Mollie Tibbetts investigation: 'We are not giving up on any possible leads'
Authorities gave an update to media at the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday.
Mollie Tibbetts investigation: 'We are not giving up on any possible leads' Authorities gave an update to media at the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2v6HnAJ
USA Today NetworkLuke Nozicka, Des Moines Register Published 3:46 p.m. ET July 31, 2018 | Updated 5:39 p.m. ET July 31, 2018
Poweshiek County Sheriff Tom Kriegel talks about the search for Brooklyn, Iowa's Mollie Tibbetts. Kelsey Kremer, kkremer@dmreg.com
Mollie Tibbetts, 20, of Brooklyn, was last seen jogging on July 18, 2018 before her body was found in farm field one month later.(Photo: Jenny Fiebelkorn/Special to the Register)
MONTEZUMA, Iowa — Officials searching for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, who vanished nearly two weeks ago, said they are not ruling out any possibilities in their investigation.
During a news conference Tuesday at the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office in Montezuma, Kevin Winker, of the Iowa Department of Public Safety's Investigative Operations Division, said investigators are continuing to follow up on all new leads they receive, but he declined to give specifics.
"We are not giving up on any possible leads and hope that we can find Mollie Tibbetts soon," he said.
Poweshiek County Sheriff Thomas Kriegel said "in excess of 200 leads have been followed up on." Those include ground, air and K-9 unit searches. There are upwards of 30 to 40 investigators working on the case every day, he said.
More: Mollie Tibbetts search: University of Iowa student goes missing, hasn't been seen 10 days
FBI Special Agent in Charge Randy Thysse praised the level of cooperation between different law enforcement agencies. Officers who just met each other are "working together like they're 20-year partners to handle this."
Officials declined to answer several questions about the case, saying they wouldn't 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.
Authorities said they would begin holding regular news conferences every few days, beginning Friday.
Mollie Tibbetts: Community continues its search for missing University o...
Mollie Tibbetts, 20, of Brooklyn, was last seen jogging on July 18, 2018 before her body was found in farm field one month later. Jenny Fiebelkorn/Special to the Register
Car magnets printed by Live Now Designers in Brooklyn, Iowa, pictured on July 22, 2018. Community members continue to search for Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old Iowan who was last seen on July 18, 2018. Matthew Leimkuehler/The Register
A poster found on the store front of Live Now Designs on downtown Brooklyn, Iowa, as pictured on July 22, 2018. Community members continue to search for Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old Iowan who was last seen on July 18, 2018. Matthew Leimkuehler/The Register
Officials are searching for Mollie Tibbetts, 20. Tibbetts was last seen in Brooklyn on July 18, 2018. Special to the Register
One of the last photos from family of Mollie Tibbetts, the Brooklyn 20-year-old who has been missing since July 18. Photo courtesy of Rob Tibbetts
Jake Tibbetts holds a photograph of his sister Mollie Tibbetts from a high school speech competition. He is proud of her fearless nature and is hopeful that she will be found. Photo by Mike Kilen
Mollie Tibbetts, right, has been missing since July 18. Photo courtesy of Rob Tibbetts
Jake Tibbetts, brother to Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student who went missing about a week ago, gives an interview on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, in Brooklyn. Kelsey Kremer/The Register
A quiet afternoon in Brooklyn, on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, about a week after Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student has gone missing. Kelsey Kremer/The Register
A poster with information about Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student who went missing last week, hangs in the window on a business in downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, in eastern Iowa. Kelsey Kremer/The Register
A poster with information about Mollie Tibbetts, a missing 20-year-old University of Iowa student, hangs in the window on a business in downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, in eastern Iowa. Kelsey Kremer/The Register
About 25 people were gathered for the news conference, including Tibbetts' friends, family and boyfriend, who 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 included sifting through data from her cell phone, social media accounts and Fitbit, a physical activity tracker.
She was wearing dark colored running shorts, a pink sports top and running shoes of an unknown color when she was last seen.
More: Why the FBI thinks Fitbit could help them find a missing University of Iowa student
Her boyfriend, Dalton Jack, has said he received a Snapchat message with an image from Tibbetts 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.
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.
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 who were retracing areas she frequently ran.
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 with the large, red word: "MISSING."
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.
More: 'She's a fighter': Community continues its search for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts
She had planned to travel with her boyfriend, who she has been dating for three years, to the Dominican Republic in August for a wedding.
The avid runner stands at 5-foot-3 and weighs 120 pounds. A neighbor saw her jogging on the Wednesday before she went missing wearing gym shorts, a black sports bra and running shoes; family reported her missing the next day.
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.
Follow Luke Nozicka on Twitter: @LukeNozicka
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