Mother of Missing University of Iowa Student: Giving Up Hope is Not an Option

July 27, 2018 11:34 AM

Officials searching for Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who has been missing for a week, say they continue to follow up on every lead they receive.

Tibbetts' mother spoke exclusively with ABC News, saying giving up hope is not an option for her.

She described the moment she was told her daughter didn't show up for work.

"There were alarms going off immediately; something's wrong here because Mollie would not do that," she said.

Tibbetts was last seen going for a jog in eastern Iowa last Wednesday evening, according to a neighbor.

Tibbetts was reportedly staying at her boyfriend's home at the time of her disappearance, helping to watch his dogs while he commuted to a construction job about 100 miles northeast in Dubuque, Iowa.

The boyfriend, Dalton Jack, told the station he received a Snapchat photo from Tibbetts late Wednesday night, after she would have returned to the home from her jog. Police said Jack is not a suspect.

Authorities are now focusing on Tibbetts' digital footprint, including monitoring her social media accounts and trying to access GPS data from her Fitbit.

Tibbetts' mother told ABC News she receives a briefing every day from investigators but that it's essentially the same message: Investigators are doing everything they can but cannot release additional information.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.