IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #41

[MsBetsy]

I believe the defense could easily challenge the reliability of the fitbit data.

True. Let them try.

 

[MassGuy]

Are there 3 crimes abduction, kidnaping and homicide? He’s been charged with Murder 1, will he also be charged with the other two? I have no idea how it works when crimes are bunched together.... most severe charge goes on the arrest warrant?

Yes. In many cases it’s the minor charges that go first, as they are simply trying to keep the suspect in custody until all their ducks are in a row. This case is different, in that the murder charge came as the result of a (partial) confession, recovery of the body, and clear homicidal violence. There will be more charges forthcoming.

 

[otto]

Are you sure that’s where CR’s home is? I believe it’s on 400th Ave north of I-80.

It wouldn’t make sense to me that he would take a direct route to the cornfield unless he had already planned he was going to kill her and knew where he was going to dump the body prior to assaulting her. I don’t think his initial motivation was simply murder, nor do I think he planned on having a body he’d need to dispose of.

He certainly wasn't looking to ask Mollie for a date. He didn't need to circle Boundary and Middle Str. prior to Mollie arriving at that location to ask her on a date. Maybe that makes sense to a murderer, but it sure doesn't make sense in the context of societal norms.

Why wouldn't he have a plan for where to hide her body? He is charged with first degree murder, which suggests that he had a plan. What we already know about that plan is that he had previously seen her jogging, he knew her route, he circled at an area on her route waiting for her, he abducted and murdered her, and he very carefully hid the body.

You're right about his home location - I should update that location! Thank you.

 

[Charliegizmo49]

Oh, I definitely think there is a history. I hope they can find it. Even from the time he lived in Mexico as a teenager. He may have worked himself up to this crime.

I agree with you to the degree I had to reply and not simply like.
It would be very unique to have this be his first crime. I think there will be many very disturbing facts arise about this man befirevthus is tried.

 

[Gumbeaux]

How do we know he killed her in an uncontrollable rage?

Perhaps I’m not understanding the perspective of your question, but causing her death falls under the Samuel L Jackson definition of vengeance.

 

[MsBetsy]

Are there 3 crimes abduction, kidnaping and homicide? He’s been charged with Murder 1, will he also be charged with the other two? I have no idea how it works when crimes are bunched together.... most severe charge goes on the arrest warrant?

That's a good question. Is he also charged with kidnapping? That makes it likely he did transfer alive in the trunk, as opposed to the murder taking place right away.

 

[SharonNeedles]

What do you think was significant about the pig farm? Do you think they suspected WC for awhile? Or an inaccurate digital signal?

The night they initially searched WC’s farm the search to me appeared to be focused back in the fields, far north of the trailer. It would actually appear to me that the digital single maybe pointed to a spot in the middle of nowhere and the person living closest to that spot just happened to be kinda creepy and had a sketchy record.

 

[MsBetsy]

Perhaps I’m not understanding the perspective of your question, but causing her death falls under the Samuel L Jackson definition of vengeance.

Wow. YES.

 

[otto]

I agree with you on all points!

Even if he was blocked out you would imagine his first instinct would be to flee the scene, maybe drag her body out of sight but not to drive around with her.

Most predators like Rivera start with peeping, or inappropriate sexual behavior, that escalates to sexual assault, and eventually it escalates to daylight abductions of a jogger, violent murder, and hiding the body.

When he claims that his anger causes him to have a memory lapse and that this has happened in the past, could that relate to a criminal history in Mexico?

 

[MassGuy]

That's a good question. Is he also charged with kidnapping? That makes it likely he did transfer alive in the trunk, as opposed to the murder taking place right away.

According to Iowa Code § 710.1 a person commits kidnapping when the person either confines a person or removes a person from one place to another, without lawful authority and without the consent of the other to do so.
I’m not sure if the prosecution is legally compelled to prove that Mollie was still alive when she was transported. Unless she was killed on the street, this charge would certainly apply.

 

[otto]

What do you think was significant about the pig farm? Do you think they suspected WC for awhile? Or an inaccurate digital signal?

There's nothing significant about WC except that the cell phone pinged in the area and the media went nuts when they discovered that on one of the farms that were searched, one person had a criminal record.

 

[MassGuy]

Most predators like Rivera start with peeping, or inappropriate sexual behavior, that escalates to sexual assault, and eventually it escalates to daylight abductions of a jogger, violent murder, and hiding the body.

When he claims that his anger causes him to have a memory lapse and that this has happened in the past, could that relate to a criminal history in Mexico?

He’s been here for up to 7 years, so it’s more likely that any prior crimes occurred in the US. People can start very young though, especially in parts of Mexico. With the legal system over there, law enforcement may only find US crimes, if they occurred and people are willing to come forward.

 

[CuriousCricket]

Regardless, it's quite a leap to go from no criminal record to a daylight abduction of a stranger on a public street resulting in multiple stabbing murder and hiding the body 15 miles from the abduction site.

It's more likely that he has a criminal history, that he has never been caught, and that is why he did not flee the area after the murder.

I've been thinking the same thing as well as wondering about his previous prey being women who are here illegally. MT may be the first one who could ever be reported as missing.

I hope LE is asking the farmers in the area about women who have apparently just left in the middle of the night and never been heard of again. I can't help wondering how many people may have just vanished, but because of their status, the employer was told they had just "moved on" to another location, another employer. Maybe they left their clothes and all their belongings. Maybe it didn't make any sense, but could/would anyone have reported them missing?

They are in a very vulnerable position and even their families are not in any position where they can report them missing. I think the farm employers need to go back through their records of all their employees.

I also wonder if that corn field should be carefully plowed. . . . It is a perfect location, miles from CR's home, on a secluded road, has its own drive to the edge of the field, that drive goes just over a little hill so his car would not be visible to anyone who might be driving by on the road. It is a perfect location -- which he may have learned as a party place when he and IM were first dating, but maybe it's his go-to place for darker reasons.

 

[otto]

The 8:28 could as well be a video timestamp.

It can't be. The CCTV is at Boundary and Middle Str. The 8:28 location is at 1900 385 Ave.

 

[MsBetsy]

If it waterproof. Folks shower, swim with them on.

But since the phone was either off or dead by 7:30 the next morning we can assume it wasn't even throughout the early hours of the morning. Unless it was kept on all night. Which I doubt is the case. I don't think he would have left the phone with the body.

 

[Bravo]

I think it was planned and again a blitz attack. I don't think he ever planned for Mollie to survive this. I mean would he really risk a victim possibly identifying him?IMO

 

[MassGuy]

I've been thinking the same thing as well as wondering about his previous prey being women who are here illegally. MT may be the first one who could ever be reported as missing.

I hope LE is asking the farmers in the area about women who have apparently just left in the middle of the night and never been heard of again. I can't help wondering how many people may have just vanished, but because of their status, the employer was told they had just "moved on" to another location, another employer. Maybe they left their clothes and all their belongings. Maybe it didn't make any sense, but could/would anyone have reported them missing?

They are in a very vulnerable position and even their families are not in any position where they can report them missing. I think the farm employers need to go back through their records of all their employees.

I also wonder if that corn field should be carefully plowed. . . . It is a perfect location, miles from CR's home, on a secluded road, has its own drive to the edge of the field, that drive goes just over a little hill so his car would not be visible to anyone who might be driving by on the road. It is a perfect location -- which he may have learned as a party place when he and IM were first dating, but maybe it's his go-to place for darker reasons.

Great point. These people are especially vulnerable, as they may not be missed, or witnesses may be reluctant to come forward because of their own legal status. Law enforcement needs to do their due dillegence here, as crimes like this rarely occur without prior criminal activity.

 

[Leney]

It can't be. The CCTV is at Boundary and Middle Str. The 8:28 location is at 1900 385 Ave.

It most certainly can be.
That is a digital footprint.

I have seen nothing to verify that the 8:28 is associated with 1900 385 Avenue.
Some may assume this to be a fact.

 

[MsBetsy]

It can't be. The CCTV is at Boundary and Middle Str. The 8:28 location is at 1900 385 Ave.

I know I keep asking this but how accurate is the data in terms of location. Can pings be off by half a mile?

 

[MassGuy]

I think it was planned and again a blitz attack. I don't think he ever planned for Mollie to survive this. I mean would he really risk a victim possibly identifying him?IMO

We are obviously interested to know if he killed her because he wanted to, or because he needed to eliminate a witness. Legally though, it doesn’t matter in regard to a first degree murder charge, as the crime came in the commission of felony kidnapping.