Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #44

[Followfacts]

If the satisfaction in killing is that gratifying and a release to kill to stab to death, how could this be CR’s first time? “Who escalates to abduction, kidnapping and homicide that fast”. IMO Yes, this was too easy, really for CR because he has done it before. CR was well organized, he planned the event right down to the supposed “block out” phrase, he was efficient, deliberate, he had the body female in his visual control, his vantage point circulating the area, he closed in on her,
“ the suspect closer” 1900 block 385 th Ave. No time wasted,it was fast, he was not afraid. Killers evolve, they escalate, they get more proficient. 43 minutes, if this is from time of abduction to leaving her in cornfield. 67% killed in first hour? If I remember the serial killer stats chart provided by Otto I believe.
The question is will we ever know about the others? Will they link his DNA to other bodies found in Iowa? Or southwest? What about linking him based on his location or proximity to other missing person cases that may fit his TYPE. Checking out other cars he may have used or had access to while living with his Uncle and places he lived with others since his arrival to the US. What other state is his out of state ID from???

 

[SharonNeedles]

Respectfully, but IMO I am just not getting the vibe that CR was some cunning criminal with well laid plans who almost executed a perfect murder were it not for the cameras catching his car on video.

IMO he just seems more of an annoying little dude that frequently behaved inappropriately to females he came in contact with and then snapped on that fateful day. It even seems apparent that no one took his harassment seriously enough to report him even with the biggest case ever in their small town unfolding... they still thought he was just an annoying little dude.

I also just think he got super lucky for the five weeks and started to actually believe he got away with it. JMO. Who knows, maybe he even "prayed" that if he was not caught he would never do it again and thought that was working out.

Just my .02

I think you are exactly right.

 

[feralwriter]

If it had been night, LE very well might have had nothing identifiable on film regarding his car. They could have tried to pin it on him (via whatever factors they may have had apart from footage), but if he had hidden her body well, not only potentially might he have gotten away with it, she may have never been found. It surprises me, given the nature of the crime, that he either didn't think cameras would be along that stretch or he didn't think of cameras as a liability to him. Probably kicking himself every last second of the day only for getting caught. Whatever the case, LE took this predator, this subhuman piece of $hit out for good. We are all safer. But at Mollie's expense.

 

[kpm]

Using the Fitbit for the 8:28 time would be too risky-the DA would be spending a lot of time addressing whether or not the Fitbit data could be admissible. Technology is too new to be such an important part. In the trial, if they needed it, sure. But not for this.

I think it’s a time stamp on video

ETA: Or a phone ping at one of the spots LE highlighted

 

[SharonNeedles]

Snippped by me:

It surprises me, given the nature of the crime, that he either didn't think cameras would be along that stretch or he didn't think of cameras as a liability to him.

Or he had no idea himself that’s what was about to go down. I can’t imagine if he wanted to not be seen he would drive around the block multiple times in an area where people know him and could recognize him - not to mention wherever else he had driven through town to even get to that block.

 

[1987]

I think it’s a time stamp on video

if we assume it is a time stamp on video then we have to assume there was cctv in the cornfield? or maybe that he crossed paths with a cctv while leaveing? maybe. I think for the sake of getting the warrant written it is as simple as it being the time he stated. I think that is the safest way for them to write it and not risk how to back it up in the court room.

 

[Al Hoffman]

If LE already had reason to believe Mollie was no longer living, for what reason do you believe they didn’t say so? I’ve noticed other cases when LE’s releases a statement saying they have good reason to believe a missing person is no longer alive without releasing any other details whatsoever.

It is cold to say it this way, but the fact of the matter is that the $400,000 "reward", while optimistic and well meaning, was a "bait and switch" from the start, at least from LE's perspective. LE had nothing to do with the establishment of the reward, but gained much more public input than they otherwise would. They used it to their advantage. LE even went out of their way to omit at, at least one PC, that the reward was for the safe return of MT. That omission is very telling. LE's mission was to catch a criminal, even if they had reason to be believe that MT might be dead (like in a Telenovelo, she could have been alive in an ICU in Mexico...).

However, professional LE does not like to make preliminary statements that could later prove embarrassing, and have to then be dragged back (Most especially with FBI involvement. The FBI did that during their Anthrax attack investigation, and it will never happen again!) It simply did not serve LE's purpose at the time to say otherwise to the narrative MT's family was creating, parallel to the ongoing investigation. It is not LE's job to satiate the public's curiosity, it was their job to catch a killer, and they did, by any and all means at their disposal.

 

[TL4S]

Respectfully, but IMO I am just not getting the vibe that CR was some cunning criminal with well laid plans who almost executed a perfect murder were it not for the cameras catching his car on video.

IMO he just seems more of an annoying little dude that frequently behaved inappropriately to females he came in contact with and then snapped on that fateful day. It even seems apparent that no one took his harassment seriously enough to report him even with the biggest case ever in their small town unfolding... they still thought he was just an annoying little dude.

I also just think he got super lucky for the five weeks and started to actually believe he got away with it. JMO. Who knows, maybe he even "prayed" that if he was not caught he would never do it again and thought that was working out.

Just my .02

You know, I've been reading about Guerrero, Mexico, and it has a high rate of violence, body dump sites, and insurgent groups. I'm sure CR grew up around some of that. Still he follows it on FB.
Blog del Narco - Wikipedia

Maybe some of that inappropriate behavior came from this mindset and experience, and maybe Mollie's reaction (NOT BLAMING) just pissed him off sufficiently enough to act out on. Maybe to him it isn't any big deal to go dump a body 15 miles away in a cornfield. I don't know.

 

[MistyWaters]

I know I've mentioned this before, but couldn't it be possible that CR inflicted the fatal injuries on 385th Ave, however Mollie didn't die until on route to or in the cornfield? The abduction would then be him taking her off the road, the kidnapping would be transporting her in the trunk (alive and/or dying), and the murder would be the direct end results to the injuries he caused her on 385th. That would also account for the 1900 block of 385th incident location on the affidavit. JMO

I agree, regarding murder charges and convictions, the exact time of death is rarely known. It only needs to be proven beyond reasonable doubt that CR inflicted the multiple sharp force injuries that resulted in her death. It can never be known if she was unconscious and mortally wounded when he left her in the cornfield, but the fact that he intentionally inflicted those injuries is enough to satisfy a conviction.

Somewhat similar, when a victim is severely injured and taken to a hospital but does not survive, the perp is later charged with murder.

So yes, I’m also thinking 8:28pm also might only indicate a time by which LE believe the fatal injuries had already occurred......if only for the sake of alternate theories.

 

[Followfacts]

I think you are exactly right.

I disagree. It’s interesting that some posters see this guy CR as some guy in a situation he had the misfortune of loosing control on some fateful day?
I don’t think so IMO that this was his fist kill. He is a killer and urges, desires and forethought goes into channeling that energy into an attack. Blitz, Brazen are words many posters use to describe it. LE questions the acceleration. Actions like CR exhibited are not exactly out of nowhere . Sharp force injuries COD.

I really enjoy reading the posts by members of WS. I have followed up on many cases that members have referred to in their posts. SharonNeedles I thank you so much for all you have posted, amazing information including maps etc!!!

 

[feralwriter]

Snippped by me:
Or he had no idea himself that’s what was about to go down. I can’t imagine if he wanted to not be seen he would drive around the block multiple times in an area where people know him and could recognize him - not to mention wherever else he had driven through town to even get to that block.

Baffling. Maybe he truly had no idea what was about to go down. Or he truly said *uck it, whatever happens happens. I get caught, I get caught. I hate my life anyway. But someone'd have to be in heaps of misery to think that, heaps of evil to go through with the act he did. But you got me thinking. Maybe he was just that miserable and stupid. Miserable to kill her, stupid to circle the way he did, put the body where he did. It's like he thought he had some kind of superpower, an invisibility shield. I mean, what are we down to now? Three options?
1) didn't know it'd even go down
2) knew and didn't care if he got seen
3) knew or didn't know it'd go down, but in any event circled & got caught on tape
All we know is he sat on it for 5 weeks.

 

[MsBetsy]

You know, I've been reading about Guerrero, Mexico, and it has a high rate of violence, body dump sites, and insurgent groups. I'm sure CR grew up around some of that. Still he follows it on FB.
Blog del Narco - Wikipedia

Maybe some of that inappropriate behavior came from this mindset and experience, and maybe Mollie's reaction (NOT BLAMING) just pissed him off sufficiently enough to act out on. Maybe to him it isn't any big deal to go dump a body 15 miles away in a cornfield. I don't know.

Good point. I'm sure his environment growing up played a huge role in shaping his personality and behavior. Especially if there was so much violence around him. Imo

 

[kpm]

if we assume it is a time stamp on video then we have to assume there was cctv in the cornfield? or maybe that he crossed paths with a cctv while leaveing? maybe. I think for the sake of getting the warrant written it is as simple as it being the time he stated. I think that is the safest way for them to write it and not risk how to back it up in the court room.

After going back and looking at LE map I would amend my statement to phone and/or cameras

IIRC, the LE map with points of interest had 5 points

The very top one and the very bottom one could be pings from her phone or cameras at 8:28, IMO

At the time of writing up the warrant they had:

Video of his car

Pings or Fitbit info

His admission

The body

As someone up thread pointed out, Fitbit would be unreliable as there are many factors of why it could stop at 8:28, death, ripped off her arm, etc., doesn’t mean they didn’t use it though

They still had no idea of the timeframe of the killing, they just confirmed she was dead

I would speculate they used the most reliable source they could for the warrant, his admission is sketchy at best because he claimed a blocked memory

We know he made a u-turn but don’t know where, could have been at a few of the spots

 

[TL4S]

Baffling. Maybe he truly had no idea what was about to go down. Or he truly said *uck it, whatever happens happens. I get caught, I get caught. I hate my life anyway. But someone'd have to be in heaps of misery to think that, heaps of evil to go through with the act he did. But you got me thinking. Maybe he was just that miserable and stupid. Miserable to kill her, stupid to circle the way he did, put the body where he did. It's like he thought he had some kind of superpower, an invisibility shield. I mean, what are we down to now? Three options?
1) didn't know it'd even go down
2) knew and didn't care if he got seen
3) knew or didn't know it'd go down, but in any event circled & got caught on tape
All we know is he sat on it for 5 weeks.

And I swear, I know she wasn't found until CR lead LE to her body, but there had to be a more remote location to leave her than the very edge of a substantial cornfield pull-off. I can find half a dozen better places (on a map, anyway) right off 200th St south of 385th. I don't get it.

 

[feralwriter]

And I swear, I know she wasn't found until CR lead LE to her body, but there had to be a more remote location to leave her than the very edge of a substantial cornfield pull-off. I can find half a dozen better places (on a map, anyway) right off 200th St south of 385th. I don't get it.

Which makes me think it was not well-planned out, not in advance. He was like ok, gotta get myself away from this dead woman asap. Resume my life like it never happened.

 

[MistyWaters]

But didn't they initially ID the body based on the clothes and the fact that he led them to the body? Before it was official? I also had the impression she was badly decomposed and therefore could not be identified by her appearance .

Forensic pathologists visit crime scenes to examine bodies before they are moved, especially in suspected murder cases. Even if the autopsy isn’t yet signed off as official, it’s possible they are able to form a conclusion in advance.

 

[kpm]

Defendant Implicated:

03-Admission/Statements

09-Near scene of the crime

13-Caused personal injury


http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/p...-2018_DCI_ArrestWarrantComplaintAffidavit.pdf

 

[1987]

After going back and looking at LE map I would amend my statement to phone and/or cameras

IIRC, the LE map with points of interest had 5 points

The very top one and the very bottom one could be pings from her phone or cameras at 8:28, IMO

At the time of writing up the warrant they had:

Video of his car

Pings or Fitbit info

His admission

The body

As someone up thread pointed out, Fitbit would be unreliable as there are many factors of why it could stop at 8:28, death, ripped off her arm, etc., doesn’t mean they didn’t use it though

They still had no idea of the timeframe of the killing, they just confirmed she was dead

I would speculate they used the most reliable source they could for the warrant, his admission is sketchy at best because he claimed a blocked memory

We know he made a u-turn but don’t know where, could have been at a few of the spots

I can look from many views and think well maybe. we just don't know enough for me to decide I am sure of anything. we may all be way off on what is latter shown as fact, and some of us could be right on.

 

[MistyWaters]

could it be just as simple as that is the time he told LE? maybe he got back in the car and noted the radio said a specific time or at least said he did?

Indeed, it could be that simple.

I’m certain many a prosecutor would thrill at the opportunity of introducing a defendant’s very own confession as evidence to prosecute.

 

[Al Hoffman]

But didn't they initially ID the body based on the clothes and the fact that he led them to the body? Before it was official? I also had the impression she was badly decomposed and therefore could not be identified by her appearance .

That's why I said "presumptivly" ID'ed in my post, likely by the ME and LE. And likely based on height, hair color, clothes and accessories (maybe a FitBit, maybe an arm band), and the fact that CR said "that's her". A later, definitive ID could be made by the ME based on dental records (x-rays) and DNA if this was needed. This was likely done anyway. A suspenders and a belt kind of thing.