Tibbetts, 20, vanished on July 18.
FBI Plans Return
Cheney told Fox News that he refused to take a polygraph test and indicated that FBI agents planned to return to his farm on Sunday.He said the agents were welcome to search his whole property, noting they had already searched part of the property, his home, and his cellphone.
Cheney said he has never seen Tibbetts before and said he doesn’t really travel outside his property often.
Cheney said of Tibbetts he had “no idea who she was” and said he suspects “some guy has her.”
Stalking Charges; Doors Unlocked
Court documents show that Cheney has pleaded guilty on two occasions of stalking—once in Poweshiek County, where he currently lives, in 2009, and once in Marion County in 2014.She was last seen on July 18 around 7:30 p.m. when she went out for a routine jog, wearing dark shorts, a pink sports bra, and running shoes.
Jack received a Snapchat message from her around 10 p.m. that day; she was dogsitting for him at his house, while he was about 100 miles away working on a construction site. Authorities haven’t disclosed whether digital forensics have revealed the time she sent the Snapchat, but family members said that computer records indicate Tibbetts was indeed back at the house after the run before she vanished.
“It’s Brooklyn. You don’t lock your doors,” he said. “We lock our doors now. Every night.”
Family Believes She’s Alive
Family members echoed the sentiment by farmer Cheney that Tibbetts was likely abducted, and pleaded with whoever took her to release her.“It is our greatest hope that if someone has her that they would just release her and claim that money that we have raised for her freedom,” Calderwood said.
Greg Willey, for Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa, which is partnering with the family, said his group assists in solving crimes with anonymous tips.
Anyone with information was encouraged to call Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 1-800-452-1111 or visit www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com, where tips can be anonymously submitted.