Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #6

[Seattle1]

post duplicated

 

[borndem]

Many churches have midweek services on Wednesdays. It's also a night for youth programs at churches too. Might be more popular in the midwest than elsewhere. (I grew up in the midwest but am now on the east coast. I haven't noticed midweek services on the east coast, but sure did have them while growing up. Very common.)

It's still quite common here in NC in Protestant churches, anyway, usually on Wednesday nights -- church suppers -- committee or church-wide meetings -- choir practice -- movie night -- missions work (baking cookies for the housebound, packages for the homeless), etc., etc.

 

[lmurdock0803]

Usually in cases of missing kids and teens, you see footage of droves of people out scouring woods and fields, but not too much search footage in this case. No call for search volunteers that I've seen. I think that's kind of odd, not sure what it would mean if anything.

 

[cluciano63]

Jmo but as far I’ve seen over the years, rewards do not solve cases. If people who are not involved have knowledge, they turn it in, jmo. Any person with real knowledge that leads to an arrest at this point is likely to be somewhat guilty, imo. And especially in this case where they won’t give a timeline. Also rewards are not generally paid until after a conviction, which can take years, so it does not allow for people to “start a new life” when they give the tip that brings an arrest, as I have often seen stated here. If anything rewards bring more attention, which this case is not lacking anyway and LE won’t say what type of info might help. Your average person has no clue, imo.

Should say if people who are NOT involved...can’t edit.

 

[Fascinated1]

Also-my bet is that she disappeared in the morning (see prior post about dinner). It explains the red short (she would have been wearing it), the homework, the Snapchat, the dinner AND the fact that the dogs were in the basement (which I believe I read that they were when no one was in the home). I think when they Id the person who picked her up for work, they will have found the person responsible.

 

[cluciano63]

Sorry for dup posts...WS totally stalled for me, keep getting error messages.

 

[cluciano63]

Also-my bet is that she disappeared in the morning (see prior post about dinner). It explains the red short (she would have been wearing it), the homework, the Snapchat, the dinner AND the fact that the dogs were in the basement (which I believe I read that they were when no one was in the home). I think when they Id the person who picked her up for work, they will have found the person responsible.

How can LE not know by now how she was supposed to get to work?? It’s crazy. It matters. (I am sure they do know).
I remember with Abby and Libby, people obsessed over which family member was meant to pick them up or who dropped them off...which did not matter, really, as they never left the park. But even so it took about a year to find out.

 

[thesensitivechild]

I grew up in NE—granted it was a while ago-but what if the dinner messages were for the NEXT night-not Wednesday? We ate by 530 at the latest every day. Then no one would be upset until Thursday evening-which is when the panic set in? Sorry if mentioned already. I am working my way backwards thru this.

This makes sense

 

[ChiaPet]

I grew up in NE—granted it was a while ago-but what if the dinner messages were for the NEXT night-not Wednesday? We ate by 530 at the latest every day. Then no one would be upset until Thursday evening-which is when the panic set in? Sorry if mentioned already. I am working my way backwards thru this.

If she lived with the mom full time then yes, I'm sure she would have been expected more to have dinner. But, she was living partly with the boyfriend so dinner with the mom probably wasn't an every day sort of thing anymore. My parents have texted similar offerings of dinner and if its not my favorite or if it would be out of my way to go, then I just say "OK' also. Meaning "ok I got the message" not necessarily "ok will be there and you need to worry if I don't show up" My stepson and his wife were in town recently and we were going to dinner with them and we offered to buy them Starbucks because we were stopping in Target on the way home they said "ok" and that was it. They didn't follow us there and it wasn't really expected that they needed to communicate more. I never took MT's moms offer as setting concrete plans. Chances are if MT wanted to go to dinner there there would have been more communication about timing and such

 

[Paulette]

The reward is quite small, too small. The higher the reward, the more likely someone will phone in a tip. Someone hears something and weighs the options - turn in a friend or keep silent.

 

[Purplepixii]

I think the fact LE aren't telling us much (especially all the questions we seem to have on here) means that they do know something. The fact they are not calling this a "recovery" along with believing that Mollie is still alive is speaking volumes to me. They're also not blowing up the local tv stations with press statements - I think that if they were in trouble, with little to go on, they would be. I'm also reminded of something Mollie's mum said on the Finding FB page along the lines of LE knowing things that they couldn't tell the family & family knowing things they couldn't share with the public.

LE, and Mollie's family, owe the general public nothing. Especially when there's a chance of slipping up and ruining a live investigation.

So I am bouncing a few theories in my head:

1/ Mollie is alive, LE have a strong suspect, but don't want to spook that suspect into killing Mollie. Remember, "Rahn said he cannot comment on who is and isn’t a suspect."

2/ Mollie is no longer with us, LE know this but need to hold out a while longer to form a watertight case


I'm bouncing between those two but no doubt I'll add something else to my pot!

 

[Sunnymicki]

I see LE is not saying whether it is a forced entry or not. With regard to trying to pin down an evening or morning possible abduction : any sign that M. had showered that morning ? Any make up left out ? Were her sleeping clothes there ? Did it look as though she had eaten some breakfast, or had coffee ? All the while, I'm saying a prayer : please, do not let this be like the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse, where almost nothing is know these 12 years later...

This is a really good example of info that LE for sure has, but isn't sharing. And there's so much more like that. They know the last time she used an electronic device, and the last time her Fitbit communicated with her phone. If she had her location services enabled on her phone (I think most young people do, as its convenient and they tend to be more trusting of that type of thing), then they know much more. If she had her Fitbit and her phone on her person when she was attacked, and the Fitbit was auto-syncing, then changes in her heart rate during the attack will have been captured. I think this is why we heard that they have a good timeline. A good timeline would mean, in my opinion, that they are pretty sure of when Mollie was taken.

And they aren't sharing any of that info. Not even to say "We have this data but can't share it due to the on-going investigation." Obviously just my opinion but I think its because they have a suspect, not because they are clueless.

 

[Seattle1]

Please don't get this thread locked /shut down!! Friendly reminder we do not sleuth innocent family, extended family, friends, boy/girl friends, etc. (and persons cleared do not get sleuthed)...

 

[borndem]

More info:

"....Rahn, noting details about the home were part of the ongoing investigation, did say authorities were not aware of any link between Tibbetts’ disappearance and the ongoing search for a man in Pella -- a city about an hour’s drive away – who was captured on surveillance video Friday morning taking pictures of high school-age female joggers."

Why is LE keeping the info about forced entry or no forced entry to themselves along with the condition of the house?

If a break-in -- there would be public questions about fingerprint- or DNA-matching -- then what does LE say? If no break-in but a "sneak" entry -- same questions. LE does not want the suspect (if indeed foul play) knowing anything, so mum's always the word. Let the suspect relax and just go about his business feeling confident & that he is smarter than LE.

 

[curiousgene]

Thank you. It's just an opinion based on following too many similar missing persons' investigations on this forum for the past 15 years. There's always a remote possibility that she is alive, but the longer she is missing the smaller that possibility. I don't know what to make of the fitbit information, but if LE are assuming that she is alive because the fitbit is transmitting a heartbeat, I would compare the current heart rate to her heart rate history to determine whether the fitbit is registering her heart beat, or whether someone else is wearing the fitbit. Even if she is alive, whoever has her is going to do everything possible to ensure that she can never tell the story of what happened to her.

Since 2012, I have been waiting for another abduction of a young woman in Iowa. We know that there is at least one person in Iowa who is very good at getting away with abduction and murder, and that person will not stop by choice. I would almost be tempted to look at isolated fishing and hunting spots in a 20 mile radius of Brooklyn for a body.

I have been following this case but have not posted anything. I too do not have a good feeling about finding her alive. I am sure LE is narrowing down the lists of suspects, but they will still want to find her body at least to bring closure to the family. Nobody wants this case to be like the University of Illinois student's case YingYing where they know who has done it but the family has no closure. I would rather prefer LE not disclose much till they find her.

 

[bestill]

I'm tossed! Does LE know who the perp is? I'm leaning toward this since they're not releasing much at all and they don't seem desperate and making pleas like in so many other missing cases. I remember well several exhausted and emotional interviews. Just not getting that vibe here.

 

[Normancita]

I’m sorry, but I really think it’s wishful thinking to believe she’s still alive.

I know it’s not out of the realm of possibility and there have been other cases where the victim is kept hostage and alive....

I’m just saying I believe it’s highly unlikely. I wish they’d scoure more fields, barns, bodies of water.

 

[gitana1]

Thank you. It's just an opinion based on following too many similar missing persons' investigations on this forum for the past 15 years. There's always a remote possibility that she is alive, but the longer she is missing the smaller that possibility. I don't know what to make of the fitbit information, but if LE are assuming that she is alive because the fitbit is transmitting a heartbeat, I would compare the current heart rate to her heart rate history to determine whether the fitbit is registering her heart beat, or whether someone else is wearing the fitbit. Even if she is alive, whoever has her is going to do everything possible to ensure that she can never tell the story of what happened to her.

Since 2012, I have been waiting for another abduction of a young woman in Iowa. We know that there is at least one person in Iowa who is very good at getting away with abduction and murder, and that person will not stop by choice. I would almost be tempted to look at isolated fishing and hunting spots in a 20 mile radius of Brooklyn for a body.

What's the 2012 case?

I wasn't questioning the family's need for financial support as a bad thing...I was throwing out the idea that maybe there was another reason for it as I think 50K is a lot of money to ask for after not working for 1 week--again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing...

You think they're just going to be off work for a week? I mean I hope that's the case because it means it'll be solved any minute now.

But there are other expenses if they're trying to print things and make buttons, etc.

Ugh. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it.

When we think motive and opportunity, trafficking aside, could this be a kidnapping for money or revenge? Connected to possibly drugs? Not by Mollie herself but maybe another? And maybe it was never intended to be her? Wrong place at the wrong time? I know the fiancé has been mentioned upthread as a possible “real target” but could Mollie have witnessed something on one of her runs and been targeted to silence her?

BTW I am new to WS this is my first post.

Welcome to websleuths!!!!

Usually in cases of missing kids and teens, you see footage of droves of people out scouring woods and fields, but not too much search footage in this case. No call for search volunteers that I've seen. I think that's kind of odd, not sure what it would mean if anything.

It's a great question. That's what was happening at the outset of the case. Then the FBI got involved and it immediately stopped. Or right before they announced the FBI was on the case.

Then they went to targeted searches by professional FBI searchers.

To me it indicates that they found a direction the moment the FBI analyzed electronic evidence.

It was coupled with the announcement that they got a "solid timeline" and knew her direction of travel.

I feel like they just don't think the public will be of help.

But if that was my kid I would be personally walking every damn row of corn. At least I think I would. If I wasn't paralyzed with grief and fear.

If that was my friend even. Or any family member. I would be searching and organizing.

But no one is.

That might be more telling than the lack of LE organized public searches.

What does it mean?

 

[Momma2cam]

I grew up in NE—granted it was a while ago-but what if the dinner messages were for the NEXT night-not Wednesday? We ate by 530 at the latest every day. Then no one would be upset until Thursday evening-which is when the panic set in? Sorry if mentioned already. I am working my way backwards thru this.

Her Mom is quoted as saying Mollie texted about dinner and then never showed up, which leads me to believe it was about Wednesday.

Without knowing more about the dynamics of their relationship and how frequently she ate dinner there, it's hard to know if that would typically raise red flags. Personally, my Mom would be calling and texting if I didn't show up but that's because it would be atypical for me to nonchalantly ask about dinner and not show up.

 

[gregjrichards]

The reward is quite small, too small. The higher the reward, the more likely someone will phone in a tip. Someone hears something and weighs the options - turn in a friend or keep silent.

I too wish the reward was higher but there are cases here on Websleuths where even a $1 million Aus Dollar reward - (little William Tyrrell case) made no difference. The reward in Abigail and Liberty’s case is $256,000 and it’s made no difference.