Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #13

[chihuahua]

The unverified to this day sighting in Omaha really freaked me out. It remains unverified.
I-80 holds many many horrible stories.
Years ago I traveled it frequently with my now deceased husband Scott as he was a dedicated long-haul trucker.
The legends are facts on that highway and its' surrounds.
I have been thru the routes from Omaha thru Brooklyn and all those little communities. I know very well how trucks stand out but the truck stops are not far away. They have been known to attract many offenders who are not truck drivers at all.
Just saying. and jmo {thinking cap time for me}

 

[SharonNeedles]

Then what do you think occurred and what do you think LE should do at this point?

LE should be doing exactly what they’re doing - looking for evidence, trying to establish what actually happened, and locating Mollie.

I don’t really “think” anything, I’m just like a lot of us here trying to look at the evidence and interpret what it tells us. Strip away the speculation and all that’s left is a scenario where Mollie put the dogs away and left.

 

[Mom24]

Just an FYI in regards to FBI involvement. There's a number of reasons FBI get involved with missing persons cases and most of the time it's resources, equipment and manpower. Most local pd's don't have the budget for the equipment for searches done on a large scale because they don't often have missing people. FBI have federal funds so they have deeper pockets, they have more employees and they go to areas they are needed. It doesn't mean there's anything any different in one case or another, it's most of the time just about the money and manpower it takes to search for someone. That's why volunteer searchers are so vitally important, they are far more eyes than either department has and they typically know the area so they know out of the way places to search.

 

[mnnative]

Does Brooklyn, IA not have a city police department?

A quick google search makes it appear as though it is patrolled by the county Sheriffs department so I'm assuming they do not. I know this isn't uncommon in the rural Midwest where small towns can't afford their own PD so they either contract with the county or join up with other small towns to form a PD.

 

[TruthIsStranger]

her devices could have been thrown out a vehicle window near the hog farm.

But the devices would have been found in that case.

 

[KaaBoom]

Have they searched every basement in the town? It could be done in a day. Just saying and I know they need warrants but I would be forthcoming if it was in my town, just to eliminate all speculation and see who wouldn’t be automatically forthcoming about it.

That would be totally unconstitutional, and unprecedented.

Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

 

[Jon Glass]

I think someone answered the question of who exactly owns that farm. But maybe I'm wrong. Just to double check your statement are you talking about the pig farm that didn't have any pigs or the other far with pigs?

I guess my question is... Did WC actually give the permission for the warrantless search, as the actual owner of the property..? Or, is he living on a property owned by someone else, and that person gave the okay to LE for the search..?
The reason for the question is... WC allowing a search gives him a better look. If he wasn't the owner of the property, and was given no choice but to allow the search, that changes the way I would view his "cooperation" to this point in time.

 

[Whiteorchids]

Just tossing this out there. If a badged visitor wants to talk to you a third time about a possible crime, its time to call Saul.

I watched the WC interview this morning on I think Daily Mail. Everytime reporter asked him a question he put his hands somewhere on his face. People lying tend to do this. When I've ever told a lie I notice my hand going up towards my nose and quickly put my hand down. Oops! I think this guy is being dishonest and he refuses to take a polygrapgh. Why? What's he hiding? Has he secretly being watching, spying on MT perhaps with a good set of binoculars? I personally think this guy is suspicious. Pigs are known as one way to get rid of a body. They can demolish human bones like butter. I'm sure WC owning a pig farm knows this. There was a case last year where a couple had fed there young son to a pig/hog it was horrible. I don't want to think this is what happened to Mollie or the others who have gone missing there but perhaps a serial killer on the loose.

 

[SteveP]

I have read as much of these 13 threads as I possibly could before chiming in with thoughts. Like several of you, I believe WC is not guilty of anything in the disappearance of Mollie, except guilty of having a rap sheet that surely raised the eyebrows of any good LEO. I also believe the perp is someone her age, and someone well-known to her. I do not believe this was just a random crime of opportunity, and sadly, I do not see a happy ending to this. All JMO, based on gut feelings.

 

[SharonNeedles]

Does Brooklyn, IA not have a city police department?

A quick google search makes it appear as though it is patrolled by the county Sheriffs department so I'm assuming they do not. I know this isn't uncommon in the rural Midwest where small towns can't afford their own PD so they either contract with the county or join up with other small towns to form a PD.

No, Brooklyn does not have it’s own PD. And no, that’s not uncommon.

 

[MassGuy]

I guess my question is... Did WC actually give the permission for the warrantless search, as the actual owner of the property..? Or, is he living on a property owned by someone else, and that person gave the okay to LE for the search..?
The reason for the question is... WC allowing a search gives him a better look. If he wasn't the owner of the property, and was given no choice but to allow the search, that changes the way I would view his "cooperation" to this point in time.

He allowed them to search his property, to include the inside, as well as take pictures. He also allowed LE to take his phone overnight, so the data could be downloaded. He did this without forcing police to get a warrant. So he was cooperative up until his polygraph refusal.

 

[MizStery]

This post is more of a 'how is she listening to music using Bluetooth' without a connection to a wireless device? My Bluetooth earpods require I have a connection to cellular data to play my music;from for
example using Pandora (I'm just using it as an example) or it could be Amazon Unlimited Music App.

If I am connected to cellular data then my location would be transmitted via towers as any other cellular connection. Would the Fitbit even be needed with a cell connection?

A-ha,after I posted I thought of an MP3 player playing music files with Bluetooth. So I forgot about MP3 players because it's been years since I used say an iPod.

 

[rosesfromangels]

I believe that cornfield was search by humans three days after his disappearance. A state police dog searched the field a month later and located his body right away. If you are going to use humans to search for a body, they might as well all be legally blind, because the only way they are going to find the body is if they trip over it. Searches like that should be conducted by bloodhounds with as few humans as possible. Which makes me wonder, if they have tried to use bloodhounds to track Mollie. I would guess probably not.

This is so spot on. Anyone who has participated in a search knows you can literally walk right past remains and not see them.

 

[Deleted member 227095]

Regarding the electric co-op next to the house where Mollie was staying, I read somewhere that they do have CC security cameras but that they were inoperable for some unknown reason on the night/morning of her disappearance. Can't attest to this as fact.

I believe that an employee of the co-op lives nearby as well, not sure if he was the one who gave the info about the cameras or not.

Yes, another curious and unexplained occurrence. I think it was the Des Moines Register that reported on the co-op situation. Wasn't this employee that lives by also the same person that provided the ID of MT wearing black sports top? I've been so confused by the differing color top descriptions too. Someone talked about how the top could have been black and pink and then someone else said it could have been PINK branded top? I'm confused on this question and I wonder if LE isn't making this clear for us on purpose? So, we don't technically know when she disappeared but we also don't really exactly know what color top she was wearing either? Odd IMO.

 

[cluciano63]

In any case where parents have spoken out, they always say “bring her home” or let her go...all parents. I do not think anything can be read into those words at all.

 

[PaulR]

I guess my question is... Did WC actually give the permission for the warrantless search, as the actual owner of the property..? Or, is he living on a property owned by someone else, and that person gave the okay to LE for the search..?
The reason for the question is... WC allowing a search gives him a better look. If he wasn't the owner of the property, and was given no choice but to allow the search, that changes the way I would view his "cooperation" to this point in time.

If he was renting the property, his landlord can't just tell police it's OK to search his property without a warrant: Can Landlords Give Consent for a Police Search? | RentPrep

 

[geevee]

The cool think about the Fitbit is that it would register changes in pulse rate, meaning that it is possible that the exact moment of abduction is known based on a spike in heart rate.

Speaking of 'the exact moment of abduction', early on Mortvedt mentioned that her jog only lasted 15 minutes (7:30 - 7:45), given the neighbors who have said they saw her on that jog/walk, where would she have been at the 15 minute mark, if she were walking nonchalantly as one neighbor stated, if we presume she was on her way to her Mom's for dinner?

 

[GussiedCanoodler]

I watched the WC interview this morning on I think Daily Mail. Everytime reporter asked him a question he put his hands somewhere on his face. People lying tend to do this. When I've ever told a lie I notice my hand going up towards my nose and quickly put my hand down. Oops! I think this guy is being dishonest and he refuses to take a polygrapgh. Why? What's he hiding? Has he secretly being watching, spying on MT perhaps with a good set of binoculars? I personally think this guy is suspicious. Pigs are known as one way to get rid of a body. They can demolish human bones like butter. I'm sure WC owning a pig farm knows this.

The farm did not currently have pigs. Also, polygraphs are not admissible in Iowa courts. They do little more than to sway the opinion of people (courtrooms, public, etc), as they are not solid evidence. This is the same case for reading body language.

I feel like a polygraph test is something of a catch-22, much like the right to remain silent. For example, there have been many times that defendants have used this right, and then it has been brought up in court that the defendant chose not to speak on the matter, so any reasonable person would assume guilt (though lawyers are not allowed to say this word-for-word, they can imply it). However, a person may choose to not stay silent and say something that can accidentally twist their words or make them seem guilty, or (as in many cases) implicate themselves with another crime, no matter how small. The defendant is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't, in a way.

So back to the polygraphs, people are going to assume that refusing one is admitting guilt. However, polygraphs just work off physiological reactions. I know if I were to be interviewed for a crime, whether I did it or not, my blood pressure/respiration/etc would certainly sky rocket. I can not even go to my doctor for my annual check up without that happening! Polygraphs have absolutely no bearing on anything except opinions, or possibly urging a defendant with little knowledge to admit to something/accept a deal in exchange for info.

 

[ellieuma]

You make such a good point. I've also been curious ( and extremely pleased) why Mollie's case has such a profound LE presence. I just read this article today:

August 5, 2018

"A spokesperson from the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation added that investigators have even pulled resources from other cases, directing them to the search for the 20-year-old University of Iowa student, saying the case has become their main priority."
snip
“Investigators from the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Division of Criminal Investigation. There are an average 30 to 40 working this case a day,” said Winker.

Mollie Tibbetts investigators following 'hundreds' of leads, authorities say

Their main priority!!

The MT case reminds me of the Jennifer Kesse case out of Orlando, FL.

 

[Hatfield]

Someone brought up this attempted abduction of a jogger that happened in Miner, Missouri on July 17.
There are a lot of similarities in this Missouri case and this guy has not been caught.

After reading the article I think its possible this same perp may have left the area and ended up in Iowa and may have taken MT. He was no doubt trying to abduct a girl and luckily he did not capture the Missouri girl as she managed to escape him.

Because this MT case is so hard for LE to solve I do think its possible this guy may be the culprit. He was driving a Black Van and after he failed his attempt he would likely want to leave town because he would know the girl would go to authorities.

Wonder if any sightings of a Black Van in or around Mollie's town around the time of her going missing.

Man tries to abduct young female in Miner, MO, still at large