IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #7

[Confusion]

This was similar to my scenario on an older page.

And mine before that, but... Bad_Theory_3.

What if a guy had a vehicle hidden there, and laid 2 bikes in the middle of the path hoping a good prospect would stop to move them so he could grab them when they were off guard. The witness goes by and sees them, and possibly other people do too. The girls come along (for whatever reason they went there), get off their bikes to move the other bikes off the path and he comes at them. They try to run away, Elizabeth drops her purse and he finally catches them where the dogs lost the scent.

My biggest problems with the idea are that at least one of them would probably scream, which nobody seems to have heard, and it doesn't explain why they went there in the first place. :banghead:

 

[katydid23]

And mine before that, but... Bad_Theory_3.

What if a guy had a vehicle hidden there, and laid 2 bikes in the middle of the path hoping a good prospect would stop to move them so he could grab them when they were off guard. The witness goes by and sees them, and possibly other people do too. The girls come along (for whatever reason they went there), get off their bikes to move the other bikes off the path and he comes at them. They try to run away, Elizabeth drops her purse and he finally catches them where the dogs lost the scent.

My biggest problems with the idea are that at least one of them would probably scream, which nobody seems to have heard, and it doesn't explain why they went there in the first place. :banghead:

The 'not screaming' thing is what makes me wonder if the girls were lured into a car or a home.

But then again, if the perp held a knife against Elizabeth's throat, Lyric probably would not have screamed or fought, and they could have been quietly taken from the park.

 

[CHERIE.T]

If I'm recalling this correctly, Cliff Van Zant and Mark Klass said abducted children are usually no longer alive after the first 48 hours. I've read it's actually a lot less time....usually abducted children are killed within 2 hours . IMHO

Please know these are general stats.
There are children, abducted children, who do come home.

 

[nightowl]

I'm sure this article has been posted that was published today in the AP? Maybe on a prior thread? If not, here it is again:

http://news.yahoo.com/grandma-no-idea-iowa-cousins-biked-lake-165649376.html

Near the bottom of the article it gives new information just learned today:

-Grandma left in her car at 12:30 to drive around looking for the girls
- Grandma returned home after looking for them for a FULL HOUR and not finding them (JMO here --> it sounds like Grandma did not call anyone at this time? Did she think the girls had just gone off longer than they should and would come back?)
- Misty got home from work around 1:30 and told her mom to go on home; and she (Misty) would stay and wait for Lyric to come back

So JMO --> Grandma and Misty probably assumed Lyric went off somewhere where she shouldn't have, and that she would be back eventually. (Like she had a few weeks before, perhaps?)

 

[CoachSue]

So the Dubuque (Iowa) local news site and paper has finally posted an article about the suspicious activity on Saturday:

Police are investigating a “suspicious circumstance” reported Saturday involving an 11-year-old girl who was approached by an unknown male.
According to the Dubuque Police Department, the 11-year-old’s grandmother reported that a van approached the juvenile near 27th and Jackson streets, and that there was a brief dialogue between a man and the female where the man parked and exited the vehicle, prompting the girl to flee. The man is described as being white, 30 to 40 years old, with blond hair but some graying, normal build and unshaven. The van is described as being an older model, white, with no windows in the back and red and blue lettering/logo on the side.
Dubuque Police Lt. Scott Baxter said police are still conducting additional interviews and investigation.
“The investigation is still in its infancy at this point,” he said.
Baxter said all reports are taken seriously and that the recent alleged abduction in Evansdale, Iowa and the movie theatre massacre in Colorado likely has parents on high alert. With that said, he doesn’t believe this incident is a cause for panic.
“I think that will depend largely on what the investigation finds out,” he said. “I can’t say that the people of Dubuque have nothing to worry about. We obviously take it very seriously and conduct a very thorough investigation. We need to make sure all the information is thorough and accurate.”
Baxter said the incident should mainly work as a chance for parents to talk to kids about being vigilant.
“We really need to be talking to our kids about these situations,” he said.

 

[Sere-nity]

Lets say that the girls did go down that one couple's street daily then turn around and come back. What was there at the end of the street that would make them bike 1.5 miles just to turn around?

1st thought. Somebody lived on that street that they had a little girl crush on.
2nd thought. They were timing how long it would take to that area without actually going to the trail and coming back to the house to either race or test boundaries.

 

[katydid23]

I'm sure this article has been posted that was published today in the AP? Maybe on a prior thread? If not, here it is again:

http://news.yahoo.com/grandma-no-idea-iowa-cousins-biked-lake-165649376.html

Near the bottom of the article it gives new information just learned today:

-Grandma left in her car at 12:30 to drive around looking for the girls
- Grandma returned home after looking for them for a FULL HOUR and not finding them (JMO here --> it sounds like Grandma did not call anyone at this time? Did she think the girls had just gone off longer than they should and would come back?)
- Misty got home from work around 1:30 and told her mom to go on home; and she (Misty) would stay and wait for Lyric to come back

So JMO --> Grandma and Misty probably assumed Lyric went off somewhere where she shouldn't have, and that she would be back eventually. (Like she had a few weeks before, perhaps?)

from the article:
"Cook said she got nervous when they weren't back by 12:30 p.m. and started driving around town looking for them. After an hour of searching, she returned to the home. Cook said that Misty Morrissey stopped by after getting off work."

Where did she drive around during that hour? Isn't it a very small town? Did she drive out by the lake between 12:30 and 1:30?

ETA: Also, she saw them on their bikes nearby at 12:15. And then she is nervous at 12:30 so she goes driving around? What happened in that 15 minutes to make her nervous?

 

[nervous_nellie]

from the article:
"Cook said she got nervous when they weren't back by 12:30 p.m. and started driving around town looking for them. After an hour of searching, she returned to the home. Cook said that Misty Morrissey stopped by after getting off work."

Where did she drive around during that hour? Isn't it a very small town? Did she drive out by the lake between 12:30 and 1:30?

ETA: Also, she saw them on their bikes nearby at 12:15. And then she is nervous at 12:30 so she goes driving around? What happened in that 15 minutes to make her nervous?

this is what i was thinking...

 

[Just Pat 22]

I am new to the board as a member but have followed the posts. I have a question that could have been addressed but that I may have missed (forgive me if this has been clarified). In earlier threads it was discussed that TG initially called his daughter about the bikes - is this correct since this is where the 12:27 is coming from and the report of seeing bikes at 12:20? Why make a call to say "hey - I saw 2 bike laying on the bike trail today?" After reading through all of the initial posts it is my understanding that this is what happened - I certainly could have misunderstood reports as they have been all over the place with theories, facts and minimal information. I am in no way stating that the information provided was false - just merely a simple question based on my own personal opinion.

Maybe the LE needs to check more attics even of the witnesses . There was a young boy fishing at the same time the girls went missing . I hope they question him further. Nice style . boomer 1 Welcome to W/S

 

[GrainneDhu]

How can the LE say they are alive when they don't have anyone in custody responsible for taking the girls or the girls themselves? If they are taken by a stanger (more than likey for sexual purposes) then odds aren't in their favor. I know they are talking alot to the families and giving them poloygraphs but I don't see a family member being responsible as from what I know there aren't any custody issues as I think both girls parents are together.

I can think of a few reasons.

First, having followed many cases over the years, LE is typically very reluctant to state a missing person is dead.

Second, if you were in LE and had no direct evidence that the girls are dead, could you look into grandma Wylma Cook's eyes or Heather Collin's eyes and tell them "your girls are dead"? I know I would be saying "please don't stop hoping, there is always a chance."

Third, experience shows that public interest and involvement usually drops when a victim is declared dead. Right now, LE is trying to find all the clues they can; it is much more likely they will hear from witnesses who have little bits of information if the potential witnesses feel their information may help the girls come home alive.

 

[Jules71]

I think I made sense of the video. They were heading west on Brovan Blvd (the street E's house is on). If they kept going that direction they would hit River Forest Rd. Head straight down that (looks like sidewalks on both sides) and they would pass a Casey's (is this the one Misty works at?) and then they would turn left on Gilbert and then hit the trail there first heading south and then east around the lake to the spot where their bikes were found.

On the map, I marked the route in yellow - beginning where the red arrow is (which is where the video captured them riding west).

 

[craftybatchy]

Has anything been said about what condition the bikes were in when they were found ?

I wonder if something happened to one of the bikes ie. a flat tire, broken chain, making it unable to be ridden. Deciding to leave their bikes on the trail, they walked towards the road rather than back to town on a path that they were not comfortable walking on foot. They might have been picked up by someone offering them a ride, perhaps it was a car they recognized, being driven by someone vaguely familiar to them ... just a thought.

 

[GGE]

I think I made sense of the video. They were heading west on Brovan Blvd (the street E's house is on). If they kept going that direction they would hit River Forest Rd. Head straight down that (looks like sidewalks on both sides) and they would pass a Casey's (is this the one Misty works at?) and then they would turn left on Gilbert and then hit the trail there first heading south and then east around the lake to the spot where their bikes were found.

On the map, I marked the route in yellow - beginning where the red arrow is (which is where the video captured them riding west).

View attachment 24947

That puts them going past a giant purple RSO on the map, doesn't it. hm. But they've all been cleared?

 

[MotherOcean]

So the Dubuque (Iowa) local news site and paper has finally posted an article about the suspicious activity on Saturday:

Police are investigating a “suspicious circumstance” reported Saturday involving an 11-year-old girl who was approached by an unknown male.
According to the Dubuque Police Department, the 11-year-old’s grandmother reported that a van approached the juvenile near 27th and Jackson streets, and that there was a brief dialogue between a man and the female where the man parked and exited the vehicle, prompting the girl to flee. The man is described as being white, 30 to 40 years old, with blond hair but some graying, normal build and unshaven. The van is described as being an older model, white, with no windows in the back and red and blue lettering/logo on the side.
Dubuque Police Lt. Scott Baxter said police are still conducting additional interviews and investigation.
“The investigation is still in its infancy at this point,” he said.
Baxter said all reports are taken seriously and that the recent alleged abduction in Evansdale, Iowa and the movie theatre massacre in Colorado likely has parents on high alert. With that said, he doesn’t believe this incident is a cause for panic.
“I think that will depend largely on what the investigation finds out,” he said. “I can’t say that the people of Dubuque have nothing to worry about. We obviously take it very seriously and conduct a very thorough investigation. We need to make sure all the information is thorough and accurate.”
Baxter said the incident should mainly work as a chance for parents to talk to kids about being vigilant.
“We really need to be talking to our kids about these situations,” he said.

The first thread (thread #1) about the missing girls has quite a few links about recent attempted abductions in Iowa. You may want to find those if you haven't already and if you are interested in them.

 

[Just Pat 22]

Only information that I have heard regarding the bikes were:

One was a mountain bike.

One bike had a kickstand.

One bike was purple.

That is it - haven't seen any other descriptions of the bikes.

Thank you for the time you take to feed us news . I am sure all the Sleuths out here appreciate you very much. I sure do .

 

[Marilynilpa]

I think I made sense of the video. They were heading west on Brovan Blvd (the street E's house is on). If they kept going that direction they would hit River Forest Rd. Head straight down that (looks like sidewalks on both sides) and they would pass a Casey's (is this the one Misty works at?) and then they would turn left on Gilbert and then hit the trail there first heading south and then east around the lake to the spot where their bikes were found.

On the map, I marked the route in yellow - beginning where the red arrow is (which is where the video captured them riding west).

View attachment 24947

It sure looks like a long bike ride for the two girls, longer than I had envisioned.

Thanks for the visual aid!

 

[MotherOcean]

Lets say that the girls did go down that one couple's street daily then turn around and come back. What was there at the end of the street that would make them bike 1.5 miles just to turn around?

1st thought. Somebody lived on that street that they had a little girl crush on.
2nd thought. They were timing how long it would take to that area without actually going to the trail and coming back to the house to either race or test boundaries.

The lake is at the end of their street! I'm not local so maybe I'm wrong but that's what it looks like on the google map. I don't know if it's a parking lot or an empty lot or a wooded spot. Maybe there is a cul-de-sac there somewhere?

 

[whittymom4]

Very informative article, grandma questions how the girls got to the lake and why they would ride that far outside of area allowed to ride. ALSO gives reasons why FBI is saying they are still alive. Drugs. Starts paragraph 5 or 6 about witnesses in drug cases. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/wylma-cook-iowa-cousins_n_1699780.html

I hope and pray they are correct. I still think the girls went to meet someone they (one or both girls) met online. Maybe one cousin asked the other to come along thinking it would be safer that way. I live an hour from this lake, I know there are several highways and also interstate 380 they could get away
fast, without too much notice or street cameras. Easy access to Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

 

[Mimiof8]

I'm sure this article has been posted that was published today in the AP? Maybe on a prior thread? If not, here it is again:

http://news.yahoo.com/grandma-no-idea-iowa-cousins-biked-lake-165649376.html

Near the bottom of the article it gives new information just learned today:

-Grandma left in her car at 12:30 to drive around looking for the girls
- Grandma returned home after looking for them for a FULL HOUR and not finding them (JMO here --> it sounds like Grandma did not call anyone at this time? Did she think the girls had just gone off longer than they should and would come back?)
- Misty got home from work around 1:30 and told her mom to go on home; and she (Misty) would stay and wait for Lyric to come back

So JMO --> Grandma and Misty probably assumed Lyric went off somewhere where she shouldn't have, and that she would be back eventually. (Like she had a few weeks before, perhaps?)

Not a good sign, timeline and facts are changing.

 

[JaimeInLA]

I think I made sense of the video. They were heading west on Brovan Blvd (the street E's house is on). If they kept going that direction they would hit River Forest Rd. Head straight down that (looks like sidewalks on both sides) and they would pass a Casey's (is this the one Misty works at?) and then they would turn left on Gilbert and then hit the trail there first heading south and then east around the lake to the spot where their bikes were found.

On the map, I marked the route in yellow - beginning where the red arrow is (which is where the video captured them riding west).

View attachment 24947

I thought we already knew that they took the East route to the lake, not the West route. They went Morrell to Evans to Arbusus. We know this because the Carpenters live on Arbusus and live saw them ride by, towards the lake.