‘Illegal immigrant is held over death of missing Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts’

An illegal immigrant is being held over the death of missing Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. 

The suspect is being held on a federal immigration detainer, according to officials. 

No other information has yet been given. 

The 20-year-old’s remains were found on Tuesday on a rural property in Poweshiek County close to the town of Guernsey, around 10 miles from Brooklyn, where Mollie vanished on July 18. 

The FAA issued a no fly zone in the area which will last until Wednesday morning. It prevents news choppers from flying overhead.  

Police are not releasing any information until 4pm local time but people working for Crime Stoppers to help find her say her family has been informed.   f 

The student was staying alone overnight in her boyfriend’s home the night she went missing and was last seen going for a jog in the neighborhood at around 8pm but what happened afterwards has remained a complete mystery for weeks. 

Her boyfriend opened a Snapchat photograph from her at 10pm which appeared to suggest that she was indoors but it is not known what time Mollie sent it.  

 

Mollie Tibbetts has been found dead a month after vanishing. The 20-year-old vanished on July 18 

Mollie's body was found on August 21, 10 miles from where she vanished in Brooklyn on July 18. There have been several points of interest in the location including five areas close to Brooklyn which investigators zeroed in on. Pig farmer Wayne Cheney also had his home and land searched but he was never arrested. He lives four miles from where Mollie's body was found

Mollie’s body was found on August 21, 10 miles from where she vanished in Brooklyn on July 18. There have been several points of interest in the location including five areas close to Brooklyn which investigators zeroed in on. Pig farmer Wayne Cheney also had his home and land searched but he was never arrested. He lives four miles from where Mollie’s body was found

Last week, the FBI said it believed she had been abducted by someone she knew.

They warned that the person was ‘hiding in plain sight’ and had even attended vigils held in her honor but no arrests were made. 

A $400,000 fund for her safe return was established but it did not produce any leads either. 

The hunt for the missing student lasted five weeks and drummed up hundreds of tips but it remains unclear how she died or what led to the discovery of her body 

The hunt for the missing student lasted five weeks and drummed up hundreds of tips but it remains unclear how she died or what led to the discovery of her body 

Now, it will be dedicated to finding the person responsible for her death. 

Greg Willey of Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa said her family and investigators would dedicate their resources to catching her killer ‘once they catch their breath’. 

The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation refused to share details of the discovery on Tuesday when contacted by DailyMail.com. 

Last week, the student’s heartbroken family and boyfriend had a private meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and an award fund for information about the case reached hundreds of thousands of dollars.  

Cheney was questioned several times and had his property searched after police found a red t-shirt that was similar to one owned by the student near his property.

However it was never established if the t-shirt did in fact belong to Mollie. 

Mollie was staying alone in the home she shared with her boyfriend Jack Dalton (above) in Brooklyn when she vanished. He is not a suspect in her disappearance

Mollie was staying alone in the home she shared with her boyfriend Jack Dalton (above) in Brooklyn when she vanished. He is not a suspect in her disappearance

Mollie's boyfriend's older brother Blake Dalton (with his fiancee) were not in town on the night she vanished either.

Pig farmer Wayne Cheney was questioned more than once and had his property searched after police found a red t-shirt that was similar to one owned by the student near his land. Cheney took a polygraph test and has never been charged

Mollie’s boyfriend’s older brother Blake Dalton (left with his fiancee) were not in town on the night she vanished either. The only person who has been visibly scrutinized by police is pig farmer Wayne Cheney (right) who was questioned more than once and had his property searched after police found a red t-shirt that was similar to one owned by the student near his land. Cheney took a polygraph test and has never been charged 

What happened? It remains unclear who took Mollie or how she died. She is pictured before she vanished on July 18

What happened? It remains unclear who took Mollie or how she died. She is pictured before she vanished on July 18

Cheney maintained his innocence throughout media interviews and took a polygraph test to try to rule himself out. He was never charged.

In the past few days, Mollie’s father Rob Tibbetts, who has been in Iowa since she disappeared, went to California for a ‘break’. 

Mollie's father Rob went back to California, where he lives, last week for what he called a much needed 'break' from the investigation

Mollie’s father Rob went back to California, where he lives, last week for what he called a much needed ‘break’ from the investigation

He said he had been urged by authorities to do so and that it was a ‘half way’ point in the investigation. 

Rob was not in the state when his daughter disappeared.

Her boyfriend, Dalton Jack, was away for work when she disappeared as was his older brother Blake.   

The youngsters lived together in a home in Brooklyn with Blake’s fiancee who was also cleared.  

As the hunt for her intensified,  authorities set up a website that was dedicate to finding her.

It provided a map detailing five locations police considered to be significant. It is unclear if Mollie’s body was found at any of those spots.  

The website also offered a tips page which generated hundreds of clues about what may have happened to her. 

It remains uncertain what led to the discovery of Mollie’s body on Tuesday. 

This is the house Mollie was staying in alone when she vanished. It remains unclear if she ever returned home from her evening jog on July 18

This is the house Mollie was staying in alone when she vanished. It remains unclear if she ever returned home from her evening jog on July 18

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk