Fund to encourage tips in Mollie Tibbetts’ case raises $220,000 in two days.
August 3, 2018
The Bring Mollie Tibbetts Home Safe Reward Fund has reached $220,000 two days after it was established, according to Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa.
Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student from Brooklyn, Iowa, has been missing since the night of July 18, while dog sitting for her boyfriend.
The fund, which was started to garner tips that lead to Mollie Tibbetts’ safe return, has been funded by 54 businesses and private individuals.
While the fund was created to incentivise tips, Iowa Department of Public Safety Investigative Operations Director Kevin Winker told reporters at a press conference Friday he could not say if the number or validity of the tips has increased as “they treat every tip as if it is valid.”
Winker was able to discuss the efforts of the investigation saying they have not slowed down the investigative process and come to work everyday with the mindset that they will find Tibbetts.
Winker said they have conducted numerous interviews with people in relation to some of the hundreds of tips they have received so far.
The next press conference is planned for Tuesday, Aug. 7. There have been two previous press conferences: one from July 31 with investigators and another from Aug. 2 with Tibbetts’ family.
At the July 31 press conference, Poweshiek County Sheriff Tom Kriegel gave a timeline of events.
Kriegel said a neighbor saw Tibbetts running at approximately 7:30 p.m. on July 18, and reported she was wearing gym shorts, a pink sports bra and running shoes.
Her last known communication with anyone was around 10 p.m. that night — a Snapchat message shared between Tibbetts and her boyfriend, Kriegel said. Her boyfriend has said the Snapchat message appeared to be indoors.
It was originally reported that Mollie had been wearing a black sports top when seen by a neighbor the evening of July 18, but Kriegel said Tuesday it had been a pink top.
When asked to clarify if Tibbetts had been seen wearing a black sports top or a pink one the night of her disappearance, Winker said on Friday he was unsure and would get back to the reporter who asked the question.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 1-800-452-1111. There is also a dedicated email that accepts tips: [email protected].