Americans woke up Tuesday morning to the sad news that missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts was found dead after a grueling month-long search. Authorities revealed Tuesday afternoon that the body of the 20-year-old was discovered in a field in Poweshiek County, not far from where she vanished on July 18, a police source told People.
The location is not far from the property of Wayne Cheyney, a local pig farmer who was questioned by authorities and subsequently gave an awkward interview on television. No suspect has been named as of yet, so even though Cheney has a prior history of stalking, there is no official indication that Cheyney is involved in Mollie’s death.
Road blocked off at 460th Ave. in Poweshiek County in #MollieTibbetts investigation. DCI says a body was found this morning and they are still working to confirm identity. Tune in to the Channel 13 News at Noon for a report from the scene. pic.twitter.com/xU9V3OUoHI
— WHO 13 News (@WHO13news) August 21, 2018
Missing Student Mollie Tibbetts' Dead Body Found in Local Field More Than a Month After She Vanished: Source – People https://t.co/bYFPFCXSS9
— Cindy Saalfeld (@CindyLSchroeder) August 21, 2018
As of Tuesday afternoon, officials involved in the search were still working to track down Mollie’s killer. The nearly $400,000 reward amassed during the nationwide effort to locate Tibbetts is now being used to reward individuals who can provide information that would lead to the arrest of possible suspects, according to Greg Willey, vice president of Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds tweeted a statement Tuesday, offering her prayers for Tibbetts and her loved ones.
Until further information is confirmed by DCI (@IowaDPS), we continue to lift up and support the Tibbetts family with prayer. #iagov https://t.co/4ebD2yetOV
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) August 21, 2018
The Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office will hold a press conference Tuesday at 4 p.m. central time to provide “a very significant update” on the case of Tibbetts’s disappearance, the Des Moines Register reported.
Tibbetts was first reported missing last month, after the 20-year-old failed to respond to a text message from her boyfriend, Dalton Jack. She was last seen jogging through Brooklyn, Iowa, at around 7:30 p.m., on July 18.
Mollie’s father, Rob Tibbetts, returned home to the San Fransisco area earlier this week after a month of assisting authorities in the tireless search for his daughter. Mr. Tibbetts arrived in Iowa last month with four days’ worth of clothes, the Register reported. But what he thought would be a few days at most turned into a restless 4-week stay.
Tibbetts told local station KCRG-TV Sunday that his departure was a reluctant one that came at the recommendation of officials working on the case. Throughout the investigation, he held on to the hope that his daughter was still alive.
“I still feel that way, we all feel that way, that’s why it’s difficult,” he said. “I want to be there when she arrives.”
In total, investigators said they followed “hundreds” of leads in their efforts to find Tibbetts.
Please join Faithwire in praying for Mollie’s grieving loved ones and for law enforcement as they continue the search for her killer. We will provide additional updates as they become available.