Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #38

[MsBetsy]

I think the phone was more effective than the fit bit. I’m sure I have posted before but on find my iPhone I found my daughter who was not answering me in the middle of a body of water. Sure enough after following her trail I found her far away from where she said she would be, canoeing to an island with the help of a few friends of hers. Now I only checked this out because her “cover story” was suspicious but a phone can tell a thousand words even if it is not answered.

But only if turned on, right?

 

[geevee]

What I recall is that there was a witness on W. Pershing Dr. There was another one at the Funeral home, but there was no information about which direction she was running. There's one more witness on 2nd St where Mollie was supposedly running towards Caseys.

The only witness I believe is the one on W. Pershing Dr. The witness on 2nd St. initially said 9PM, a week or 10 days later that was changed to 8PM.

From my memory, the witness that placed her at the funeral home said it was around 5:30, since we know she wasn't dropped off at home by her brother until 5:30, I presume that person was remembering a different evening.

 

[Leney]

And I'm thinking that DCI's Rick Rahn doesn't feel like revealing crucial information re: either the iPhone *or* the FitBit... (much as *we* on WS would like to know those details). After all, if they (LE/DCI/FBI) were already receiving info. from either manufacturer (iPhone or FitBit) that had been subpoenaed, giving away such valuable information to what potentially was a worldwide (via the Internet, etc.) audience would likely not help the legal team on Mollie's side. In retrospect, am very glad that R. Rahn remained tight-lipped! Justice for Mollie!

Especially if that information may tip off additional individuals LE may be investigating.
I can think of a number of reasons why the least amount of information would be made available to the public.

 

[MassGuy]

I'm kind of curious. What makes anybody think he went elsewhere to shower? Why wouldn't he go home? I can't see him going to any public place. I can see him heading to a swimming hole and taking a dip. It's Summertime and nobody would think that was strange. I can see him using a hose and saying he was hot. I just can't see him walking into a truck stop or his Uncles's house with blood on him. I think he went home.

You’re right. There’s plenty of places that he could have cleaned up that don’t include the truck stop. We don’t know the specific circumstances in terms of places that he had access to, especially ones that afforded him the privacy to clean up with no one seeing him.

 

[rebel123]

I would estimate 50-60.

Edit: Closer to 70

Many thanks.

 

[Jeng1810]

I agree. I’m sorry it came across otherwise.

I was referring to people saying that these people get “free” housing. Nothing is free. I’m sorry it didn’t come across that way. I agree with your assessment of how these areas operate.

 

[Al Hoffman]

The charges against Rivera were filed this past Tuesday but media reports indicate LE initially approached him on Monday. And iirc it was stated he turned over his cellphone to LE? I wonder if Location Services and/or Google Maps was active on his phone the entire time and LE was able to determine his entire route along with the correlating time by that means? Wasn’t that how he led LE to the precise spot, something about looking it up on his cellphone? Maybe but I’ll admit I’m not sure if I remember that correctly...

According to the arrest warrant CR used his phone to guide himself out of the corn fields after disposing of the body, and lead LE to the body from memory.

 

[1987]

I don't know, but maybe we are looking too hard at him cleaning up. IF a blow to the head had already killed her and he stabbed her after heart wasn't beating would it even be so messy to clean up? I know in a animal cutting into it after it is dead, like a deer, sure you get your hands messy but you don't have blood from head to toe.

 

[MsBetsy]

To protect the neighbour, I don’t think LE is about to tell us. But I can think of a couple possible scenarios -
- the neighbour didn’t see Mollie on the video so didn’t think vehicles passing by were important. And it’s likely the Chevy Malibu was spotted on more than one CCTV footage, which was what eventually indicated to LE this particular was circling, as opposed to just driving through. So it might not just be only this one CCTV that gave LE their lead, rather it was when it combined with others (probably businesses) it collectively provided the clues.
- Early on there was substantial confusion over what time and where Mollie went missing from. For example the red shirt, being her her work shirt, would suggest something happened to or on her way from work, unconnectioned to anything captured via the neighbours CCTV.
- In cases like this LE often canvasses homes. Maybe the neighbour worked out of town or was on vacation and the purpose of the CCTV was to guard against theft? LE made several trips to the residence and finally connected? Only in hindsight is it now known it was the missing link, thankfully not copied over or erased. That’s a very good thing.
JMO

I thought the neighbor just turned it over to LE. Also, red shirt has no relevance.

 

[MistyWaters]

I was referring to the 7:30- 8:28 timeline .
But in terms of the map you are referring to, it was stated he needed to use the map on his phone for directions, I think it just meant he had to look at a Google map. He probably isn't too good with directions LE likely had a hard time understanding him.

I was referring to the lineline as well, it could’ve been obtained from Rivera’s cellphone data and/or correlated to Mollie’s. After circling, then approaching her, any electronic data obtained from devices from both could be at the same location until he departed the cornfield.

I still do wonder if he had a full grasp of all the trackable features of a cellphone. I know college educated people who are absolutely content to use their cellphone for the basics and have either no clue or desire to change or personalize settings. So it might be so to someone with gr 7, an ESL farmworker and for example, that Find My Phone enabled was perceived as a benefit.

 

[MyBelle]

She was very likely with him there IMO. I don’t believe he involved family in this but an interesting point none the less....somewhere to shower after a long day “working in the farm”.

I don't believe he involved his family in this. His uncle said CR spent a lot of time at his home during family gatherings. I wonder if they live near where Mollie ran. As far as washing off blood. Farms have hoses to wash off dirt/blood/muck.

 

[ExpectingUnicorns]

I was referring to people saying that these people get “free” housing. Nothing is free. I’m sorry it didn’t come across that way. I agree with your assessment of how these areas operate.

You are so right and we all do agree. There is absolutely nothing free in life. I often find myself using the word to mean "no extra money or charge" when in the real world it actually means "you already paid for it," lol.

 

[Jeng1810]

But only if turned on, right?

Yes and I assume that he did not disable it until after he left her body (for lack of better words) because it pinged near the pig farm.

 

[MassGuy]

I don't know, but maybe we are looking too hard at him cleaning up. IF a blow to the head had already killed her and he stabbed her after heart wasn't beating would it even be so messy to clean up? I know in a animal cutting into it after it is dead, like a deer, sure you get your hands messy but you don't have blood from head to toe.

The preliminary autopsy report says that cause of death appears to be stab type wounds. If they were able to make this determination, it’s likely that it was because they found no additional (fatal) injuries other than that. This would mean no skull fractures etc. But yeah, there would be significantly less blood if the victim was already dead.

 

[rebel123]

I thought the neighbor just turned it over to LE. Also, red shirt has no relevance.

That's what I believe; but the police canvassing has also been stated.

 

[MsBetsy]

According to the arrest warrant CR used his phone to guide himself out of the corn fields after disposing of the body, and lead LE to the body from memory.

I didnt know that! Scratch what I said about it then. Was just repeating what I heard, or read, rather. I thought he had to use his phone for directions to get to that location. Maybe I'm thinking to get to Brooklyn. Confusion is setting in.

 

[Mellowmelly]

I don't know, but maybe we are looking too hard at him cleaning up. IF a blow to the head had already killed her and he stabbed her after heart wasn't beating would it even be so messy to clean up? I know in a animal cutting into it after it is dead, like a deer, sure you get your hands messy but you don't have blood from head to toe.

I think you are right, maybe the blood has to still be pumping around the body to get blood splatter. If that’s what happened then it would be a small consolation that she wouldn’t have felt it.

 

[kpm]

Yes and I assume that he did not disable it until after he left her body (for lack of better words) because it pinged near the pig farm.

Sorry to be graphic but will a Fitbit ping if it’s on a dead body?

Wouldn’t that kinda be like sitting on a table?

 

[Jeng1810]

Sorry to be graphic but will a Fitbit ping if it’s on a dead body?

Wouldn’t that kinda be like sitting on a table?

I was referring more to the phone. Fitbits as I understand don’t ping. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[MsBetsy]

I don't know, but maybe we are looking too hard at him cleaning up. IF a blow to the head had already killed her and he stabbed her after heart wasn't beating would it even be so messy to clean up? I know in a animal cutting into it after it is dead, like a deer, sure you get your hands messy but you don't have blood from head to toe.

Yeah, I guess. But every time I see the words multiple sharp force injuries I just think of someone in a frenzy stabbing over and over.