Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #27

[MesquiteO21]

8:30 is the latter end of dusk and 9pm is darkness. If community runners are being safety-conscious (on many different levels), that would be a bit late to be out.

JMO.

i'm a female who walks my dog in the evenings wearing headphones and i agree, i do not like to be out later than 8:30

 

[duster1979]

My theory is that a someone grabbed her while jogging and drove out of town ...would a new vehicle get noticed in that area?

New as in a specific vehicle passing through town for the first time? Probably not, unless it was doing something to draw attention to it like driving very slowly or going up and down the same street multiple times. The town isn't so small that'd you'd be likely to know every vehicle.

New as in brand new, though? No. It's a small town in Iowa, not a third-world country. Lots of people there drive new cars.

 

[TL4S]

That suggests that they have a particular perp in mind.

Or at least maybe a vehicle. I'm hopeful.

 

[Jaclin]

Well, LE needs a warrant (probable cause showing) to do that. Installing a GPS is a search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012)

true, and the last thing we need is damning evidence being inadmissible because it was obtained improperly. Cross Ts, dot Is, and catch this vermin.

 

[duster1979]

lack of a license plate might. You know, new vehicles have something in the window until the plates come in.

Not in Iowa. All DMV offices (which are the country treasurer and car dealerships) have plates on hand, you get a real plate as soon as you register the car.

 

[geevee]

I wonder what clothing she had on in the S

That would be very interesting to know.

And hiya, nice to see ya.

 

[GMG1999]

That suggests that they have a particular perp in mind.

I do think LE has someone in mind, but I still think it is someone she knew.

 

[Kapua]

I'm wondering if film footage from the truck stop shows something suspicious, or maybe the same vehicle later shown in car wash/Casey's film? I think she was taken near the end of her run and brought elsewhere south of town.

I definitely think you have a solid theory going. The dots line up perfectly when you look at them your way. The thing that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, though, is that it looks very planned out. It feels like he knew where she would be and when, and he just grabbed her and got out of town. Ugh. I think I need a break.

 

[duster1979]

What if MT had scratched his face or neck up? What if his shirt was torn in a way that would draw attention--like a uniform shirt? What if he was on drugs and agitated? Or psychotic? Any of those situations might make him unwilling to show himself in public at a truck stop.

This line of discussion started because someone opined that the perp might have pulled in to town for gas/food/restroom break/whatever and happened to see her running. There's nothing in town for that but Casey's and a grocery store, so the perspective is why would he drive all the way in town to get something he could get at the truck stop right next to the highway. Some suggested that it might be because some people are afraid of truck stops.

In other words, we were talking about him going to the truck stop BEFORE the abduction, not after.

 

[Jaclin]

IF they "cannot rule it (harm) out", AND they are generally proceeding as though someone likely harmed her, AND they have been proceeding this way since the beginning of the investigation if you really think about it, THEN why not at a bare minimum state the public MAY be at risk? But they've ruled that out entirely by saying the public is definitely NOT at risk.

Therefore, deduction tells me that they likely know the culprit if there is one (and they are certainly proceeding like there is one).

JMO.

I think it just means that if their profile of the person who took her fits, then they don't believe the public is at risk. They didn't come out and definitively say that the public is not at risk, but it is clear that they don't have sufficient reason to believe the general public is at risk. As far as they can tell it is an isolated case, and there is no reason (yet at least) to put all of the town on alert and create a panic.

 

[thesaint]

If so, this theory takes one into a really small subset of people who had her 1) Trust 2) Knew she was alone, 3) Appeared comfortable engaging her between 9-10 at the house and 4) would not attract any attention or raise suspicions by going over there and 5) She would willingly accompany out of her house without her ID or wallet. You are in a pretty close F & F circle. You're talking about what? 10-15-20 people tops.

A person who had this level of trust would not need to snatch her off the street, or even follow her jogging. He had an expressway of trust

Agreed that the information about Mollie having the house to herself that night seems significant enough to use it to limit the initial universe of potential people of interest. Mollie's workplace and people attendant to it might also fall into the category. Co-workers and parents of the kids at her camp could satisfy both your "information" requirement and your "trustworthiness" requirement.

 

[jillycat]

I don't think anyone is saying one reaction is good or bad, human beings always have different reactions to various situations. Everyone interviewed has said she would have fought if someone grabbed her, and the fact that no one saw anything like that could mean she went if not willingly, quietly. Willingly could also mean she trusted and liked someone who maybe is not a stable person inside. This doesn't mean she is "bad" or blaming the victim, just that she was nice. Either way, anyone who has seen crime tv knows you run, then you hide, and if that fails, you fight. People don't always react exactly in that order. You never get in a vehicle, even if someone has a weapon. Do not go. Hold on to your bike handles if someone tries to get you. Yell fire. Throw a rock through a window. Don't go out alone, etc.etc. But if someone is knocked out the whole point is moot and no one is "bad" for getting knocked out. But the person doing the knocking is. Hindsight is only 20/20 if you live to have hindsight.

Not even her family can say what she would do in an abduction. They do not know the threat posed to her, or how she perceived that threat, or the extent to which she was caught off guard, off balance, couldn't fully see depending on the time of day, or whether or not she was incapacitated immediately, if even just enough to gain initial control of her.

Ambushed from behind, hand over your mouth, gun pointed at your head, knife to your throat or being brandished, verbally given instructions in a manner and context that failing to comply is perceived to place you in even more danger, and the run/hide/yell/fight plan is swiftly just a theory. It's similar to asymmetry in warfare, with 911 as an example. We were locked, loaded, armed to the teeth with the most powerful military in the world and we lost that day - to some lunatics armed with plane tickets and box cutters.

 

[TL4S]

I definitely think you have a solid theory going. The dots line up perfectly when you look at them your way. The thing that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up, though, is that it looks very planned out. It feels like he knew where she would be and when, and he just grabbed her and got out of town. Ugh. I think I need a break.

My first guess would be someone who lives north/northwest/northeast of Brooklyn, who might work in a location to the south, where they take Clay St. home each night. So driving by the truckstop and by the car wash would be on normal route. Perhaps he's seen MT jogging before, or maybe he saw her that night and followed her. I feel they are not acquaintances, but I do think he's local. I need to find more about the V21 and 430th st. location, because it looks like an abandoned building (no driveway). I feel the perp knew that place and had it in mind.

 

[Flowercb]

One might expect if the caption were of a "please help" nature or otherwise indicated MT was in distress DJ (and eventually LE) would be quick to act that same evening, not wait until the next day.

Unless DJ did not read what it said and just looked at the photo. Not sure if this was the case. Or if she only had a narrow window to send the photo, it may have appeared to be a random photo but the background would have given away that she was not home.

 

[Nah]

If Mollie’s SM profile is public (which I assume it is, since people have looked it up) it is possible that the perp found her on SM and figured out where she lived, and came into town for that reason as well.

If that were the case, then we wouldn’t have to figure out how he actually saw her jogging and how he happened to be there at the time. All he had to do is find her house (pretty easy to do online once you have a name) and watch it for a day or two. It could have just been horrible luck that she was completely alone. Or maybe there was a hint online somehow that she was going to be alone that the perp figured out.

I wonder how many serial killer types stalk SM and find future victims.... scary.

 

[SteveP]

Mollie has now been missing exactly 4 weeks. If from out of town, but someone who had reason to be in Brooklyn, the perp may be someone who delivers something to a location in Brooklyn on a regular schedule, and may be in town every Wednesday at about the same time. I know it is a stretch, but I hope LE and the public keeps an especially close eye out for anyone who just kinda looks 'out of place' driving around town on Wednesdays.

 

[bestill]

So another day and another thread and nothing new?

 

[Mr. Obvious]

Not in Iowa. All DMV offices (which are the country treasurer and car dealerships) have plates on hand, you get a real plate as soon as you register the car.

FWIW....

I live in a different state - recently bought a vehicle in Iowa - was issued an - Intransit Tag/Sticker - placed in the rear window and is valid for a max of two weeks.

Upon returning home, I purchased license plates in my state.

 

[cluciano63]

Truck stops are known to have lot of cameras, and a fair share of crime as well as non-locals passing through. It may be included just because it is there, or there was a ping near there. LE would say if they wanted info on a late-model gray truck i.e if they had seen something. The public has located vehicles for LE many times. LE usually says they believe the driver may have witnessed something vital. Imo they would not keep it “secret” when it is something the public can often help with, more than most things.

I do think the truck stop also brings in the stranger theory. Or at least that LE is open to that. It sounded to me as though they were still looking at all options at PC.

 

[MesquiteO21]

As a Guardian ad litem (child advocate), I can pull a background check on anyone I want through our state law enforcement division for $25. Just need a name, birthdate, state/s of residence, SS# if I have it (the more info, the better)... And that's not because I'm a GAL--anyone can pull one if you pay for it.

i'm in the profession of background screening and private investigation. I guess it depends on your definition of a background check. There is a lot of information that is public - such as criminal records and most civil, and you are correct anyone can search that. However, information regarding someone's credit, driver's license, work, education, and/or social security history definitely would need consent. In addition you have to get 'permission' of sorts [it's not technically licensed per se but along those lines] in order to have access to the databases that provide you with that information.