MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — Investigators are offering no new details in their search for a University of Iowa student who vanished more than two weeks ago.
A news conference was held Friday morning at the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office about the effort to find Mollie and the ongoing investigation.
Kevin Winker, investigative operations director for the Iowa Department of Public Safety, said he knows the tight-lipped approach is frustrating for people who are eager to know what happened to 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts.
But he says investigators will continue to withhold basic details about the case because they believe it gives them the best chance to solve it.
“Since I last met with you on Tuesday, the investigative response has not slowed down. Investigators from the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s office, the DCI, and the FBI continue to complete leads that have come in as well as evaluate and prioritize new leads being received each day. Unfortunately, we have not found Mollie,” WInker said. “But it is not due to a lack of effort or lack of resource.”
When asked whether there were any suspects in the case, Winker replied “As far as suspects go, we’re continuing to look at all possibilities. I cannot comment on if there are suspects or persons of interest.”
But again he declined to say whether Tibbetts is believed to have returned home safely from a jog that evening.
