'Everybody wants to find Mollie': After tracking more than 200 leads, Iowa investigators remain unsure why Mollie Tibbetts vanished

Luke Nozicka | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Mollie Tibbetts search: What investigators know about Mollie's disappearance Kevin Winker, from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, gives an update to the media in the search for Mollie Tibbetts.

MONTEZUMA, Ia. — Thirteen days after University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts was last seen, reporters from across the country huddled Tuesday outside a sheriff's office looking for any detail, no matter how small, about the search.

The information was scarce. Asked whether it was likely Tibbetts had been abducted, a state official responded authorities "don't know where Mollie's at right now."

Kevin Winker, director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said he would not rule out any possibilities or draw any conclusions about the circumstances of her disappearance other than they were "not consistent with her past."

He asked the public to keep sharing tips.

Winker said investigators were continuing to follow up on all new leads they received, but he declined to comment on specific details at the news conference Tuesday at the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office in Montezuma.

Poweshiek County Sheriff Thomas Kriegel said more than 200 leads had been followed up on. Those included ground, air and K-9 unit searches.

"We are not giving up on any possible leads and hope that we can find Mollie Tibbetts soon," Winker said.

Thirty to 40 investigators have worked on the case each day, Kriegel said. The sheriff's office has dedicated every available deputy to assist, Winker said.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Randy Thysse praised the level of cooperation among law enforcement agencies.

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Information is kept guarded to protect search

Officials declined to answer several questions about the case, saying they would not release information that could jeopardize the search.

"If we evaluate a piece of information and feel its release could lead to us finding Mollie, we would do so," Winker said, telling reporters missing persons cases can be some of the most "difficult and demanding" investigations.

Authorities said they would begin holding regular news conferences every few days, beginning Friday. About 25 people gathered for the news conference Tuesday, including Tibbetts' friends, family and boyfriend, some of whom wore shirts with "MISSING" printed in large, red letters.

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. Her disappearance has gained national attention.

Investigators, with the help of FBI forensic experts, were tracking Tibbetts' digital footprint. That effort included sifting through data from her cellphone, social media accounts and a Fitbit, a physical activity tracker.

Blake Jack, 23, the brother of Tibbetts' boyfriend, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that on July 18, he was visiting his fiancee, Aimee Houghton, in Ames, where she is working this summer. He said his brother Dalton was working a job for their family construction company about 100 miles away in Dubuque.

Jack repeatedly urged anyone who saw anything unusual — "big or small" — to report it to the authorities.

More: Mollie Tibbetts gets far more coverage than other missing Iowans. Is media bias to blame?

Mollie Tibbetts search: '200 leads have been followed up on' Poweshiek County Sheriff Tom Kriegel talks about the search for Brooklyn, Iowa's Mollie Tibbetts.

Neighbor: Investigators checked running path

Neighbor Dave Collum, a retired maintenance director for the Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom school district, told The Associated Press that he was interviewed by investigators who told him that data from Tibbetts' Fitbit showed she jogged past his home that evening and made it home from the run safely. He said investigators told him she was doing homework on her computer later that evening.

Winker declined to confirm that claim at the news conference. The director of investigations described himself as confident in the timeline the investigative team had constructed, but he declined to tell reporters if Tibbetts disappeared on her run or when she returned home.

Collum said he has known Tibbetts' family for years and often sat near them during Mass at the local Catholic church. He said she's not the type of person who would run away, and that he's worried she was the victim of a stalker or a random abduction.

Collum has joined hundreds of other volunteers in searching the area's cornfields and buildings for Tibbetts. He put a magnet with her face on it on his red pickup truck, so he could have a reminder of her every time he gets into it.

"Everybody in town is still trying," he said. "It's sad."

Tibbetts was wearing dark-colored running shorts, a pink sports top and running shoes of an unknown color when she was last seen.

Dalton Jack, Tibbetts' boyfriend, has said he received a Snapchat message with an image from her that made it appear she was inside at about 10 p.m. the night she went missing. He sent her several text messages the next day, none of which were answered.

Previous coverage on the Mollie Tibbetts search:

State investigators have said they are pursuing all leads and have conducted multiple searches. Last week, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said detectives have not identified any suspects in Tibbetts' disappearance.

'Our focus right now is to find Mollie'

Asked Tuesday if investigators had identified any persons of interest, Winker replied: "We are pursuing every lead that is available to us."

Winker paused for a couple seconds when asked if the public was at risk, saying investigators do not know why Tibbetts was missing; he called it a difficult question to answer.

Winker called each detail about the case important, from understanding Tibbetts and her daily behaviors to knowing who was in Brooklyn when she vanished.

"Everybody wants to find Mollie and, at this point, we're doing everything we can to make that happen," Winker said. "Our focus right now is to find Mollie."

Previous coverage on the search for Mollie Tibbetts:

After hundreds of volunteers turned out to comb through cornfields and the rural roads of Poweshiek County, those search efforts were deserted last week in favor of investigative experts retracing areas she frequently ran.

Mollie Tibbetts search: Missing person investigations are difficult, demanding, officials say Kevin Winker, Director of investigative operations at the Iowa Department of Public Safety talks to the media about the search for Mollie Tibbetts.

Posters covered businesses, vehicles and light poles throughout the community about 70 miles east of Des Moines, displaying photographs of Tibbetts smiling in her senior portraits or at a Hawkeye football game.

As the search for Tibbetts continues, organizers expected hundreds of people to attend a vigil to show support for missing Iowans on Wednesday night in Waterloo.

Despite concerns spurred by Tibbetts' disappearance, state investigators have said the number of missing juveniles reported in Iowa in recent weeks was in line with historical trends. The vast majority are found or returned home within 24 hours.

Tibbetts, who was born in San Francisco but moved to Brooklyn with her mother when she was in the second grade, is known for her infectious smile and positive attitude. She studied psychology at Iowa after graduating from the local high school in 2017, where she ran track and competed on the debate team.

Brother of missing Mollie Tibbetts: 'Our hope is she comes home safe' Jake Tibbetts, brother of missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, is hopeful for her safe return.

The avid runner stands at 5-foot-3 and weighs 120 pounds.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about Tibbetts to contact the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office at 641-623-5679 or tips@poweshiekcosheriff.com.

Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 800-452-1111 or 515-223-1400.

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