IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #40

[The Farm]

Another poster answered this for me in detail in the last thread and basically said that 30 days in the Iowa heat there would be very little muscle left. Since the vagina is made of muscle it would be extremely difficult to obtain DNA from semen. However, that being said, the FBI may be able to use their incredible technology to extract the DNA. Also, after the poster answered my question, I searched around the internet and found a place in Texas called the Body Farm and they show real life pictures of decomposition so you can kind of see what a body looks like at certain times post death. Hope this helps answer your question!

Yes I am aware of The Body Farm and have read about it but my specific question was how long would sperm be retrievable on a decomposed body. If I read correctly what BUF posted it can sometimes be 5-6 weeks which is the time frame that Mollie was in the cornfield. So maybe.

 

[The Farm]

The event that provoked him - he stated he got mad when Mollie said she was going to call police.

That is what he said but does not mean I believe him.

 

[TL4S]

Another thought, why was he mapping himself in the first place?

He lived and worked near there and made frequent visits to town for food and whatnot

I think he mapped out the spot he planned to carry out his dirty deed ahead of time, he picked a spot beforehand he thought was secluded enough, can’t wait for the details to come out!

He may have even had her route mapped out so it would be easier to find her that day.

He certainly could have mapped things out prior, or he could have done it all without mapping anything. I'd originally wondered about looking for his way home from the cornfield. But after reading what I read in the affidavit about him using his phone to determine the route he'd traveled from Brooklyn, I reconsidered. I think, JMO, that if he used his phone to map anything, it might have been where to go from 385 and 200. Or, as you said, maybe he had that pre-planned out.

 

[Al Hoffman]

BUF thanks so much, no matter what I put in search this certainly did not come up...….so even 5-6 weeks out there is a chance.

There is always a chance. Oscar's razor is all well and good, but in real life Stuff happens, and it goes both ways. The reports you hear about DNA being found after many years (100's to 1000's or more) are the exceptions and are rare and heavily depend on the conditions under which the DNA was maintained. Jurassic Park was fiction written by a medical doctor with a fanciful mind. Even in his non-likely fiction the DNA was preserved in amber.

In the case of MT there is a slim chance that DNA evidence implicating CBR is there to be found, time and good forensic work will tell.

T. Farm, very good question, any vitriol in my answer is not directed at you, or really anyone! Be good.

 

[geevee]

That's what I was thinking. But I wasn't sure and also if the private burial had taken place. Do we think the medical examiner would need to keep the remains longer than a few days?

I read they were bringing in a forensic anthropologist so burial won't likely be for some time yet.

 

[Al Hoffman]

There could be sperm DNA on her clothing too.

Thank you, and yes! And there is a much better chance of recovering usable DNA from clothes piled and left in the open, than from the body. Clothes left on the body would be subjected to much more bacterial degradation. Clothes piled or scattered away from the body, not so much. There is always a chance, and some are better than others.

 

[TL4S]

He certainly could have mapped things out prior, or he could have done it all without mapping anything. I'd originally wondered about looking for his way home from the cornfield. But after reading what I read in the affidavit about him using his phone to determine the route he'd traveled from Brooklyn, I reconsidered. I think, JMO, that if he used his phone to map anything, it might have been where to go from 385 and 200. Or, as you said, maybe he had that pre-planned out.

Or, he knew exactly which roads he took to the cornfield because he's full of s#$* and totally invalidated his claim of blocked memories by showing police his route via pulling up a map on his phone.

 

[Al Hoffman]

I guess. Take into account the foreign dna from the 1000s of microbes on the body also digesting any semen. Seems they'd have better luck on an inorganic surface such as polyester sports clothing.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015...ed-microbes-break-down-our-bodies-after-death

1000's of microbal species, but Trillions of individual microbes! And yeah, the clothes are a much better shot. Also, the DNA markers they a looking for are specific for human DNA.

 

[ChiCubs2016]

SteveP said: ↑
I am sure it has happened, but given CR's education level, and given the fact that English is not his first language, along with the unlikelihood that the trailer he lived in had great internet connections, I think the odds that he ever checked into this site are slim. JMO

Probably would hurt his head trying to understand everything.

Not too mention it would probably make him so angry he would block it all out!

 

[Peaches96]

Yes I am aware of The Body Farm and have read about it but my specific question was how long would sperm be retrievable on a decomposed body. If I read correctly what BUF posted it can sometimes be 5-6 weeks which is the time frame that Mollie was in the cornfield. So maybe.

I think it is dependent on the condition of the body. If decomposition is on the final stages due to the elements and insect activity, things are likely going to be in a liquified state including sperm. From what online, remnants of sperm can remain in the vagina for up to 2 weeks after death.
Foresnics question – CrimeSpace

 

[MistyWaters]

Maybe he's followed girls and approached them this way in the past but they hadn't felt as threatened due to location, whatever, so they didn't react the same as MT did when she was in a position of isolation and no other alternative? Or maybe he had recently progressed to this level of pursuing?

I’m wondering if CR lacked the social smarts to understand that something as innocent as Mollie maybe giving him a quick wave as she ran through an intersection was most certainly not indicative of her wanting any sort of personal relationship with him. Often initial misinterpreting of mutual interest is what leads to stalking situations.

I recall reading somewhere that other than CR’s relationship with IM (one year?) it hadn’t been determined he had any other relationships.

Purely speculation, so it seems CR was somewhat of a loser in the dating game. Maybe he’d fantasized about a relationship with Mollie. Maybe alcohol or drugs added fuel to his inappropriate infatuation so when he spotted her in an isolated location it afforded him a degree of privacy in being alone with her, to initiate his advances....

“I can't really speak to you about the motive," Rahn said. "I can just tell you it seems that he followed her and seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day and for whatever reason he chose to abduct her."
Cristhian Rivera: Suspect in Mollie Tibbetts' killing gave false ID to employer - CNN

 

[glamourkitty1922]

You are the one who brought it up. I was just pointing out that it is nothing different then what any other country does, including the US.

Bringing something up is complaining? I was just pointing out that Mexico protects their citizens. It is a fact, and it is also an admirable fact.

 

[makepeace]

Do we have confirmation that CR is his real name? I only saw that he was hired and known by the wrong name.

 

[MsBetsy]

Except the link provided says thee killers leave their victims face down. Kind of negates the point trying to be proved here.

It also indicates that if the killer does not leave the body face down , he will cover her face with something. Her body was covered with corn leaves. Not sure what you mean by what is trying to be proved here, unless I missed something

 

[glamourkitty1922]

But he never confessed to killing her! Yes, he led LE to her body but he never said I took out this blade and repeatedly stabbed her, pummeled her head (as for example only) and as a result of my actions, I saw her take her her last breath... If not for CR leading LE to her body, I wouldn't be so convinced they had the right man. CR placed himself at the scene but LE cannot even prove CR was driving the car at this time since driver is not visible in video. If you know otherwise, please provide the link. MOO

He confessed to driving the car Go to the crime section
Mollie Tibbetts search: What we know about her abduction
You cannot park a car if you're not behind the wheel.

 

[kpm]

Do we have confirmation that CR is his real name? I only saw that he was hired and known by the wrong name.

Not that I’ve seen

We don’t know if the given name is his legal full name, although LE is using it as such

We don’t know the fake name he gave the dairy farm

We don’t know how many other names he may have

We don’t know exactly when he came here

 

[Peaches96]

Yes I am aware of The Body Farm and have read about it but my specific question was how long would sperm be retrievable on a decomposed body. If I read correctly what BUF posted it can sometimes be 5-6 weeks which is the time frame that Mollie was in the cornfield. So maybe.

Delete- posted my response twice

 

[Mom24]

I think it is dependent on the condition of the body. If decomposition is on the final stages due to the elements and insect activity, things are likely going to be in a liquified state including sperm. From what online, remnants of sperm can remain in the vagina for up to 2 weeks after death.
Foresnics question – CrimeSpace

That's remnants of sperm. DNA is entirely different beast and as the body decomposes, the DNA is somewhat preserved. Although it may be hard to determine sperm, the DNA from that sperm will still be present. I think that's where the confusion is here.

 

[kpm]

He confessed to driving the car Go to the crime section
Mollie Tibbetts search: What we know about her abduction
You cannot park a car if you're not behind the wheel.

Exactly, it’s clearly stated it was him driving

He perused her in it

He parked it

He made a u-turn and drove in it



http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/082118+DCI+Arrest.pdf

 

[kpm]

Or, he knew exactly which roads he took to the cornfield because he's full of s#$* and totally invalidated his claim of blocked memories by showing police his route via pulling up a map on his phone.

Hopefully there is a time stamp on when he mapped it out