Investigators searching for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts, who vanished nearly two weeks ago, said they are not ruling out any possibilities for what happened to her.
During a news conference Tuesday at the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office in Montezuma, Kevin Winkler, assistant director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 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.
Authorities said they would begin holding regular news conferences every few days.
About 25 people were gathered for the press 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.
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 continued, 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 in 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.
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.
