IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #24

[Squeeze]

the radar at this moment - see time of post

There have been so many times in the last couple of years where there seems to be a forcefield around Waterloo / cedar falls. Storms make their way to us and then split and die out. The schools declared a snow day last year or the year before, and then literally NOTHING happened! At 8:00 last night, the schools made the call. And it was the right call, cuz its horrible out there. 10" for us, 45 mph winds!!

 

[chelsea6]

There have been so many times in the last couple of years where there seems to be a forcefield around Waterloo / cedar falls. Storms make their way to us and then split and die out. The schools declared a snow day last year or the year before, and then literally NOTHING happened! At 8:00 last night, the schools made the call. And it was the right call, cuz its horrible out there. 10" for us, 45 mph winds!!

We were thinking the same thing, didn't think it would be anything and then WOWWIE!!! :woohoo:

 

[carbuff]

BBM..

Dang good question on DNA swabs...

But with or without a POI....wouldn't or couldn't that be done?...the 'sweat factor'.... ?

I don't know just trying to think of something....

They've used that in some MA cases including Molly Bish and nothing has come of it, except some hard feelings from people who felt coerced into registering with the police...

 

[GrainneDhu]

1.What was the urgency to leave the house if the girls just poured themselves juice to drink?

2.Why take a purse along for a quick bike ride around the loop of the neighborhood? (Was that was how she carried her phone, or did she want to buy something?)

3.Was the handle of the purse hanging over the handlebars of the bike or did she carry it over her head and shoulder? I don't even remember it mentioned what style of purse it was. Perhaps a clutch purse, or a little change purse?

4.Was there a stop during their loop around the neighborhood? Kids usually stop somewhere, they don't constantly ride around in circles without ever making a stop especially if a friend is home in their front yard or coming out of a store. And these are businesses that they are allowed to ride around every day, not your normal neighborhood loop around just blocks of houses and then home. Their loop had businesses, gas stations and bars full of strangers watching them being unsupervised. This is a small town, but it isn't Mayberry.
:waitasec:

1. Grandma Wylma said that the girls checked in every 10-15 minutes or she would go check on them. It was getting close to the time she needed to leave for her own home in Waterloo, so she tried yelling for the girls with no response. Then she got into her car (leaving Drew, the father, in charge) to search for the girls.

2. The family didn't seem to think there was anything strange about Elizabeth taking her purse with her non-functional cell phone (she used it to play games). My impression is that she was a little girl whose purse was glued to her hand... like a lot of little girls I've known. After all, you never know when you might want to play solitaire on your cell phone!

3. I don't recall if there is any information about how she carried it. Since it was found by Meyer's Lake, there was no need to release a description of it for ID purposes.

4. I don't know if they made any stops during the day. The strip mall can't be that busy since half the buildings were not occupied and the post office had closed. When they went around the front of the strip mall, they would still be within clear yelling distance, which was the standard my mom used before we proved we could tell time and reliably turn up when we were expected.

I would actually feel safer riding around public businesses rather than on solely residential streets where most adults are gone during business hours. Many eyes make for more safety.

 

[carbuff]

1.What was the urgency to leave the house if the girls just poured themselves juice to drink?

2.Why take a purse along for a quick bike ride around the loop of the neighborhood? (Was that was how she carried her phone, or did she want to buy something?)

3.Was the handle of the purse hanging over the handlebars of the bike or did she carry it over her head and shoulder? I don't even remember it mentioned what style of purse it was. Perhaps a clutch purse, or a little change purse?

4.Was there a stop during their loop around the neighborhood? Kids usually stop somewhere, they don't constantly ride around in circles without ever making a stop especially if a friend is home in their front yard or coming out of a store. And these are businesses that they are allowed to ride around every day, not your normal neighborhood loop around just blocks of houses and then home. Their loop had businesses, gas stations and bars full of strangers watching them being unsupervised. This is a small town, but it isn't Mayberry.
:waitasec:

Okay, I'm probably adding 2+2+2 and getting 9, but your questions plus the witness who said they had to swerve to avoid bikes in the path at the lake made me wonder about a scenario like this:

Girls pour juice. Grandma reminds them time is almost up. They run out to get one more ride around the neighborhood. They run into somebody they know -- slightly older boys, maybe from school or maybe friends of the older brother or something. Horsing around, the way boys do, intending to tease, they snatch Elizabeth's purse and dash away on their bikes.

Girls chase after them, lose them, have to ask directions to the lake.

Boys ditch their bikes in the path and run into the trees, still laughing and teasing, but when the girls don't show up right away, they get bored, toss the purse, and leave.

Girls get there but can't find the purse.

Kind stranger offers to help.......

 

[JaimeInLA]

What is all this snow stuff you all are talking about?! I think I've read about it in books.... :floorlaugh:

 

[GrainneDhu]

What is all this snow stuff you all are talking about?! I think I've read about it in books.... :floorlaugh:

Hey, Jaime, I hereby invite you for a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet snow up close and personal like. Just come to Iowa, there's a grain shovel that's perfectly broken in and ready for you.

Dress warmly.

No, I mean a lot more layers than that.

 

[JaimeInLA]

Hey, Jaime, I hereby invite you for a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet snow up close and personal like. Just come to Iowa, there's a grain shovel that's perfectly broken in and ready for you.

Dress warmly.

No, I mean a lot more layers than that.

LOL! Thanks for the gracious invite, but I think I will have to pass. My hammock under the palms next to my pool would get very lonely if I left it.

(In all seriousness, it was 49-degrees here this morning and I thought my fingers were going to fall off! I don't know how you all do it!)

 

[SapphireSteel]

Hehe totally O/t, but I've just got up, its 6am here and I had to share.

I had a message on my phone from a person called Beth asking if I wanted her in pink or black lace.

:what:

A reminder to double check who you are texting!

 

[SapphireSteel]

I grew up in New Zealand (cold, lots of snow) and moved to Australia (warm, what's snow?) and I remember it well.

It's one of the reasons I moved countries. Snow is only appealing to those who don't have to live in it.

 

[SapphireSteel]

Anyway back to our girls.

I am going on a limb to guess there is no DNA recovered.

This would fit with my personal theory that this is not a sexually motivated crime.

I'm pretty sure the girls went willingly, or at least, walked into that forest themselves.

 

[nikb]

Anyway back to our girls.

I am going on a limb to guess there is no DNA recovered.

This would fit with my personal theory that this is not a sexually motivated crime.

I'm pretty sure the girls went willingly, or at least, walked into that forest themselves.

re: snow, yeah, find if you can drive to it but not live in it!

re: the girls, about the DNA I think you may be right. Part of me even wants to think no DNA because it seems like maybe they would've suffered less, but part of me wants them to find DNA to make it easier to find whoever did this. I do strongly agree that they walked into the forest themselves. Willingly? Not so sure.

 

[Squeeze]

Who posted the scenario a couple of threads back about two guys in a vehicle following the girls, then snatching them,taking them to 7 bridges..... I'm thinking that is a very likely scenario. Also fits with our favorite RSO as a possible motive, something in his car, etc.... If there is an accomplice, maybe one will roll on the other. Maybe le is waiting for this, as they may have little physical evidence.

 

[24Roses]

I just wanted to say that we went looking at Christmas lights a few nights ago. We saw the Christmas trees for Lyric & Elizabeth; they are beautiful. Merry 1st Christmas in Heaven girls. :xmastree:

 

[Tennlyn]

I hope all the locals on this thread are safe and warm!

 

[otto]

Anyway back to our girls.

I am going on a limb to guess there is no DNA recovered.

This would fit with my personal theory that this is not a sexually motivated crime.

I'm pretty sure the girls went willingly, or at least, walked into that forest themselves.

It's not often, if ever, that DNA has been found on bones that were left in a damp river bank for 5 months.
I don't think that we can conclude that no DNA means no sexual assault.

 

[MNDad]

Who posted the scenario a couple of threads back about two guys in a vehicle following the girls, then snatching them,taking them to 7 bridges..... I'm thinking that is a very likely scenario. Also fits with our favorite RSO as a possible motive, something in his car, etc.... If there is an accomplice, maybe one will roll on the other. Maybe le is waiting for this, as they may have little physical evidence.

That might have been one of my posts.

 

[tlcya]

It's not often, if ever, that DNA has been found on bones that were left in a damp river bank for 5 months.
I don't think that we can conclude that no DNA means no sexual assault.

I agree. If those girls have been out there for the length of time suggested by Heather's "bones" comment, I think an absence of DNA could not be considered conclusive. It would be a miracle if there was DNA given the suspected age of remains and the elements etc.

:MOO:

 

[chelsea6]

2. The family didn't seem to think there was anything strange about Elizabeth taking her purse with her non-functional cell phone (she used it to play games). My impression is that she was a little girl whose purse was glued to her hand... like a lot of little girls I've known. After all, you never know when you might want to play solitaire on your cell phone!

I thought either she could phone home with it, or the mom or grandma could call on it in an emergency, one of the two? Glad I asked, I must have missed that.. t.y.

3. I don't recall if there is any information about how she carried it. Since it was found by Meyer's Lake, there was no need to release a description of it for ID purposes.

I was thinking if it were carried around her shoulder/waist, the perp had to take it off of her, or she took it off or maybe ripped it during a struggle. That would be a clue.

4. I don't know if they made any stops during the day. The strip mall can't be that busy since half the buildings were not occupied and the post office had closed. When they went around the front of the strip mall, they would still be within clear yelling distance, which was the standard my mom used before we proved we could tell time and reliably turn up when we were expected.

I would actually feel safer riding around public businesses rather than on solely residential streets where most adults are gone during business hours. Many eyes make for more safety.

Yikes, I'm just the opposite!! Thanks for your answers. :seeya:

 

[SapphireSteel]

It's not often, if ever, that DNA has been found on bones that were left in a damp river bank for 5 months.
I don't think that we can conclude that no DNA means no sexual assault.

I didn't say that. I just said that no DNA would fit with my theory of an alternative(non sexual) motive.

:waitasec: