I was wondering about that too - not much blood in the trunk, multiple stab wounds, carried over his shoulder to the cornfield, clothing strewn around. Perhaps she was hit in the head and bled from that injury in his trunk - leaving blood on the fishing rod grip. He carried her into the cornfield and perhaps there was a struggle, or did he toss her clothing into the corn? I think that is where she was stabbed.
Found Deceased IA - Mollie Tibbetts, 20, Poweshiek County, 19 Jul 2018 *Arrest* #48
- Thread starter cybervampira
- Start date
- Status
I was wondering about that too - not much blood in the trunk, multiple stab wounds, carried over his shoulder to the cornfield, clothing strewn around. Perhaps she was hit in the head and bled from that injury in his trunk - leaving blood on the fishing rod grip. He carried her into the cornfield and perhaps there was a struggle, or did he toss her clothing into the corn? I think that is where she was stabbed.
Yes, they certainly don't help the brooding, shifty-eyed look he has.
Good to see you Otto, I've missed your terrific maps, logic and eye for detail.
Signed,
fangirl
Cheers! Good to see the man behind her disappearance dealing with the consequences.
katydid23
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2011
- Messages
- 68,485
- Reaction score
- 250,201
As for the underwear being found 34 feet away from her remains----
It may be that the defense will claim the undies came off when she was being dragged——but I don’t think that will save him from LWOP. Just the fact that he was dragging her to the dump site should be enough to lock him up for life—-proven rape or not.
It may be that the defense will claim the undies came off when she was being dragged——but I don’t think that will save him from LWOP. Just the fact that he was dragging her to the dump site should be enough to lock him up for life—-proven rape or not.
katydid23
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2011
- Messages
- 68,485
- Reaction score
- 250,201
If she was stabbed in the cornfield, would the blood evidence have dissipated into the ground before it was searched for forensics?
It wasn't very long between the murder and the body discovered, was it? Several days?
But perhaps long enough for blood to seep into the dirt?
ETA---Pommy corrected it to ONE MONTH....so plenty of time for the blood to seep into the fertile soil, IMO
It wasn't very long between the murder and the body discovered, was it? Several days?
But perhaps long enough for blood to seep into the dirt?
ETA---Pommy corrected it to ONE MONTH....so plenty of time for the blood to seep into the fertile soil, IMO
Last edited:
Harvath
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2019
- Messages
- 156
- Reaction score
- 1,541
Phones are what linked Mackenzie Lueck’s murderer to her. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if the same were to be applied to this case. Phones seem to be the major undoing of many wanna be murderers in today’s world. As far as I’m concerned let their own stupidity of digital footprints condemn them. This case is frustrating. The wait just to get to trial has been long enough. The wait for justice to be served still remains….we all know this guy is guilty as sin. Still….we wait….some more.
katydid23
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2011
- Messages
- 68,485
- Reaction score
- 250,201
Yes, this claim of 'false confession' seems so off. I totally understand that suspects can be goaded into false confessions. But in those instances, they end up giving false information because they don't really know anything, other than what the detectives feed them.
But this guy led the cops to her body, which was very well hidden. So this confession was not 'false.' He may have been tired, hungry and pressured. But it was a true admission of fact.
Calling it a 'false' confession must be bugging the jurors as well. They are not stupid. And this defense team is treating them like they are dumbbells...JMO
Last edited:
kkdj
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2012
- Messages
- 10,131
- Reaction score
- 65,411
I do too. I think there was a sexual assault and then the stabbing. moo
I too wonder why he hasn't been charged with kidnapping also.
She most certainly didn't climb in the trunk of his car willingly.
moo
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2018
- Messages
- 59,719
- Reaction score
- 473,232
BBM
I thought about this too and it might fly (it would still be a stretch) if she wasn't found with her shoes on. But her shorts AND underwear came off over her running shoes? No way. MOO
She was missing just over a month. Found Aug 21, 2018.
Last edited:
Regarding the blood evidence in the car, I'm guessing that she had a head injury - enough to cause bleeding. Did he have a tire iron, or something else equally lethal, as a weapon?Link
Curious about the illuminated stains - is there more blood in the head area, was there a trail of blood when she was put in the trunk of the car?
katydid23
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2011
- Messages
- 68,485
- Reaction score
- 250,201
Okay Good, thank you Pommy, for talking me off the ledge...lol
MAYBE baggy running shorts could slip off over running shoes, but not panties, no way.
I didn't realise it had been a whole month.
....but that answers my question further. Blood absolutely would have seeped into the ground in that fertile soil. And they had to be watering those crops.Going from memory, but wasn't there a heavy rain around the time that she was found? That would eliminate all blood evidence from the scene.
Her Fitbit was synced. It recorded her heart rate, which indicated the time that she was abducted and, shortly afterward, killed.
Her black shorts, striped underwear and pink head band were in different directions from her body. That leaves me thinking that she had a serious head injury and was bleeding when he carried her into the corn field. He may have let her go, knowing that she couldn't get far given the bleeding. Is that why her clothing are spread around the area? Was it a Gary Hilton moment of chasing/hunting a weakened opponent?
Sometimes the most serious charge is applied, lesser charges are dropped because a conviction for the lesser charges is served concurrently, or makes no difference to the verdict. Her blood is in the trunk of his car. He was alone when that happened. Those facts are established / admitted. He led police to the location where her body was found 5 weeks later. Second or First Degree Murder charges apply, both of which include kidnapping. I don't know about State Law - is it typically a concurrent sentence when it results in murder?
Thinking about his story - she allegedly waved at him while she was jogging, he was circling her with his car, next they were talking to each other, she was going to call police, her ear buds are in his car, she was bleeding and in the trunk of his car.
How does the cemetery factor in - is that where she was abducted, or was she assaulted first at that location. I was never clear on that point. I thought she was abducted fairly close to the CCTV house, so how does the cemetery fit into the scenario. Is that where her Fitbit pinged with a high heart rate?
How does the cemetery factor in - is that where she was abducted, or was she assaulted first at that location. I was never clear on that point. I thought she was abducted fairly close to the CCTV house, so how does the cemetery fit into the scenario. Is that where her Fitbit pinged with a high heart rate?
Mollie's Fitbit has been the story from the beginning, particularly heart rate - as it most likely corresponds to the exact times that she was most threatened. This provides a timeline of her abduction, assault and murder.
"While details about the leads remain scarce, there is one new kind of data that might end up playing an important role: The Iowa law enforcement agencies have been working with the FBI to use her Fitbit and social media data to look for clues. They’ve been tight-lipped about what information they’re using, but Rahn said they’re trying to find any information that’s relevant to the case.
“We’re trying to use all avenues and techniques to locate Mollie, including any devices she might have, such as the Fitbit, as well as social media outlets,” he told Runner’s World by phone.
In Iowa, law enforcement agencies can use personal data from devices based on family consent, search warrants, and subpoenas. Most other states allow law enforcement officials to use data based on consent and search warrants as well, while some restrict using subpoenas to obtain information. The FBI declined to comment on “specific tools or techniques utilized in criminal investigations,” including this case.
But this isn’t the first time where law enforcement agencies and forensics teams have used smart device data to gain insight on things like GPS locations, heart rate data, steps, and other kinds of activity."
Mollie Tibbetts Disappearance - Fitbit Data in Investigations“We’re trying to use all avenues and techniques to locate Mollie, including any devices she might have, such as the Fitbit, as well as social media outlets,” he told Runner’s World by phone.
In Iowa, law enforcement agencies can use personal data from devices based on family consent, search warrants, and subpoenas. Most other states allow law enforcement officials to use data based on consent and search warrants as well, while some restrict using subpoenas to obtain information. The FBI declined to comment on “specific tools or techniques utilized in criminal investigations,” including this case.
But this isn’t the first time where law enforcement agencies and forensics teams have used smart device data to gain insight on things like GPS locations, heart rate data, steps, and other kinds of activity."
I wonder whether the long video clip we watched this morning, where he was fooling around with his phone and taking bites of his sandwich, was him texting friends claiming that he was picked up on immigration and asking them to tell his uncle where he was.
I doubt he was sleeping at any time during the 11 hour interview. He put his head on the table, but he is facing first degree murder charges. Even if he doesn't care about what he did to Mollie, he does care about himself - sleeping is not the state of mind I would expect from a calculating murderer.
I doubt he was sleeping at any time during the 11 hour interview. He put his head on the table, but he is facing first degree murder charges. Even if he doesn't care about what he did to Mollie, he does care about himself - sleeping is not the state of mind I would expect from a calculating murderer.
Regarding admissibility of the 11 hour interview, was that 7-part video compilation excluded from trial since it included a confession of sorts? Something about not being read his rights quickly enough?
Today, was a portion of that video compilation presented by the Defence to make the argument that he was asleep, even though there was previous testimony from an expert who counted something like 68 instances of sleeping? Why would his defence lawyer introduce excluded video to make a point that was already made? Is this an ineffective defence counsel guilty verdict trial?
Today, was a portion of that video compilation presented by the Defence to make the argument that he was asleep, even though there was previous testimony from an expert who counted something like 68 instances of sleeping? Why would his defence lawyer introduce excluded video to make a point that was already made? Is this an ineffective defence counsel guilty verdict trial?
- Status