Instagram/Cynthia Brodie- Jack
Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old student, from Brooklyn, Iowa, has gone missing. Friends and family have been posting information all over Facebook in hopes of her being found. Tibbetts went missing on Wednesday night, July 18, 2018, her family, friends and police say. A news release from the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office reported that Tibbetts was last seen wearing gym shorts, a black sports bra and running shoes while jogging. She also could be wearing denim shorts and a red T-shirt that she had planned to wear to work at a day camp on Thursday. She was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work and didn’t return calls or messages from family and friends.
One of the last people to hear from Tibbetts was her longtime boyfriend, Dalton Jack. He and his family have aided in the investigation to find Tibbetts, to the police, media and via Facebook. Get to know more about Jack, his family’s efforts, and his relationship with Tibbetts below. And, for those with any information about Tibbetts’ disappearance, call the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office at (641) 623 – 5679.
1. Mollie Tibbetts Went Missing When Staying at Her Boyfriend’s Brother’s House
The Des Moines Register reported that Tibbetts was staying at her boyfriend’s brother’s house during the time she went missing. Dalton Jack, who has been dating Tibbetts for more than two and a half years, lives with his brother and Tibbetts often stayed at their home, his mother says. Dalton Jack’s mom, Cynthia, stated on Facebook, “She basically lives with my son, his brother and his brothers fiance when she is home from college. She was staying at the house by herself and taking care of the dogs while my son (her boyfriend), my other son and his fiance were out of town working. This is not the first time she has stayed there by herself as she lived there too.”
While Tibbeta was dog sitting, Dalton Jack told ABC News that he was about 50 miles away on a construction job. He said no one in their town would ever expect something like this to happen.
When Tibbetts is not in Brooklyn, Iowa, she is a student at the University of Iowa. She also has ties to the Oakland, California, area, where she once lived and where her father and other family members still live.
After Tibbetts’ disappearance, People reported that family members said Tibbetts’ digital footprint was being investigated. Police reportedly were searching her social media activity and going through her laptop.
2. Jack’s Mother Has Been Posting Helpful Information About the Disappearance on Facebook
Cynthia Brodie-Jack is the mom of Dalton Jack and she has been putting up countless posts on social media about the disappearance. In one of the posts, Cynthia wrote, “This is Mollie Tibbetts, she is my son’s long time girlfriend. She disappeared from Brooklyn, Iowa on Weds night 7/18 or early Thurs morning 7/19. She only has her phone (which is off or dead) and her fitbit with her. All of her identification and wallet is at my sons house. Along with both her glasses and contacts, she cannot see without them.”
She continued, writing, “She was staying at his place that he shares with my other son & my other son’s fiance to take care of their dogs while everyone was out of town for work. She is home for summer break from college. The last contact anyone has had with her was a Snapchat photo she sent to my son at around 10pm on Weds night. Her brother had her car (as they share it) and she did not respond to the text message he sent to her on Thurs morning asking if she needed it for work. She did not show up for work on Thurs. She is the most beautiful, kind, sweet woman and we all miss her and want her back home.”
Cynthia has temporarily changed her Facebook profile photo to a picture of Tibbetts with her son, Dalton Jack.
3. He and His Family Have Tried Logging Into Tibbett’s FitBit Account to Track Her
According to People, boyfriend Jack tried to give helpful information about Tibbetts to ABC, saying that, “She might have a FitBit on and she might have her cellphone, but obviously we’ve tried just calling her but it’s either off or dead so it would go straight to voicemail.”
When a Facebook user named Danielle Marie Buck asked Cynthia, “Have you tried logging into her fitbit account and tracking her,” Cynthia said that she and her family definitely tried. Cynthia stated that, “We tried that Weds night. We even called them. The local police are working with them now and have asked that we not log into it as it will make things more difficult. We have not gotten any information from them yet … The police also have her laptop. I am hoping we will get more information soon.”
Many users reached out with responses and questions to Cynthia’s posts, extending their well wishes and prayers for Tibbett. In one of her replies, Cynthia said that her family is devastated, especially son, Dalton Jack.
4. Dalton Jack Last Spoke With Tibbetts Via Snapchat
Jack’s mother Cynthia told Facebook followers that Jack was one of the last people to hear from Tibbetts, explaining that they had been communicating via the Snapchat app. Cynthia said, “She and my son had been snapping back and forth since he had left for work the morning before. A lot of it was nonsensical stuff, as she was trying to bring him back to the top of her favorites list. He is not much for social media and some of her friends had recently bypassed him. So she wanted him back on the top of the list. That being said, it was just a selfie of her face and it looked as if she was indoors. It was around 10 p.m. when he opened it and she does not run after dark.”
Cynthia then added that in the Snapchat photo Tibbetts had sent her son, “There was light as he could tell she was indoors. It just did not have anything noticable in the background. He looked at it briefly before he went to bed. And since it was a picture message it disappeared. It is not fishy that it was just her face. They sent snaps and texts like that all the time.”
Jack also has a Facebook account, but not much can be viewed on the page by non-friends. He works with his brother, Blake Jack, at his brother’s construction company, Jack Building & Design. Blake Jack and his fiancee, Allie Houghton, have been helping in the search. “Please help us bring Mollie home. Any and all information is useful! Please share and let’s see how far we can reach out,” Allie wrote on Facebook.
5. Jack’s Home Is Close to Tibbetts’ Parents’ House
The night that Tibbetts’ disappeared, she was in communication with her mother about dinner, around 7:30 p.m. local time. In response to her mom, she simply texted “Ok.” Jack’s mother expanded on this on Facebook and revealed that Jack’s house is very close to Tibbetts’ family home. Cynthia Brodie-Jack wrote that, “Brooklyn is a very small town. The distance between the house she shares with my sons’ is maybe a mile away from her moms and Mollie would have had no qualms about walking or running between the 2. And Mollie is a 20 yr old college student and they are known to change their minds about going to their parents for dinner.”
According to Kron 4, Tibbetts’ family knew she was missing when she didn’t show up at work the next day, with no notice.
Several of Tibbetts’ family members have spoken out, in efforts to find Tibbetts. Cousin Emily Heaston told the Des Moines Register, over the weekend, that the family is “worried sick and desperate to get Mollie home.”
