IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #22

[carbuff]

We had a 500 year drought this year. Water levels at all levels were a
fraction of normal across the whole State... in August-Sept especially ..
levels for barge traffic on the Miss have stabilised only in the last two
weeks after a few rains in November ..

Inland rivers are 50% of normal or lower ... most about 1/3rd of normal
or even lower. Not sure of the current Wapsi level but it has to still be at
1/3rd or lower ...

In those pictures, it doesn't even look deep enough to float a canoe except in the center of the main channel.

 

[cindersoot]

Remember how low Meyer's Lake was when they drained it? It wasn't going to take as long to drain because of the drought....so I know at the time all water levels there were low...

I just remember visiting Evansdale in August, and the rivers were not low. Right now they are horrible, but it took awhile.

 

[cindersoot]

Locals...would that spot be fairly inaccessible when it's summer?

Does the undergrowth die off as well as the trees?

forests are evergreen here so I can't really visualise it...what I'm trying to ask is if it's likely they were dumped after autumn began, not before?

Yes, because weeds and undergrowth flourishes here,.

 

[dadgum]

I don't think we can assume anything about whether the autopsies were quick or not. Clearly these cases would be priority #1. And if anything, I would assume skeletal remains would be quicker to autopsy, if you think about what a full autopsy entails. So really, I don't think the autopsies being completed in a few days time means abolutely anything relevant other than the fact that they are completed.

I'm thinking that there will be a tentative ID very soon, with official confirmation by DNA at a later point.

I do hope so. Some comments did refer to how long the autopsy took, I was wondering about the actual recovery time, ie buried or contained bones versus scattered, speculation of lack of decomposition (or early stages)..although they are scouring the area for evidence, the remains in total seem to have been removed rather quickly.

If the autopsies are completed, they probably are not there sifting through the soil and grasses for remains at this point. I pray they are finding something helpful there. And that at least some information is released about time frames, and locations.

One of the photos, farther out, looks as if the girls were closer to river's bank than it first appeared. It can be seen through the trees as it curve to the 'right'.

 

[princessk]

I still don't see diddly squat in those pictures as far as burial/placement and water/ditches. You guys are better than me. I guess I must be really stupid.

 

[georger]

Yeah, I had been wondering that too. Those two white bags/tents/whatever they are look like they're in low spot, almost a channel, where high water would flow. I was thinking flash flood, but I don't know whether Iowa gets those. It would have to be unusually high water, because they're above the channel marks.

No flash floods!!! in IOWA this year !!! This was a 500 year drought...

Groundwater is still 9-12 inches below normal ... the drought sucked every
drop of H2O out of mother earth here this year ...

 

[georger]

Locals...would that spot be fairly inaccessible when it's summer?

Does the undergrowth die off as well as the trees?

forests are evergreen here so I can't really visualise it...what I'm trying to ask is if it's likely they were dumped after autumn began, not before?

see the Gazette photos previously posted - thats how it is here/there.

 

[joerose]

Sokay joe, I don't believe it is related to Lyric's parents drug hstory either but your thoughts and opinions are just as valid as mine. Keep contributing, our toes are all used to theoies that don't line up to our own.

Thank you for that nice comment. I appreciate that. To tell you the truth, I hope that it didn't have anything to do with the drug activity. That would be just horrible on top of horrible. The picture of her father hugging the tree on one of the news sites is heartbreaking. I am sure there are no words to describe his agony and grief.

 

[Dr. Know?]

Interesting there are trails from Meyers Lake to 7 Bridges. My only option was by bike on google. 21.4 miles. We haven't owned atv's for a long time, how many miles can they go before refueling? I'd think a good one today could go quite far.

I'm just looking at all options to get from one place to the other. It's possible but I'd see two atv's being needed and someone friendly they knew giving them a ride in the woods as not to be noticed as odd or carrying something.

just guessing

sucks that google hates me because I won't give them all my info...lol

Search 7 Bridges County Park and Meyers Lake on google maps.

 

[Jacie Estes]

A question for the locals; looking at Hollye's map, are there farms to the south, southwest and west of the spot where the girls were found? Is it just a few farm houses or are there developments, trailer parks and random houses? TIA

ERA: buildings in a radius of 3-10 miles from the spot where they were found.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msi...a9fb56b4658&msa=0&iwloc=0004c4d406effc9c7306f

 

[carbuff]

No flash floods!!! in IOWA this year !!! This was a 500 year drought...

Groundwater is still 9-12 inches below normal ... the drought sucked every
drop of H2O out of mother earth here this year ...

Yep, as I said, the locals made it clear that wasn't a possibility. It would have taken above average levels to reach that spot, not below

I don't see any real good options for how they got there. Not enough water for a boat or canoe. A long way to carry or drag a 140-lb body, even for a large strong man. The ATV seems most likely.

 

[danzn16]

I am surprised that they were placed so close to the stream. I would again think that placing them further into the woods and undergrowth would make them harder to be found. Those new pictures put it more into perspective. If the perp didn't care about whether they were found then why go off trail? But just to put them in a spot that was partially in the open from the water or if walking down the stream?

 

[dadgum]

I still don't see diddly squat in those pictures as far as burial/placement and water/ditches. You guys are better than me. I guess I must be really stupid.

Find the two white specs near the center. That marks where the girls were found. You can follow the riverbed as it curves through..the water level is low, but you can see where it usually flows...

 

[tlcya]

I still don't see diddly squat in those pictures as far as burial/placement and water/ditches. You guys are better than me. I guess I must be really stupid.

Prncess, don't make me smack you with a red herring

There will be no namecalling here at WS, not even of yourself

The beauty of Websleuths is that we all bring different viewpoints and perspectives.

If you don't see it, you just don't see it that way. No stupid people here, you included.

 

[carbuff]

I still don't see diddly squat in those pictures as far as burial/placement and water/ditches. You guys are better than me. I guess I must be really stupid.

No, not stupid -- the photos are not that clear and your view could be correct.

There's nothing about burial except speculation that those two white tarp/tent looking things mark the spots where the bodies were found. Some people think it looks like the ground is lower there, like a ditch or channel, but it's hard to tell from these pictures.

 

[cindersoot]

I know in the county I live in, in July and August we have less rain than BlackHawk county and we had 4 drownings in the Iowa river.

 

[dadgum]

Interesting there are trails from Meyers Lake to 7 Bridges. My only option was by bike on google. 21.4 miles. We haven't owned atv's for a long time, how many miles can they go before refueling? I'd think a good one today could go quite far.

I'm just looking at all options to get from one place to the other. It's possible but I'd see two atv's being needed and someone friendly they knew giving them a ride in the woods as not to be noticed as odd or carrying something.

just guessing

sucks that google hates me because I won't give them all my info...lol

Search 7 Bridges County Park and Meyers Lake on google maps.

Whoa! I can see my house from here...:seeya:

 

[MotherOcean]

Interesting there are trails from Meyers Lake to 7 Bridges. My only option was by bike on google. 21.4 miles. We haven't owned atv's for a long time, how many miles can they go before refueling? I'd think a good one today could go quite far.

I'm just looking at all options to get from one place to the other. It's possible but I'd see two atv's being needed and someone friendly they knew giving them a ride in the woods as not to be noticed as odd or carrying something.

just guessing

Google Maps

(if the link doesn't work just search google maps and choose biking)

In the first month or so after the abduction I felt quite strongly that an ATV was involved, but I thought it would have traveled south rather than north. At some point it was discussed that Lyric's father used an ATV but that's not why I thought that at all. It just seemed the easiest way to get two girls off of the nature trail at the lake and whisked away with no one noticing a commotion.

 

[cindersoot]

How far does the nature trail that runs into evandale go? The trail that bikers take. Would it run as far north as that park?

 

[princessk]

Find the two white specs near the center. That marks where the girls were found. You can follow the riverbed as it curves through..the water level is low, but you can see where it usually flows...

Thanks! This picture helps, but I still don't see the bodies being close enough to be from the water. Maybe dropped off from the water, but not from the water itself. Am I wrong?