She was such a reader, Calderwood says.
As any mother who has lost a child would, Calderwood thinks about her daughter every day.
It never goes away, she says.
Laura Calderwood (center), mother of Mollie Tibbetts, during a news conference in 2018.Charlie Neibergall/AP
And how could it?
Calderwood couldnt escape it not even on the day of her daughters funeral.
There are so many moments she will never forget, but one painful incident truly stands out.
Calderwood recalls standing in a receiving line to greet mourners for more than three hours.
As she was changing, her television was on.
Calderwood was struck by something in the clip.
You didnt even mention her name.
I would have thought he wouldve had handlers who said, This is the name of the girl.
I knew he was trying to further his agenda.
It wasnt about Mollie.
It was about him.
Later that year, Calderwood received a letter in the mail from former Democratic President Bill Clinton.
If anyone tried to contact them, she says she saw no evidence of that.
She heard nothing from them, neither before nor after Trump brought up her daughters murder at his rally.
No one ever reached out, she recalls.
Conversely, Mike Pence and his staff were extraordinarily kind and generous throughout.
He proved that on Jan. 6.
Im proud to call him my friend.
THESE KINDS OF CRIMES in America in which an undocumented immigrant takes the life of a citizen are rare.
But no amount of statistical analysis or pleading will convince the Republican Party or its propaganda organs otherwise.
As Trump campaigns to retake the presidency, he, his running mate Sen. J.D.
Trump has pledged to purge the city of its Haitianmigrants,most of whom are living there legally.
A person came in from Mexico illegally and killed her.
(Democrats ended up retaking control of the U.S. House in those midterm elections.)
Other heartbroken families refuse to sign onto his platform of retribution.
Its just not there, with either of them….
I dont believe all illegal immigrants murder; there are people who arent illegal immigrants who murder women.
That stigma of illegal immigrants come here to murder, I think it doesnt help anything.
And I feel pretty strongly about that.
I dont think this is a time for division….
This has got to stop….
This is a time to come together and heal.
Wed have nice, lively debates.
But it is this divisiveness, it is what Donald Trump has turned the party into.
And its not good.
And I dont know how were going to come together….
I dont know how we fix the divisiveness.
And thats a scary thought.
But Calderwood isnt alone in choosing a different way forward.
I feel for that father, Calderwood says.
What do you mean by that?
Leave these people alone.
During our interviews, Calderwood seemed as though she wanted to steer clear of gettingtoopolitical.
My thought at the time was, Why cant you just leave us and our family alone?
But thats the nature of politics.
And I would just want that to be more prevalent in this country.
And its not an easy choice.
Its never an easy choice.
She would not want us to wallow in anger.
She would want us to enjoy our lives as much as we could, and lead with love.
I guess thats it.
With the election days away, Vice President Harris and Trump are locked in an ultra-tight race.
Laura Calderwood says she has no idea how the presidential election is going to shake out.
The headlinereads: Trump used her slain daughter to rail against illegal immigration.
She chose a different path.
The article details how Calderwood and her son took into their home a local high schooler named Ulises Felix.
He was the child of Mexican immigrants.
It was a very hard decision for [the parents to leave him], Calderwood tellsRolling Stone.
But he wanted to stay….
He and my son played basketball and football together, and theyd always been friends.
Calderwood says she remembers the moment she knew shed be getting a new addition to her family.
I saw him at the dinner table each night, Calderwood recalls.
I will always consider him a member of our family.
Part of the subconscious, I think, was what if this were my kid?
I would want someone to take my kid in.
Therein lies the other side of the coin, when the Donald Trumps and J.D.
At least it doesnt to his victims mother.
I dont think of him.
After Mollies disappearance, Calderwoods mother clung to the belief that her grandchild would again walk through her door.
She really thought her granddaughter was coming home, according to Calderwood.
Burned into her memory is the day she had to tell her mother that moment would never happen.
Her mother greeted Calderwood and asked her if shed like a cup of coffee.
She started screaming and crying, and running around the table.
About six months later, Mollies grandmother passed away.
Family members are convinced the news of her beloved granddaughters killing had destroyed her.
Small exceptions include placing Mollies ashes next to her childhood bed.
A can of silly string rests on her bedside drawer.
The offer was ultimately declined.
It is Mollies, and it doesnt feel right to remove it from her bedroom.)
If youre not scared that means youre not taking a chance, one reads.
[And] if youre not taking a chance, then what the hell are you doing?
At least you know youre living.
Mollie had been studying to be a psychologist and to work with children.
People would always say Mollie was the nicest person on campus, her mother says.
… Its a pretty big campus.
Mollie made it a point to say hello to her every day.
That is how I would want people to think of Mollie.
She was just so good to people.
