you referring to digital evidence?

I didn't have anything specific in mind. It was an observation about LE's behavior, not a theory about what happened.

 

[Kapua]

Awesome summary of various scenarios ~ Thank you for all your thoughts & efforts. BBM you made especially interesting points:

5. Taken on her way to work (with other ride) or to get the car to go to work on the 19th. I don't believe she would go to work without her contacts/glasses whether she was driving or riding with someone else. Neither would have kept her from texting or responding to texts from DJ, JT or her friend.

I posted this a few threads back, but it bears repeating. The reports conflict and even Mollie's mother has changed her mind regarding when Mollie might have gone missing.

Two things might indicate that she returned home after her jog/been abducted in the morning: 1) She sent her boyfriend a Snapchat that he opened at 10PM. He said that he thought it was taken indoors. We do not know what time the Snapchat was sent. 2) Some reports stated that she did homework in the evening - some said “late in the evening.”

To my way of thinking, her missing jogging attire, phone, armband for phone, Fitbit, and earbuds more strongly suggest that she was abducted while jogging or very shortly thereafter.

I need to say one other thing regarding media reports. They are sometimes incorrect and misleading. For example, a witness saw Mollie at 8, but some news sources said 9. Yesterday, we had "black khaki yoga pants" instead of "black capri yoga pants". So don't believe everything you read.

 

[Suglo]

Hi Steve! We have closed fast moving threads over night before. We are getting over 60 alerts an hour so you can imagine what a moderator would wake up to. I need more coffee to be able to recall examples of cases that were closed over night lol.

The Sherri Papini one closed overnight as did the Abby and Libby one at the beginning.

 

[Crystal Regan]

It seems to me that several people have noticed Mollie when she was running. Maybe one of them was a lookout of sorts. We know that people in this town don’t lock their doors. I think, even her family stated this about her as well. The keys were found inside the home. We know that the other residents are out of town. They are in construction. Tools are a high theft area. Possibly someone was in the home attempting robbery when she returned from her run. The perp may have hidden in a closet, etc. He could have been waiting in the home the entire time for a chance to leave. Maybe watched her and got other ideas.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

It seems to me that several people have noticed Mollie when she was running. Maybe one of them was a lookout of sorts. We know that people in this town don’t lock their doors. I think, even her family stated this about her as well. The keys were found inside the home. We know that the other residents are out of town. They are in construction. Tools are a high theft area. Possibly someone was in the home attempting robbery when she returned from her run. The perp may have hidden in a closet, etc. He could have been waiting in the home the entire time for a chance to leave. Maybe watched her and got other ideas.

Do we know that the keys were in the home or is that speculation?

 

[Crystal Regan]

Does anyone else remember reading or watching an interview wit DJ brother in which he stated it wouldn’t be like Mollie to stay overnight in the house if everyone else was gone?

 

[Mr. Obvious]

I wonder if she hopped in the car with someone who wanted to “go for a drive and talk?” When I was that age, it was fairly common to drive around with friends just chatting, or talking through things if they were upset about something in their lives.

Perhaps Mollie was being kind to someone who she felt needed a listening ear, and the person took her kindness the wrong way (which would mesh with things her dad has said, about someone thinking their relationship was more than it was).

Maybe she went running, got back home, threw on a T-shirt over her running top (planning to shower and wash her hair when she returned), and then the person pulled up and she hopped in with him. Planning to go for a drive and chat, but be home in an hour or two. It would explain not bringing anything with (wallet, etc).

What 20 year old girl/woman (or anyone for that matter) would go on a (estimated/most likely) 45 minute run and then NOT shower immediately upon returning home???

After running/walking combo for 45 minutes on a hot/humid Midwestern evening? - most (if not all) people would be sweaty, smelly and beyond ready to get out of their clothes and get in the shower!!!

To me - she vanished while on her run - plain and simple.

 

[Jennifermn]

I'm starting to think that maybe MT had unwanted attention from someone in her life, perhaps an acquaintance at college or maybe a parent of one of the children she worked with. Maybe she got a message from this person on the evening she went missing, agreed to meet him to "sort things out once & for all" and it went wrong from there.
It would go some way to explaining why her dad is adamant someone has her (MT said previously her dad was her best friend, would she confide something like this to him, maybe during the 3hr phone call or previously) and perhaps why the FBI are "getting to know MT".

Just trying to think this through. I wish she would come home, but I wish all missing persons would come home (if "home" is a safe place to return to).

This is pure speculation but I have studied the map where Mollie’s last sightings occurred and I feel like a possible abduction sight could have been on Mills St. not too far from E. 2nd Street where she was spotted by DR around 8pm. There’s a field over there as well as some vacant looking lots and one filled with numerous old cars. It seems more desolate and would fit the timeline (that we are aware of).

 

[Fascinated1]

Not mentioned for a while but the “open line, hang up” calls on the Poweshiek sheriffs page do seem to spike slightly in the days after she went missing. I know this was pointed out and written off in the early,early threads as happening often but the pattern did look slightly different to me. Not dramatically, though. Grasping for anything early on that we might have missed or not fully discussed. Just a thought.

 

[MntnHiker]

The daily call logs thing. The post saying they couldn't post due to a software issue was July 19 at 5:13 AM. So she was not reported missing at that time yet.

 

[jillycat]

What eliminates the medical event scenario is the pig farm search. Once the FitBit entered the picture and led them there, it's a limited list of possibilities as to what caused her to disappear.

 

[MrsWatson]

I've been away on holiday for the past 5 days. I deliberately disabled all my google alerts/news alerts/etc and only posted a couple pics on my normally fairly active SM. I was really hoping I would come come back here and get caught up as much as possible and find out something new. Something that looks promising. Or that Mollie was safe and home, although the longer it is, the less likely I believe it to be.

But it doesn't look we learned much new at all.

I don't know what to think about the cancelled/rescheduled PC. Either they have something to tell the public. Or they have nothing to tell the public. I want to believe they know much much more than we do.

 

[Parks]

Ok, we’ve discussed the bike race and the fair as events that could bring people in from out of town. What are some other events that would do the same thing? Was there anything else going on around the time she went missing? A funeral? Just thinking out loud.

 

[Kapua]

Has the red shirt been ruled out?

I would like to know about the red shirt

LE searched an area (Lincoln Wildlife Area?) somewhat near the "pig farm" (where there aren't any pigs) based on a tip. (Fact).
A local posted here on Websleuths that the search occurred due to someone finding a red shirt in that area. (Rumor). I don't remember if there were MSM reports to corroborate that, and the local subsequently declined to post more about that topic. LE was asked about a red shirt in the last PC, IIRC, and they declined to comment. And that's all I know.

 

[Jennifermn]

I just looked up the details and BF house is 622, and burglary at 204 W. Des Moines which is not a couple houses away as alleged here a couple of times. The "call log" cites time at 6:48pm on 7/16. Perhaps homeowner discovered something missing at that hour and called in the report at 6:48pm as it seems an odd hour for neighborhood burglary in progress. MOO.

My guess would be the home was burglarized during the day and the owner had just returned from work.

 

[Crystal Regan]

The daily call logs thing. The post saying they couldn't post due to a software issue was July 19 at 5:13 AM. So she was not reported missing at that time yet.

What I found interesting about that, was in the comments someone asks if the issue is resolved and would they post it. The county states calls for that time frame will not be posted. I took that to mean ever.

 

[carbuff]

We can always count on you for great refs!
While I'm sure it's buried in "incident analysis" or the like, I'm surprised not to see a bullet point for "digital foot print," "technology," "social media," or similar heading considering DCI/LE initial announcement about bringing in the FBI was centered around Mollie's digital equip (i.e., phone, fit-bit, social media, computer, etc), and that local LE did not have the expertise or tools for this [forensic] investigative work. MOO

It's not part of the NCAVC. They have an entire separate organization to provide that support. National Program Office — Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory

 

[gregjrichards]

I've been away on holiday for the past 5 days. I deliberately disabled all my google alerts/news alerts/etc and only posted a couple pics on my normally fairly active SM. I was really hoping I would come come back here and get caught up as much as possible and find out something new. Something that looks promising. Or that Mollie was safe and home, although the longer it is, the less likely I believe it to be.

But it doesn't look we learned much new at all.

I don't know what to think about the cancelled/rescheduled PC. Either they have something to tell the public. Or they have nothing to tell the public. I want to believe they know much much more than we do.

I know it’s frustrating. We know very little from the last three weeks. I don’t mind them cancelling press conferences if it means they are using all their resources to follow up leads and find Mollie and the perp.

I hope you had a nice break.