ELIZABETH COLLINS & LYRIC COOK: Young cousins kidnapped and murdered in Evansdale, IA - July 2012

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On July 13th, 2012 Elizabeth Collins, age 8, and her cousin Lyric Cook, age 10, went for a bike ride in Evansdale. The two never returned and their abandoned bikes were later located on a trail in the southeast corner of Meyers Lake later in that day. A large search was executed in Evansdale and their disappearance was investigated by local, state and federal officials.

On December 5th, 2012 hunters in the Seven Bridges Wildlife Park discovered the bodies of Elizabeth and Lyric. Seven Bridges Wildlife Park is approximately 25 miles from where they disappeared.

To this day, no arrests in their disappearance and murder have been made.


Tips may be submitted by calling the Evansdale Police Department at 319-232-6682, emailing the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations at OURMISSINGIOWAGIRLS@DPS.STATE.IA.US, by calling Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-8477, using Tipsoft by texting the word Cedar plus the tip to 274637 (Crimes), or by visiting WWW.CVCRIMESTOP.COM and submitting the information online. A person is eligible for the reward regardless of which of these specific methods is used to submit the information.
 
8 years into the Lyric & Elizabeth Investigation

It's been an eight-year investigation into who kidnapped and killed Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins on July 13, 2012.

It remains a haunting and horrifying unsolved criminal case, with no arrests ever having been made.

Tips in the case can be sent to this Iowa Department of Public Safety email site: www.ourmissingiowagirls@dps.state.ia.us

Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers is also taking tips in the investigation at: 855-300-8477.

The Evansdale cousins had been on a bike ride that Friday the 13th.. Their bikes and some personal belongings were discovered at Meyers Lake in Evansdale.

Hundreds turned out to search for the girls, but came up with nothing.

145 days later, hunters found the bodies of Lyric and Elizabeth twenty miles north of Evasndale at the 7 Bridges Wildlife area in Bremer County.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent, Scott Reger, says they have received some two thousand leads in the case.
 
Many have wondered if this case could possibly be connected to the murder of Abby and Libby from Delphi, IN.
Lots of similarities. But I can't convince myself they're connected.

Evansdale, Indiana double-homicide links 'coincidental,' Indiana State Police say

Indiana State Police say similarities between the double-slaying of two teenage girls three weeks ago and the unsolved 2012 murder of two Evansdale, Iowa, girls are "coincidental" at this point, but investigators are "not closed" to the idea of a connection.

"I do know that double abductions are rare … that is absolutely curious, very intriguing to us," Mortvedt said. "Those are things we do want to pay attention to because we’re still open to any and all tips and leads."

"We don’t have any evidence that leads us to believe these two cases are connected," Perrine said. "A lot of people would hope we can solve both of them."

"To me, if it isn’t the same person then that means there are two people out there capable of doing this ... and they’re going to do it again," Collins said. "People should be scared either way."
 
8 years into the Lyric & Elizabeth Investigation

It's been an eight-year investigation into who kidnapped and killed Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins on July 13, 2012.

It remains a haunting and horrifying unsolved criminal case, with no arrests ever having been made.

Tips in the case can be sent to this Iowa Department of Public Safety email site: www.ourmissingiowagirls@dps.state.ia.us

Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers is also taking tips in the investigation at: 855-300-8477.

The Evansdale cousins had been on a bike ride that Friday the 13th.. Their bikes and some personal belongings were discovered at Meyers Lake in Evansdale.

Hundreds turned out to search for the girls, but came up with nothing.

145 days later, hunters found the bodies of Lyric and Elizabeth twenty miles north of Evasndale at the 7 Bridges Wildlife area in Bremer County.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent, Scott Reger, says they have received some two thousand leads in the case.
Wow! 8 years
 
I am not sold on a connection but both cases are TWO, both are girls, and both states are near each other.

The worst part to me is in both cases, double murders, the murder of two girls, one perp and not enough evidence to have tracked the perp(s) down? In neither case? How could two people be that lucky in double murders?

In no way have I decided there is a connection however, what is the good fortune of two different perps to be still free and running around years later...?

No DNA? No fingerprints? No former record? No weapon? In the one case a video and voice even But not enough evidence to even point to someone? Both of these cases bother me greatly...

Jmo.
 

Unsolved: Eights years ago today, the bodies of Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins were discovered​

Eight years ago on Saturday, cousins 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins were found dead nearly five months after they’d gone missing.

On Wednesday, December 5, 2012, their bodies were found by hunters at the Seven Bridges Wildlife Park near Readlyn in Bremer County-a wildlife area approximately 25 miles from where the girls were last seen.


In the years since they went missing, authorities have interviewed more than 1,000 people and hundreds of sex offenders.

It was also revealed in 2017 that two people had confessed to the crime, but authorities eliminated them after determining they did not know any intimate details about the case.

At this time, no arrests have been made in connection to their deaths.

Still, many still hold out hope that their killer will someday be brought to justice.


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Waterloo Schools honors Elizabeth Collins on what would have been her graduation night​

Waterloo Schools is honoring Elizabeth Collins with an honorary cap, gown, and diploma on what would have been her high school graduation night.

Collins would have graduated with the Waterloo East High School class of 2021 Thursday night. Tragically, she and her cousin, Lyric Cook-Morrissey were killed nearly 9 years ago.

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I look into this case and it is easy to see a few connections to the Delphi case two girls taken together, abducted from an isolated location around water or trails, in both cases the girls were dumped on land used for hunting. There very well could be a connection but we won't know for sure until we have a suspect in either case. It definitely seems like whoever is responsible, this was not their first crime and it surely won't be their last, just wonder how many more cases like these are out there that haven't been connected yet.
 
I look into this case and it is easy to see a few connections to the Delphi case two girls taken together, abducted from an isolated location around water or trails, in both cases the girls were dumped on land used for hunting. There very well could be a connection but we won't know for sure until we have a suspect in either case. It definitely seems like whoever is responsible, this was not their first crime and it surely won't be their last, just wonder how many more cases like these are out there that haven't been connected yet.
Agree. Connected or not, this isn't the type of predator (or predators) that kidnaps and kills two children and then stops forever. They don't just "try out" this sort of thing. Very likely there are previous or more recent crimes/abductions/murders by the same perp(s). Maybe not very specific double-abductions of two young girls. But violent crimes for sure.
I don't know if they've ever said whether they have DNA evidence in Elizabeth & Lyric's case. (I don't believe they've explicitly said whether they have it in Abby & Libby's case either, actually.) But I really hope so. Because that means it's just a matter of time.
 

Ride and Drive for Elizabeth and Lyric set for Saturday, July 10​

Everyone is invited to the 2021 edition of the annual Memorial Ride and Drive for the girls. The 9th annual ride is set for Saturday, July 10, starting and ending at Lofty's in Evansdale.

The event pays tribute to kidnapped and murdered cousins, Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook-Morrisey, while raising money for Crime Stoppers and the Angels Park Island.

July 13 will mark nine years since the cousins went out for a bike ride on that Friday the 13th and never returned home. The case remains unsolved. No arrests have been made.
 

LYRIC & ELIZABETH: Reward tops $75K as community remembers Evansdale cousins during memorial ride​

Hundreds turned out for the annual memorial ride for Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins, both of who disappeared nearly 9 years ago.

Following his daughter's disappearance and murder, Collins began advocating for missing children and supporting the local Crimestoppers group. He announced Saturday that an anonymous donor added $25,000 to the reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case. The total reward now sits at $75,000.

A climbing reward and continued awareness make Collins believe that someone will come forward with the truth.

"Relationships change, boyfriend and girlfriends, break up. Hopefully, something triggers somebody to come forward," Collins said.
 

Crime Stoppers reward in cousins Elizabeth Collins, Lyric Cook case reaches $100K on 9th anniversary of their disappearance​

Someone out there knows who is behind the 2012 slayings of cousins Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook.

And turning over that information could mean a lot of money.

Officials with Crime Stoppers of the Cedar Valley announced the reward for information leading to an arrest in the case topped $100,000 over the weekend thanks to the help of two anonymous donors.

“We are just waiting for that one person to take five minutes out of their life and contact Crime Stoppers or the DCI and get some closure for these families,” said Investigator Brice Lippert with the Waterloo Police Department.

Lippert said the reward requires only enough information to make an arrest — a conviction isn’t required — and the money can be paid out immediately after the arrest.
 
I look into this case and it is easy to see a few connections to the Delphi case two girls taken together, abducted from an isolated location around water or trails, in both cases the girls were dumped on land used for hunting. There very well could be a connection but we won't know for sure until we have a suspect in either case. It definitely seems like whoever is responsible, this was not their first crime and it surely won't be their last, just wonder how many more cases like these are out there that haven't been connected yet.
I agree, the first thing I thought of was the two girls in Indiana. There are some connections, I always felt that the girls in Indiana were targeted, like the perp knew they would be there. With the two girls from Iowa, I notice that both of their last names start with "C" and makes me think of the double letter murders, but those were decades ago and I would say it is just a coincidence.
 

Foundation honoring Lyric and Elizabeth looks to help families of missing people​

As the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins approaches this summer, a foundation has been created in their honor to support families of missing people and advocate for public awareness.

The Elizabeth Collins Foundation was created in March, and it's website says the foundation is "dedicated to helping families of missing individuals and educating the community on prevention of abduction, sexual abuse & trafficking."

Along with providing information, education, fundraising, and support, the organization will maintain Angels Park in Evansdale, which serves as a memorial park for lost loved ones.

They will also hold public awareness events and work with Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers. Among their events will be the 10th Annual Ride & Drive for Lyric and Elizabeth on July 16. You can register for the event and buy T-shirts in honor of the girls HERE.


Last summer, the reward for information regarding the murder of the cousins rose to $100,000.

Anonymous tips can be sent to Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-TIPS (8477), or by texting CEDAR plus the tip to 274637 (CRIMES).
 
Investigation into Evansdale girls' deaths still 'active' nearly a decade later
Next month, Evansdale will mark the ten-year anniversary of one of the community's collective nightmares: the disappearance of Lyric Cook, 10, and her cousin Elizabeth Collins, 8.

"We've never stopped, from day one," says Detective Jason Ellison with the Bremer County Sheriff's Office.


"At this point we have right around 2,000 leads, tips and leads, since the case started," he says. "About 500 of those have been since I was involved with the investigation."

"I don't consider it a cold case because it's not sitting on a shelf, because it's being actively investigated," Agent Reger says. "But I probably wouldn't call it a cold case regardless because they're not cold until they're totally done, until we've found the person who did it."

"We're gonna not stop until we get answers," says Drew Collins, Elizabeth's father.

When asked if that moment feels closer now, Collins doesn't hesitate.

"Absolutely," he says.

For Collins, the 10-year anniversary isn't as important as another day in the unknown future when they can start marking the anniversary of case closed.

"it's just another day," he says of next month's decade marker. "Still plowing forward until we get it, that day comes."


"Time is not on [the side of whoever did this]. Their time is running out," Collins says. "Every day that passes is a day closer to us catching them."

"Yep, yep," Agent Reger nods. "We're going to hit the rock over and over and over and over and over again until it breaks. That's the analogy we use, we're going to keep hitting it and we're not the only ones hitting it. The public participates by providing information, they're helping us break the rock."

You can submit information about the case, no matter how small the detail, at ourmissingiowagirls@dps.state.ia.us
 
I'd like to share an article with those interested, but haven't read it.
An aerial pic of the discovery site (midway down the page) looks to me like it could be a section of Deer Creek!

I'd forgot how frustrated I was with authorities in this case, much like I have been (for the same reasons) with the authorities in the Delphi case.
Indeed, in this case, it wasn't until six months before authorities released info from two eye-witnesses reporting a vehicle parked (no parking zone, mind you) during what was determined was the timeframe of the abduction! A third such witness came forward with the same info months later, but that's beside the point, which is that if just one person reported to have seen a particular vehicle in that location and during that time, then that info should have been immediately shared with the public!
 
The similarities of this case and the one in Delphi are just too much for me to consider that it's two different perps. I mean, all things considered, it sounds like the same perp, but if it isn't, then I think they dang sure do have a lot in common!
I absolutely agree, its almost uncanny. Lyric and Elisabeth were a slightly younger version of Libby and Abby, just my opinion.
 
The similarities of this case and the one in Delphi are just too much for me to consider that it's two different perps. I mean, all things considered, it sounds like the same perp, but if it isn't, then I think they dang sure do have a lot in common!
Many feel that way. I go back and forth on it too. You don't see too many "double" crimes like this with two girls. The states are next to each other. Most such types don't just commit one such crime and then stop and it is difficult to believe that TWO people have only committed one crime each like this...
 

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