Home Security Camera Footage Leads to Arrest in Mollie Tibbets Case

Home Security Camera Footage Leads to Arrest in Mollie Tibbets Case

Police were able to track down a suspect after receiving security camera footage from a home near the site where Mollie Tibbetts disappeared.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Aug 23, 2018

The country has been mystified by the recent disappearance of Mollie Tibbetts, a college student in Iowa. Police on the case investigated for over a month before getting a break in the case they needed to finally give the Tibbetts family some answers.

Investigators spoke with hundreds of people in the search for clues about Tibbett's disappearance, but it wasn't until a neighbor turned over his home security camera that police caught their big break.

Police watched hours of footage before spotting Tibbetts on camera. They could see her running through an area east of Brooklyn, Iowa, where she was last seen, and a car moving closely behind her, according to an affidavit.

Police were able to link the car to a 24-year-old man and "from that we were able to track his pattern in the routes in which he took," said Rick Rahn, a special agent in charge at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Because of the home security footage, police were able to question the suspect, who then led investigators to the place where police eventually found Tibbetts' body. Rahn told news stations on Wednesday that the video was "central" to finding the suspect in Tibbetts' disappearance.

"He certainly wasn't known to the local police department," Rahn said. "So we, through our interviews and conducting a number of different canvas interviews throughout the community, we weren't aware of him until we were able to locate the video. So it's not like he was on anybody's radar throughout the investigation."

Police departments across the country have started to see the value in home security cameras, with many systems now allowing home owners to download and send footage directly to police to aid in open investigations.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.