Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 #31

[KLM6]

I was reading through some articles today and have a couple questions. First, has it ever been stated that Mollies laptop was actually at home? I couldnt find the answer to that. If not, is it possible to trace online activity back to a specific computer, without the laptop itself? Like maybe comparing an IP from an earlier time? Early on it was said that evidence showed her to be doing homework late into the night. I started thinking about the possibility of her maybe doing homework with someone. It doesnt say where though. Any thoughts on this?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

Right. And my father (a police officer of over 40 years) indicated that if you give out too much info on an investigation then you cannot distinguish between false confessors (why in the world someone would do that I don't know) and the real perp

When it seems LE is withholding 'so much information', or in this case, nearly 'everything', I believe that could be a sign LE doesn't have much and therefore, must keep all of what they do have, close to the vest.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

This is a great point. Where were all those townspeople who supposedly see everything? Where were all those people who supposedly would know Mollie on sight? How come just a couple of people have reported even seeing Mollie during her run that night? I get the sense that the people of Brooklyn, like the people of my small town, don’t really pay close attention to what’s happening around them. And an abduction can take seconds, if the perp knows what he’s doing and uses the element of surprise to his advantage.

I agree. Some people also go out of their way in small towns to give other people privacy to go about their business/routines unnoticed, and do not want to be seen as busybodies or anything close to peeping toms looking out their windows to see what their neighbors are up to at all times.

 

[otto]

Possible, sure. Likely? To my knowledge there has never been a forcible abduction in any small town near Brooklyn that left absolutely no evidence and no witnesses. At the same time, people running into someone they know and willingly getting in a vehicle happens every day. If we’re going to play the “most likely” game I’m going with the one that happens a lot.

One hour North of Brooklyn is a good place to look for someone who vanished during the day from a public park in a small town without a trace and with no witnesses.

 

[Jaclin]

I appreciate this pushback and I do agree that the FitBit point is the most debatable of those above (several can be debated). But let’s keep in mind that FitBits can be synced with more than 1 device. So disabling someone’s phone would not prevent that FitBit data from being accessed by MT’s computer or tablet if she had it linked there as well. So if someone was aware that FitBits sync, or had prior convos with Mollie about how she uses her FitBit, they may have been more likely to dispose of it.

But I agree, acquaintance or not, a FitBit might be an easy thing to overlook or misunderstand.

I have a fitbit. Fitbits can sync to multiple devices, yes, but you have to introduce(pair) the fitbit to the app on that device via bluetooth or a dongle. The fitbit can only sync within a certain range via bluetooth or wireless signal to a paired device. It would not be able to "phone home" from a cornfield for example to her home PC without syncing to her phone first and uploading to the server. It's actually the phone that is "phoning home" to the server for the fitbit. No paired devices or paired mobile phone in her immediate space means no sync. There could be all kinds of data in the fitbit, but nobody will see it until it's back with its paired device or possibly fitbit corp might have other ways to retrieve the data, but they need the device.

 

[ab01]

I still tend to believe that a vehicle parked in a driveway of a house would be alot less likely to be noticed than and abduction in the streets during daylight of a small town! Especially that of young attractive lady that was running and would probably draw some attention as she ran by. Which is still why I can't completly rule out that she left the house with somebody that she knew. JMO

 

[Cardinal47]

Barring some substantial development, I would expect news coverage to taper off, with articles appearing each month on the anniversary of her dispapearance, for a few months, then the one year anniversary and the start of each school year. Sadly, that is how it usually goes. I live in the immediate area that UNC student Faith Hedgepeth's unsolved murder took place in Sept 2012, and now, we get the start of every fall semester at Carolina Faith stories, and the once every year or so Dateline news story, and that is about it.

I'm kind of curious. Did Le give out much information when she want missing? If the answer is no have they revealed any more as time goes on?

If keeping quiet doesn't work then surely they have to divulge a few facts to maybe get the guy/girl.

I just will never understand staying quiet for years, for the integrity of the case, and getting nothing Sigh...

 

[MsBetsy]

I guess what is striking me the most in the thoughts tonight is a slight varying pattern from what are known facts. This is one of the (I think you call them “stickies”) posted at the top of each new thread.



Can someone refresh my memory of the DR sighting of her at 8? I think I prob posted it myself in a previous thread but can’t find it, and the time about whether the guy saw her at 8 or 9 was confusing the timeline? The reason I ask is the FBI online information site shows the Pershing Drive sighting as the “official” last sighting, as seen above. Wanting to take a second look, is all. Thanks for your help!

At first it was reported he saw her at 9:00, then I saw another statement that said 8: 30- 9:00, and then finally 8:00 pm. You are right, it was really confusing and I dont know if someone has a link to that final 8:00 time that was reported but I would like to see the source as well.

 

[cluciano63]

A perp can be anyone...even a neighbor man, married with his own kids. I know as a teen I was creeped out and once even kissed by the husband of a couple I was babysitting for and this was decades ago, seems to me that (some) men are much more daring and aggressive now. Some bored hubby, wife has bowling league, sees Mollie...he could be home before she gets home from bowling. You just never know. And LE would not likely find clues, even if they searched every house and car in town which I doubt they have. They won’t have swabbed every car for DNA or collected hairs etc...it would be impossible.

I do like the Mass DNA collections they have done in the UK...those who refuse really narrow down the possibles...i.e Colin Pitchfork.

 

[cluciano63]

I'm kind of curious. Did Le give out much information when she want missing? If the answer is no have they revealed any more as time goes on?

If keeping quiet doesn't work then surely they have to divulge a few facts to maybe get the guy/girl.

I just will never understand staying quiet for years, for the integrity of the case, and getting nothing Sigh...

I fear they often release too little...and later on when they finally do, it is too late for memories. It may already be too late. FBI especially hates to part with info, imo...just as policy. But in MP cases...this often backfires.

 

[SteveP]

I'm kind of curious. Did Le give out much information when she want missing? If the answer is no have they revealed any more as time goes on?

If keeping quiet doesn't work then surely they have to divulge a few facts to maybe get the guy/girl.

I just will never understand staying quiet for years, for the integrity of the case, and getting nothing Sigh...

Not to derail the thread, but if you are asking this in reference to Faith, no, initially they gave out very little information, beyond that she appeared to had been beaten to death. As the years have gone by with no resolution, LE periodically. around the yearly anniversary, release a little more info. They actually got DNA from roughly 700 males. My gut feeling is they know who did it, but do not have the evidence they need to make charges stick, and probably never will have. JMO

 

[SharonNeedles]

That's exactly the point I made earlier, as well. If no one saw a car stop and, if she got in willingly I'm assuming there was some conversation, that could have occurred in the same amount of time it takes for an abduction.

My objection to that is not how long it would take, it's how could someone who doesn't belong there even know how and where they can pull this off and not get noticed. If not planned and executed perfectly on the first attempt somebody notices. Or you drive right by Casey's before you realize the security camera probably just saw that. Maybe I'm downplaying the possibility that we're dealing with some criminal mastermind with a carefully crafted plan, it just seems to me that reality is going to be much simpler than that.

 

[Jaclin]

I agree. Some people also go out of their way in small towns to give other people privacy to go about their business/routines unnoticed, and do not want to be seen as busybodies or anything close to peeping toms looking out their windows to see what their neighbors are up to at all times.

MOO there is always someone around that makes it their business to know everything that is going on. For my neighborhood it was the woman on the corner that could easily see a good ways down 3 different streets. She was retired and sat on her porch a lot. Whether or not they would want to talk to the police is another question. They might be afraid of retaliation.

 

[SharonNeedles]

One hour North of Brooklyn is a good place to look for someone who vanished during the day from a public park in a small town without a trace and with no witnesses.

But plenty of evidence. Finding their discarded bicycles right away next to a hole is the fence is pretty significant.

 

[MsBetsy]

I'm disturbed by area 5. There are multiple abandoned buildings and IMO, one of them was his target location. That is also the area I would be most concerned about one or more crimes having possibly taken place.

You would think so, but then why would he commit a crime in the exact same location before, or right after turning the phone off? He had to know at least that the phone would be traceable and they would be looking in that location. He couldn't be that dumb, could he?

 

[Jabarn]

At first it was reported he saw her at 9:00, then I saw another statement that said 8: 30- 9:00, and then finally 8:00 pm. You are right, it was really confusing and I dont know if someone has a link to that final 8:00 time that was reported but I would like to see the source as well.

Thank you Betsy... edited my post because I am impatient, haha! A new article today lists the sighting as 8:30. The latest on missing college student Mollie Tibbetts

 

[cluciano63]

The areas on the map have likely been searched imo...LE is aware of possible connections or contact points.

 

[Twistinginthewind]

True, I'm not sure farmers can tell just from checking the fields that any damage was done, or any kind of disturbance. When I was young, my friends and I would run through the rows, playing hide and seek and knocking down stalks, and the farmer never noticed a thing!

I hope farmers, hunters, and fishers in the area regularly check all structures they know of away from town for signs of disturbance, entry or trespassing, unusual items -- outbuildings, corn cribs, woodsheds, shacks, boat houses, docks, cellars, duck blinds, hunt camps, lean tos, cabins, etc. I don't think it would be feasible for them to look over every square foot of terrain (e.g., acres of planted fields, hunting and fishing grounds) without some focus on a hiding place such as a structure.

 

[ab01]

One hour North of Brooklyn is a good place to look for someone who vanished during the day from a public park in a small town without a trace and with no witnesses.

Are there as many eyes on a public park as there are running down a road thru town? IDK but seems to me that a park is where many abductions happen bc somebody can hide and lay in wait? Many abductions happen in public parks and hiking trails.......

 

[feralwriter]

My objection to that is not how long it would take, it's how could someone who doesn't belong there even know how and where they can pull this off and not get noticed. If not planned and executed perfectly on the first attempt somebody notices. Or you drive right by Casey's before you realize the security camera probably just saw that. Maybe I'm downplaying the possibility that we're dealing with some criminal mastermind with a carefully crafted plan, it just seems to me that reality is going to be much simpler than that.

Has it been established that cameras at both Casey's and the truck stop worked in the time frame she went missing? I ask because I had a trucker friend who told me that often cameras are nonfunctional. Some are straight up fake in some truck stops. I know, hard to believe, but he was an experienced I-80 driver. Sorry to say he stole a lot of items from truck stops & never got apprehended. Which isn't proof there was no footage of his theft. Point is he said definitively that there are a lot fewer working cameras in stores than we imagine. Perhaps Casey's and the truck stop as LE target locations of interest are for reasons we don't know yet? FWIW