IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #23

[keeponsearching]

At that time of year, it was all really green, and easy to cover up, I would think.

 

[GrainneDhu]

I am thankful to live in a community where alerts and warnings ARE provided to the public in all kinds of situations from strings of home invasions, assaults and/or rapes on the bike path, purse snatchings at the local Walmart, to "killer on the loose". There are even warnings issued when a potentially dangerous animal is loose!

Locallly, when such a warning IS NOT issued with a certain crime, it is usually because a supect is already in custody, known to LE, or somehow connected to a victim through affiliation, drugs, family, or targeting.

Just my opinion, as always!

Different states, different communities. I am equally grateful to live in an area where warnings are extremely rare.

In the Evelyn Miller case, it was clear from the very beginning who was guilty and anyone could tell who the top suspect was (he was recently charged with her murder) by what LE was saying or not saying. I haven't seen any similar statements or behaviour on the part of LE that indicates any known suspect in this case.

 

[GrainneDhu]

Misty has been living in what I assume is either rehab or supervised housing in an effort of deal with her drug issues. Perhaps her contact with family is deliberately limited so that she can focus on her own recovery.

ETA: Oops, I was certain I had seen reports in MSM regarding Misty living in some type of supervised housing or rehab since her hospitalization in August, but can't find a link. Does anyone else remember reading that anywhere?? If not, then I'll delete this post because maybe it's just rumor.

I don't have the link but I know it was in the article about the on/off court hearing she was going to in CR. The request for a hearing ahd the request to withdraw were both sealed records.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I am thinking that they cut down some of the grass around the bodies. Bullets in trees? There was a photo posted earlier that seems to show the nearby trees intact in maps when the bodies were found and after the bodies were removed.

I don't know to whom I should attribute this photo (apologies ... it's just open on the computer now), but it's perfect! I'm just wondering if the vantage point for the photo is a bit to the right ... because of the different positions of the twisted tree in the two photos.

Thanks for posting this. Assuming this spot is indeed where the girls were found, these photos really seem to illustrate that the area is a clearing of some sort. The very large trees are around the area, not in the area, so you would imagine in summer it isn't very shady.

So...you wish to hide two bodies. You take them somewhere almost inaccessible, probably in unpleasant conditions...and you leave them in a clearing? If I were hiding a body, it would be somewhere much less in the open, in the real forest which has all the tiers of growth including overhead.

Does anyone agree? Would you get them all that way into the forest just to drop them in a clearing?

Doesn't make sense, psychologically...unless...warning, graphic

Ivan Milat's victims who were mostly let go in clearings for more fun watching them try to run from his bullets. :sick:

 

[cheko1]

Thanks for posting that, the article answers some questions many of us have been asking over the past few days.

I am amazed at the strength of Heather's faith. I don't believe my faith would remain that strong if I had to go through the nightmare she has faced. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard of a mother who is so forgiving towards the killer(s) of her child. JMO

I am always amazed by people with strong faith......I would never be able to forgive someone for killing my daughter. Maybe that makes me a bad person. I don't know!

 

[Foxfire]

We don't know what was cut because there are no good photos showing that anything was cut. If anything was cut, it has to be because there is a possibility that there is evidence. There's no other reason ... except maybe someone wanted to back a vehicle into the area, but I doubt it. Anything that was cut for forensic reasons would have been cut with a chain saw. Anything eaten by a beaver has a cone shaped chew pattern. Anything that fell down or has a bent trunk doesn't count.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/evansdal...cle_c3933712-40ae-11e2-9eac-001a4bcf887a.html. Heather's sister in law's facebook awareness page would have happened no matter what, but I can't figure out the other person's connection yet.

ETA: I'm not sure I would give as much credit to facebook as facebook takes ... it seems to me that sometime the facebook pages grow out of the public awareness, not the other way around.

RE: Facebook awareness

Otto, not sure if I am agreeing or disagreeing with your opinion about the credit deserved by facebook. Imo, facebook & other social media sites have become very good awareness tools in missing/murdered persons investigations.
The GA case of missing Ivy Merck is only one of many that were solved due to the awareness provided by facebook combined with the growing influence of crime sleuthing internet forums such as Websleuths. The missing/murdered families & organizations are growing rapidly in numbers each year due to these amazing sites, imo. MS Media, both local & national follow these sites creating additional exposure that would ordinarily be given little or no attention.
The American public is the most valuable resource in missing/murdered persons investigations, imo..


Family's perseverance, social networking led to recovery of missing Athens woman
By JOE JOHNSONupdated Monday, September 17, 2012
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/...-networking-led-recovery-missing-athens-woman

 

[SouthernMom]

I gleaned two things from the following article:


snip <<Tall grass that once covered the area was cut in the search, and bushes and saplings were clipped.>>

snip <<The remote location is mainly used by hunters, fisherman and the occasional camper. Those searching for mushrooms frequent the area in the spring.>>

My observations are that
1.the area where the girls were found may not have been a "clearing" as some have thought until it was cleared by LE. and
2. Meyers Lake, where the girls disappeared, was also used by fishermen.

Just something to ponder.



http://wcfcourier.com/news/evansdale_search/update-missing-cousins-bodies-found-in-remote-area-of-seven/article_eb5c81b6-42db-11e2-b39a-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[marie-chantal]

I'm curious ... after police put crime scene tape up at 7 Bridges Park, did they look for any other bodies? ... or are they certain that this local person has not done this before? I think is worthwhile sending a trained search party to the park one more time to ensure that there are no other bodies in the nearby vicinity. Casey Anthony reportedly buried animals in the same location where she left her daughter. Maybe the guy associates the area with dead animals.

Anyone know how long the park has no longer been looked after in terms of having children's attractions and organized activities? When did the 270 Street Bridge collapse? Did this perp discover this park after it was abandoned, does he have experience with hunting in the area and what year was hunting first allowed in the county park?

I don't believe that this is the first violent offense for this murderer. Morgan Harrington's mother said that no one starts with murdering a young woman ... let alone two children. No one starts with multiple victim child murders. This guy has to be on police or neighbor radar as being gregarious, but not friendly.

Are they any rural people that shut down their cell phone service between July 13 at noon and July 14 at about 5 AM ... and have a lot of cats?

BBM

I'm trying to get caught up, so I apologize if this has already been explained in the thread, but why the question about having cats?

 

[Foxfire]

Thanks for posting this. Assuming this spot is indeed where the girls were found, these photos really seem to illustrate that the area is a clearing of some sort. The very large trees are around the area, not in the area, so you would imagine in summer it isn't very shady.

So...you wish to hide two bodies. You take them somewhere almost inaccessible, probably in unpleasant conditions...and you leave them in a clearing? If I were hiding a body, it would be somewhere much less in the open, in the real forest which has all the tiers of growth including overhead.

Does anyone agree? Would you get them all that way into the forest just to drop them in a clearing?

Doesn't make sense, psychologically...unless...warning, graphic

Ivan Milat's victims who were mostly let go in clearings for more fun watching them try to run from his bullets. :sick:

Scavengers of all species frequent rivers and other water sources, swamps, ponds, etc.. The closer the remains are placed to a water source, the faster the elimination of incriminating and indictable evidence.
The sandy soil found near the banks of a river would provide for easier digging (should a shallow grave be used). Due to the sunlight provided by the clearing space, the weeds and underbrush would flourish, concealing the bodies or shallow graves, as shown in the photo. The tree roots, accumulation of leaves, and thick canopy in the adjacent forest would discourage underbrush growth and allow a less than desirable concealment of the bodies or shallow graves. jmho

ANIMAL SCAVENGERS AS AGENTS OF DECOMPOSITION
http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-06092011-103357/unrestricted/Jones_thesis.pdf

footnote re trees: Bucks, that also frequent rivers rub & thrash trees & saplings during the rut. They also spar with other Bucks to establish dominance. Many times destroying small trees and deadwood.

Whitetail Buck Rut Behavior HD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=gGqnaqn0RnM&feature=fvwp

Whitetail Buck Rut Behavior - YouTube

 

[SouthernMom]

Does anyone agree? Would you get them all that way into the forest just to drop them in a clearing?

According to the following article, the area was cleared by LE. In mid July, it may have looked much greener and overgrown. My thoughts are that the perp was very familiar with the location, accustomed to navigating these types of locations easily, and considered it to be a good hiding place. I wonder if he hadn't fantasized about committing this crime and thought about how he would get away with such a thing.
Note that people also fished in the lake where the girls went missing. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/evansdale_search/update-missing-cousins-bodies-found-in-remote-area-of-seven/article_eb5c81b6-42db-11e2-b39a-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[Adair88]

Re - Misty's parole violation.

I can't find the article I read (typical) but unlinkable sources say that the overdose she took in August (remember she was sent to hospital) resulted in another 5 months of residential treatment in the Waterloo facility.

Which takes her through to January.

Maybe locals can find the court records?

I will keep looking...damn I hate losing links.

I know for a fact it is true, but can't look up the link right now. Try looking for the article mentioning that her parole violation charge was dropped by prosecutors recently.

 

[SapphireSteel]

According to the following article, the area was cleared by LE. In mid July, it may have looked much greener and overgrown. My thoughts are that the perp was very familiar with the location, accustomed to navigating these types of locations easily, and considered it to be a good hiding place. I wonder if he hadn't fantasized about committing this crime and thought about how he would get away with such a thing.
Note that people also fished in the lake where the girls went missing. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

http://wcfcourier.com/news/evansdale_search/update-missing-cousins-bodies-found-in-remote-area-of-seven/article_eb5c81b6-42db-11e2-b39a-001a4bcf887a.html

To my mind, they haven't cut down any large trees (old growth), if they had they'd still be logging and there'd be drag marks our huge trunks everywhere.

It appears to be a natural clearing...or at least, to not have a thick canopy overhead like the rest of the area.

I just find something about this dump site to be so odd, I'm trying out every theory to explain it.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I know for a fact it is true, but can't look up the link right now. Try looking for the article mentioning that her parole violation charge was dropped by prosecutors recently.

I found what I thought was a link, and got "PAGE NOT FOUND" on the wcf courier.

I hate when they do that.

 

[tlcya]

I don't have the link but I know it was in the article about the on/off court hearing she was going to in CR. The request for a hearing ahd the request to withdraw were both sealed records.

I believe that info came from Wylma, perhaps on HLN (JVM or NG) seems like I saw video of the statement being made, perhaps when one of those shows were revisiting the case recently (pre bodies discovery)

 

[foxbluff]

This is taken from JVM's telephone interview w/Tammy which aired Nov. 16, 2012

Note what Tammy says about Misty's location. I've suspected that Misty perhaps went into a more intense, more restrictive Rehab following the cancellation of her Fed. Ct. appearance.

copied/pasted/snipped/BBM:
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tammy?
BROUSSEAU: Hello? Yes?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I want to stop and pause for a second as you read this letter because to me, as you go through the letter and you tell them, "Be a hero not a monster," and you speak specifically, it almost feels to me like maybe somebody in the family has an idea of who`s out there, because I know that you believe the children are still alive? Police have suggested the children might still be alive. Let me put it that way. Are you -- are you -- is there somebody you have in mind?


BROUSSEAU: No, Jane, there`s nobody that we have in mind. As this letter was being written by my sister, you know, she`s saying, you know, "Maybe we do know who you are," you know. But we don`t know who they are. We don`t have a name.
The only hope that we are going on is that we don`t have two little deceased bodies, so that`s the only thing that gives us the reason to believe that the girls are still alive. And we must keep searching for them and not give up hope. <snipped>

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go back to Tammy Brousseau, the aunt of the two missing girls. Your sister Misty, who is Lyric`s mom, fell apart, understandably, my understanding is, after her daughter and her niece disappeared. And I understand that she ended up back at a halfway house. How is she doing? What`s going on with her?

BROUSSEAU: Misty is doing much better. You know, the disappearance of the girls, you know, as you guys can only imagine, and we are in a living nightmare.

You know, Misty did go downhill with the rest of us. I mean, we`re -- you know, there`s nothing good coming from this. We hold onto each other, you know. When one`s having a good day, you try to hold the other one up.

All that I want to say about Misty is she`s doing better. She has seeked [SIC] psychiatric help. And she will be released from the facility, the halfway house, as you guys call it. She`ll be released on January 30. <snipped>

 

[SouthernMom]

I just find something about this dump site to be so odd, I'm trying out every theory to explain it.

In a way, it reminds me of the area where the Long Island Serial Killer's victims were found, so isolated. I think it could have been used to commit the crime as well because it was far enough into the woods and away from the parking area that no one would have heard anything. This makes me lean even more towards the perp having a weapon of some sort to scare the girls into cooperating.

 

[hollyblue]

Thanks for posting this. Assuming this spot is indeed where the girls were found, these photos really seem to illustrate that the area is a clearing of some sort. The very large trees are around the area, not in the area, so you would imagine in summer it isn't very shady.

So...you wish to hide two bodies. You take them somewhere almost inaccessible, probably in unpleasant conditions...and you leave them in a clearing? If I were hiding a body, it would be somewhere much less in the open, in the real forest which has all the tiers of growth including overhead.

Does anyone agree? Would you get them all that way into the forest just to drop them in a clearing?

Doesn't make sense, psychologically...unless...warning, graphic

Ivan Milat's victims who were mostly let go in clearings for more fun watching them try to run from his bullets. :sick:

The article ^^^^ stated the area had been mowed and trimmed (trees) so LE could do the search. Some of our discussions and questions answered. Even tho there aren't many trees and much sunlight, as Grainne stated, the thick edging would still be there with tall grass and other vegatation....and although a drought season, you have the high humidity to consider for moisture. If placed there in the summer with waist high grass...no one would discover them. imo

Here's pic with a guy cutting high grass/vegatation and the area probably looked much like it the summertime, imo. Another showing the tall grass of Iowa. The midwestern US is prairie land and tall prairie grass covers much all of it. High humid also....and one of the reasons for the spawning of tornados.

 

[Wondergirl]

This is JMO, but, a perp who takes 2 victims is in an escalated mode, and would likely have prior criminal history, possibly unsolved.

 

[Marilynilpa]

This is taken from JVM's telephone interview w/Tammy which aired Nov. 16, 2012

Note what Tammy says about Misty's location. I've suspected that Misty perhaps went into a more intense, more restrictive Rehab following the cancellation of her Fed. Ct. appearance.

copied/pasted/snipped/BBM:
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tammy?
BROUSSEAU: Hello? Yes?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, I want to stop and pause for a second as you read this letter because to me, as you go through the letter and you tell them, "Be a hero not a monster," and you speak specifically, it almost feels to me like maybe somebody in the family has an idea of who`s out there, because I know that you believe the children are still alive? Police have suggested the children might still be alive. Let me put it that way. Are you -- are you -- is there somebody you have in mind?


BROUSSEAU: No, Jane, there`s nobody that we have in mind. As this letter was being written by my sister, you know, she`s saying, you know, "Maybe we do know who you are," you know. But we don`t know who they are. We don`t have a name.
The only hope that we are going on is that we don`t have two little deceased bodies, so that`s the only thing that gives us the reason to believe that the girls are still alive. And we must keep searching for them and not give up hope. <snipped>

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go back to Tammy Brousseau, the aunt of the two missing girls. Your sister Misty, who is Lyric`s mom, fell apart, understandably, my understanding is, after her daughter and her niece disappeared. And I understand that she ended up back at a halfway house. How is she doing? What`s going on with her?

BROUSSEAU: Misty is doing much better. You know, the disappearance of the girls, you know, as you guys can only imagine, and we are in a living nightmare.

You know, Misty did go downhill with the rest of us. I mean, we`re -- you know, there`s nothing good coming from this. We hold onto each other, you know. When one`s having a good day, you try to hold the other one up.

All that I want to say about Misty is she`s doing better. She has seeked [SIC] psychiatric help. And she will be released from the facility, the halfway house, as you guys call it. She`ll be released on January 30. <snipped>

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! :great: I thought I'd gone nuts!!

 

[passionflower]

If the girls were kept alive for 5 months, they should be found in fall/ winter clothes(I would hope) not summer clothes like they were in when they were kidnapped.
Also their hair would be longer, I doubt if a kidnapper would style their hair.
Lyric being the older one might of matured more in 5 months.
Would their own clothes/shoes even fit them right?
We will soon know the answers.
After Heathers article
http://www.kwwl.com/story/20310851/...beth-collins-speaks-about-her-daughters-death
really tore me up.

I hope we also hear from Dan and Misty.............for Lyric.