Drone footage of last known location of missing Iowa girl
Drone footage captures the last known location of Mollie Tibbetts in Iowa.
Mollie Tibbetts' mysterious disappearance more than a month ago thrust a small Iowa city into the spotlight as it scrambled for clues in the desperate search for the missing University of Iowa student.
Tibbetts' body was found in an Iowa cornfield Tuesday. A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico was identified as her suspected killer. The murder suspect was identified by authorities as Cristhian Bathena Rivera, who had been living in the area for several years.
Tibbetts, 20, was last seen in Brooklyn, Iowa. She was staying at her boyfriend’s house, watching his dogs, while he worked at a construction site almost 100 miles away in Dubuque.
The small city in Poweshiek County always seemed like a friendly, safe place to residents who lived there. Tibbetts' boyfriend, Dalton Jack — who has been cleared as a suspect in the case — said he was "blindsided" by his longtime girlfriend's disappearance.
MOLLIE TIBBETTS, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENT, MISSING: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS
“It’s Brooklyn ... nothing ever happens in Brooklyn," he previously told Fox News.
But Jack's attitude has since shifted, along with many other residents.
“We lock our doors now. Every night," Jack added at the time.
Here's what we know about Brooklyn.
It's small
Brooklyn, located about 70 miles east of Des Moines, has a population of roughly 1,400 people.
The small city earned its name in the 1850s because it was situated between two brooks: Big Bear Creek and Little Bear Creek.
It's not very diverse
According to 2010 census data, the most recent information available, Brooklyn isn't a very diverse city. The majority of its residents — 95 percent — are white. There are slightly more females (54 percent) compared to males (46 percent).
Most people (57 percent) are between the ages of 18 to 64.
It bills itself the "Community of Flags"
The small city created a large display of flags in 1991 to welcome bicyclists participating in the annual Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). The makeshift avenue of flags inspired resident Alexander Wehrle to create a permanent display.
The flag display, complete with 11 rows of five flag poles, is featured outside the Brooklyn Historical Museum on Jackson Street.
MOLLIE TIBBETTS VIDEO SHOWS HER ACTING 'TOTALLY NORMAL' THE DAY BEFORE SHE VANISHED, FRIEND SAYS
In the center of the display sits an 80-foot flag pole that proudly waves the American flag. It can be seen from portions of Interstate 80 and Highway 6, according to the city.
It's had the same mayor for nearly a decade
Dennis "Skip" Solem was elected mayor of Brooklyn in 2009 — and he's been re-elected three times since then. Solem, a Brooklyn native, retired from his position at the retail chain Theisen's in 2013 and has been focusing on his government role.
"He loves kids and enjoys umpiring Little League games," the city describes on its website.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
