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Mollie Tibbetts disappearance: Investigators launch website seeking community input

So far, officials have received more than 1,500 tips related to her disappearance and conducted more than 500 interviews.
Credit: findingmollie.iowa.gov
A screen grab shows a new website, findingmollie.iowa.gov, set up as part of the search for Mollie Tibbetts.

MONTEZUMA, Ia. — Investigators searching for Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student who vanished nearly four weeks ago, said Monday they launched a website to jog the public's memory and encourage community members to share information they might have overlooked from the night she disappeared.

The website, findingmollie.iowa.gov, was announced at a news conference at the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office in Montezuma.

Law enforcement also urged those in the Brooklyn area to reflect back on their experiences from July 18, the night Tibbetts was last seen, in case they noticed something that may be relevant that did not seem important at the time.

So far, investigators have received more than 1,500 tips related to Tibbetts' disappearance. Detectives have conducted more than 500 interviews.

Tibbetts, 20, disappeared after running on the night of July 18 while dog-sitting at the home of her boyfriend and his brother on the western edge of Brooklyn, a city of about 1,500 residents in central Iowa.

Authorities have released few details about the case, saying that doing so could compromise the investigation. They canceled two news conferences last week, telling reporters they had no new information to disseminate to the public.

Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, repeated Monday that Tibbetts' disappearance "is completely out of character for her."

"It is possible that Mollie came into contact with someone who has caused her harm," Mortvedt said, saying law enforcement had not ruled out any possibilities about what may have happened.

Investigators continue to treat the disappearance as a missing person case. Still, authorities urged the public to let them know about any unexplained changes in behavior among people they know, even if the behavior seemed innocuous at the time.

"Individuals who commit violent crimes often display behavior that is recognized by those with whom they live, work, attend school or are in otherwise close relationships with," Mortvedt told a crowd of reporters, adding that friends and acquaintances may recognize such a shift in behavior, but not relate it to the case.

Mortvedt urged the public to contact authorities if someone has noticed the following behavior.

  • A change in a normal routine like missing school, work or routine engagements
  • Unexpectedly selling a vehicle, taking it to a repair shop or cleaning it
  • An unexplained lack of contact or inability to get in touch with someone on the night of Tibbetts' disappearance
  • Altering one's physical appearance, including by growing or removing facial hair
  • Displays of anxiety, stress or irritability
  • Unexplained injuries
  • Changes in consumption of alcohol, drugs or cigarettes
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Interest in the status of the investigation, including media coverage
  • An unwillingness to discuss the investigation

In previous news conferences, Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said he could not confirm leads or attempt to draw conclusions about what facts have shown. He has called it a "delicate balance" when determining what information to release to the public.

Last week, Rob Tibbetts speculated on Fox News that his daughter was caught in a misunderstanding with someone she knows, telling the station he thought she left willingly. “No one went into that house to hurt her,” he said.

During a later interview with the Des Moines Register, Tibbetts walked back that idea, saying he did not realize his highly speculative interpretation would be picked up by national news.

Asked if he still thought she was abducted, Tibbetts responded: “I don’t know what to think. She’s not here.” He said he believes his daughter, a stubborn fighter, is alive.

With donations from coast to coast, more than $360,000 has been raised from 226 donors as a reward fund for information leading to the safe return of Tibbetts, a record for the 36-year-old Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa.

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