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Boyfriend of missing Iowa college student cleared as suspect

By Susan McFarland

July 27 (UPI) -- Iowa police have ruled out the boyfriend of a missing college student as a suspect in her disappearance, investigators said.

Mollie Tibbets was last seen July 18 as she went for a jog. Boyfriend Dalton Jack, for whom she was house sitting the night she disappeared, is cooperating with investigators.

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Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said local, state and federal investigators are following several leads. Thursday, they searched a pig farm in Guernsey, Iowa, about 11 miles away from Tibbetts' last sighting in the town of Brooklyn.

"One avenue of thought is that if it wasn't a struggle, and we have found no signs of a struggle, then maybe it was someone she was familiar with," Mortvedt said. "But then the other avenue of thought is it could have been a stranger who simply overpowered her or tricked her. We just have very little to go on."

Mortvedt said investigators are interviewing several people who have a link to Tibbetts, but none have been taken into custody.

Investigators are also searching Tibbetts' Fitbit, a physical activity tracker, her social media accounts and other electronics to find clues. They have also searched multiple properties.

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Mortvedt said investigators have a "pretty good timeline," but didn't give details.

Tuesday, FBI and state investigators took over the search, and authorities said it's beginning to appear she was abducted.

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