Mollie Tibbetts, missing Iowa college student, found dead

FILE – This undated file photo released by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation shows Mollie Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who was reported missing from her hometown in the eastern Iowa city of Brooklyn on July 18, 2018. Greg Willey, the vice president of Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa, said a body found Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, is believed to be Tibbetts. No information has been released about where the body was found. (Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation via AP, File)

CBS News has learned that Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts has been found dead, just over a month after she was reported missing. The 20-year-old was last seen July 18, jogging near her home in the central Iowa town of Brooklyn. Her disappearance set off a massive investigation and weeks of fruitless searches.

Her family reported her missing the day after she disappeared when she didn’t show up for work.

Last week, authorities said they were focusing their investigation on five areas in and near Tibbetts’ hometown. Those areas reportedly included her boyfriend’s home in Brooklyn, a car wash, a truck stop, a farm more than three miles from downtown Brooklyn, and another farm more than six miles away.

In an interview earlier this month, Mollie Tibbetts’ father said he believed his daughter may have left willingly with someone she knew.

“I think someone went to the house that Mollie knew or that Mollie trusted and that she left with them willingly,” Robert Tibbetts told CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz. “Now they’re in over their head and they don’t know what to do.”

He says if he could talk to his daughter, he would tell her to “hang on.”

“We’re gonna come get you,” he said. “Everybody’s looking.”

Police have scheduled a news conference for 6 p.m. EDT Tuesday to provide an update on the latest developments.

This is a developing story and will be updated.