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

[hollyblue]

"Police say the suspects then drove south on Kirkwood Blvd SW. Police describe the white male as in his 30’s, short brown hair, about 5’8’’ and 120 pounds."

Could be our Craigslist Guy Same description IMO

"driving the van is described as a white male, glasses and larger build".

Could be his room mate (driver of van? Same description IMO
But hmm the female? Tattoo on hand?Been searching the friends of these for this one. You never know.

http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kgan_vid_12194.shtml

And liked to "fish".

 

[GGE]

Did anyone invite you guys down to the scanner thread recently?

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180560&page=12

 

[Thinkzerz]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...ile-ring-europol/story-e6frf7lf-1226022892492

230 children all found and rescued!

 

[Marilynilpa]

Ok, I am going to sound really naive here, and I probably don't want to know the answer to this question, but....

Has anyone EVER seen evidence that this "human trafficking" really happens? I know it gets speculated on in every case. But has it ever been proven? Who buys kids?! How would this black market operate? How would the people who want to buy kids ever hook up with the people who want to sell kids? Where do they house them? How has no kid ever escaped and told the story of how he/she was sold into some child slave/sex ring?

It just seems like something that gets brought up because it is our worst fear. But I don't think I've ever seen proof that something like this really exists.

Here's one link that is interesting IMO:

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/15/5-things-to-know-about-human-trafficking/


"2. It's happening where you live. Stories about human trafficking are often set in far-away places, like cities in Cambodia, small towns in Moldova, or rural parts of Brazil. But human trafficking happens in cities and towns all over the world, including in the United States. Enslaved farmworkers have been found harvesting tomatoes in Florida and picking strawberries in California. Young girls have been forced into prostitution in Toledo, Atlanta, Wichita, Los Angeles, and other cities and towns across America. Women have been enslaved as domestic workers in homes in Maryland and New York. And human trafficking victims have been found working in restaurants, hotels, nail salons, and shops in small towns and booming cities. Wherever you live, chances are some form of human trafficking has taken place there."

BBM

 

[hollyblue]

Ok, I am going to sound really naive here, and I probably don't want to know the answer to this question, but....

Has anyone EVER seen evidence that this "human trafficking" really happens? I know it gets speculated on in every case. But has it ever been proven? Who buys kids?! How would this black market operate? How would the people who want to buy kids ever hook up with the people who want to sell kids? Where do they house them? How has no kid ever escaped and told the story of how he/she was sold into some child slave/sex ring?

It just seems like something that gets brought up because it is our worst fear. But I don't think I've ever seen proof that something like this really exists.

Most are kids (teens) are picked up being runaways. Can't remember the area, but there was a prositution bust and come to find out one was 16 and being made to "perform" for her "caretakers". They were travelling from one big city to the next. The younger ones are sold to pedos. Google human trafficking, US.

 

[Anna1964]

Ok, I am going to sound really naive here, and I probably don't want to know the answer to this question, but....

Has anyone EVER seen evidence that this "human trafficking" really happens? I know it gets speculated on in every case. But has it ever been proven? Who buys kids?! How would this black market operate? How would the people who want to buy kids ever hook up with the people who want to sell kids? Where do they house them? How has no kid ever escaped and told the story of how he/she was sold into some child slave/sex ring?

It just seems like something that gets brought up because it is our worst fear. But I don't think I've ever seen proof that something like this really exists.

I recently followed a case on WS that opened my eyes on the existence of human trafficking. Anyone remember the boy ICE was looking for? I can't link anything right now, but there is a lot of info online. IIRC the FBI site had info also. I was shocked it was so widespread.

 

[Ollipop]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...ile-ring-europol/story-e6frf7lf-1226022892492

230 children all found and rescued!

So their "inventory" needs replenished.

Don't assume that all these ppl are on the bottom rung of society, either. Don't assume they all have to register when they move to your town. They're there, they have jobs, they have power, they have influence. They scare the sh** outta me.

 

[JaimeInLA]

What's with the "white vans"???

IMO, people are freaking out because of heightened tension and awareness and seeing suspicion everywhere.

Remember the DC sniper? Everyone thought he was driving a White Box Truck. Everyone in the entire country was on the lookout for a white box truck. In the end, he was driving a brown Oldsmobile, and had a boy in the trunk doing the shooting.

White vans are EVERYWHERE. It is the vehicle of choice for most service field jobs. Every plumber, car wash guy, phone repair man, cable man, carpet cleaner, appliance repair guy, painter, etc. has one! And they are usually driven by men, who probably aren't the most clean cut types.

I mean, it is great to be alert. But to me, this whole "white van" thing is completely over blown. We need to not lose focus.

 

[dotr]

I recently followed a case on WS that opened my eyes on the existence of human trafficking. Anyone remember the boy ICE was looking for? I can't link anything right now, but there is a lot of info online. IIRC the FBI site had info also. I was shocked it was so widespread.[/QUOTE

Thinking that we are just starting to scrape at the surface of H.T....
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91597&page=9

 

[iamnotagolem]

Ok, I am going to sound really naive here, and I probably don't want to know the answer to this question, but....

Has anyone EVER seen evidence that this "human trafficking" really happens? I know it gets speculated on in every case. But has it ever been proven? Who buys kids?! How would this black market operate? How would the people who want to buy kids ever hook up with the people who want to sell kids? Where do they house them? How has no kid ever escaped and told the story of how he/she was sold into some child slave/sex ring?

It just seems like something that gets brought up because it is our worst fear. But I don't think I've ever seen proof that something like this really exists.

There was a police report in our local paper that a lady called because a man stopped her on the street and asked if he could buy her 5 y/o niece. He went to the bank and the police arrested him, he had warrants out in two other places for his arrest.

 

[GrainneDhu]

If you get caught peeing on a gravel road here they put you on the Iowa sex offenders website. So I don't know how many of those are true pediphiles.

This is true.

Also, a lot of men were charged with "lewd and lascivious" in the 50s, 60s and 70s just for being in a gay bar and doing as little as staring another man in the eyes.

I'm not joking.

Those men were put on the sex offender list and not all of them had the will or means to go through the process to get taken off (generally, you need a criminal defence lawyer to handle it).

There are men on that list for having sex with a 16 year old... when they were 16 themselves (before Iowa revised the age of consent laws).

In one case, an Iowa man was charged with statutory rape for having sex with his 16 year old GF when he was 17. The day she turned 18, she left her parents' home and married him. They had three daughters, starting about 5 years after they married. Husband never set a foot wrong in the years since his conviction for statutory rape.

Then after the sex offender list came out, his name on it flagged some computer somewhere. Their eldest daughter was 15, which placed her in the age category he had been convicted of "preying on."

He was forced to move out of the family home and DHS was pressuring his wife to divorce him because otherwise, it would seem like she supported his "pedophilia."

The whole stupid thing dragged on for three years.

That's why Iowans place very little credence to the sex offender list. Mixed in with the truly dangerous are the stupid (urination in public), the oppressed (gays) and formerly over hormonal teenagers.

What the heck good is something like that?

 

[LivingJuicy]

Those images are absolutely fascinating to me! Thank you for giving us a look at what drugs and alcohol do to the brain. The images of the brains of persons addicted to nicotine and large amounts of caffeine would surprise most people!

I also want to say that people who are addicted to a harmful substance don't always love the drug more than their family. I was addicted to alcohol and I HATED it! I couldn't function without it, I was a slave to the next bottle, it was awful. Still it took me three voluntary stints in rehab where I learned to give up control over my life. I had to learn to completely depend on God to take care of me, no matter how bad I felt. I still suffer from depression and anxiety but I no longer use alcohol or any other drug to numb the pain. I comply with my doctors orders for any pharmaceutical drugs I might need and I no longer feel the need to drink...even the smell of alcohol is repulsive to me!

I am so very grateful to God that He patiently waited for me to have the courage to give up trying to fix my life on my own. He gave me the ability to be a good mom instead of ruining my children's lives. Most recently, God has given me a precious grandson, who I adore!

So many others still suffer, but recovery is possible. It takes determination, willingness to accept professional medical help, to admit shortcomings, and willingness to forgive yourself and others. Those who refuse to give up no matter how many times they fail can recover!

I hope that Elisabeth and Lyric's family members will not give up ...times are very hard for them right now, but it is through tragedy that one sometimes finds the courage to overcome!

MOO

I'm way behind but this really touched me. Thank you for sharing..

 

[JenInNs]

IMO, people are freaking out because of heightened tension and awareness and seeing suspicion everywhere.

Remember the DC sniper? Everyone thought he was driving a White Box Truck. Everyone in the entire country was on the lookout for a white box truck. In the end, he was driving a brown Oldsmobile, and had a boy in the trunk doing the shooting.

White vans are EVERYWHERE. It is the vehicle of choice for most service field jobs. Every plumber, car wash guy, phone repair man, cable man, carpet cleaner, appliance repair guy, painter, etc. has one! And they are usually driven by men, who probably aren't the most clean cut types.

I mean, it is great to be alert. But to me, this whole "white van" thing is completely over blown. We need to not lose focus.

BBM...

However, if the *eye witness* states it was a white van, then it was a white van as far as we know. For the father to be able to further state that it was an astro- clearly he must have gotten a good look at it. Yep, he could still be wrong, but I don't feel it's likely. JMO

 

[Ollipop]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...ile-ring-europol/story-e6frf7lf-1226022892492

230 children all found and rescued!

Dubbed Operation Rescue, Europol said the probe started three years ago, and targeted an online network, its server based in The Netherlands, with almost 70,000 members worldwide at its height. It has since been taken down.

70,000 members? 70,000!!!! In one online network. Likely not the only network.

The task of exposing these is huge, and likely hindered both by powerful and influential members, ignorance or unwillingness to believe by outsiders, and by peripheral witnesses protecting their own interests (Penn State, et al.)

 

[GrainneDhu]

I think it has to be someone they know!

We have 2 young girls here that were made aware of stranger danger.
If a stranger accosted them id think one or both would bolt Or even one would scream..

I find it very confusing they were out in the open and no one saw anything!

I think they really need to talk to that person that said they saw them around 2 30...
That raises red flags for me because ppl were looking for them then.

First of all, it is a myth that "stranger danger" training actually works. It has been proven over and over again that it does not work with anything approaching reliability.

Second (and this ties in with the first), if you do a search on the poster Ollipop, you'll find a bunch of photos he took of the area where the girls' bicycles were found. From across the lake in the parking area (which is where many of the media footage was taken), it does look open.

But when you get to that actual place in Ollipop's photos, there's an approximately 210 yard length of trail that is double fenced, with vines and undergrowth on both fences. There's a dip and a blind curve there with overhanging trees and it cannot be seen from across the lake. It actually looks very secluded.

The reason this is important is because Interstate 380 runs right above that stretch of trail. The traffic is constant and usually bumper to bumper due to construction. The noise for I-380 masks sound very effectively. So even if one of the girls screamed, there's no guarantee a scream could be heard over the general loud traffic noise of the area.

LE has not shared who they have talked to, other than the family. One or two witnesses have come forward in the media but their comments have tended to confuse the case rather than clarify it.

The most recent stories I've read say that there has been no reduction in the number of officers working the case.

 

[JaimeInLA]

Thanks everyone. Now I am thoroughly disgusted. Bleh. And no, I don't want to google it! LOL!

I still think -- EYE ON THE BALL. It is a possibility. A very, very remote possibility that these girls were picked up for human trafficking.

It is a much more likely possibility that they were taken for reasons that hit much closer to home.

 

[Ollipop]

<insert deafening uncomfortable silence as everyone simultaneously reads links to human trafficking and is shocked beyond belief>

 

[RavenTrue]

I wish we knew why LE says they have reason to believe these girls are alive. This is a huge piece of the puzzle.

Naming persons of interest can't come fast enough for me.

 

[GrainneDhu]

It's usually listed as their crime is indecent exposure.

In Iowa City, it was often charged as "lewd and lascivious" behaviour.

 

[GrainneDhu]

There is a river 1/2 a block from Collin's home, has it been searched? I know I've brought up the river several times, I just can't get over how close it is to the house, it runs the whole length down towards the lake. Maybe past cases have just made me lean towards rivers as disposal sites.

The Cedar River has been searched. It is running low this year and I cannot believe, between the search and water level, that bodies would not be found.