IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #31

[tlcya]

local to area. Spent time in readlyn area and partied there (7 bridges) with friends as a teen. I will bet money on it (and I am not a person of means so am NOT in the habit of betting). Also willing to bet he fourwheeled around the 7 bridges area quite a bit.

I just wish they would hurry up and locate and arrest him already so I can say nanner nanner, I was right ")

 

[Squeeze]

Yes, last time I went to seven bridges I forgot to take my directions with me and we got lost even though we had been there once before. We ended up in Gilbertville south of Evansdale and I stopped at a Caseys and asked for directions. The lady at the register didn't know, and two local men from Gilberville didn't know, then another man came in and said he thinks it's by Dunkerton, and told me to go that way. Which we did and once I drove thru Dunkerton I remembered how to get there. But, my point is, that even locals didn't know how to get to seven bridges. So I feel it was someone who has grown up in the area, like when the place was more popular.

Holy moly Cinder!! You WERE lost!! You weren't too far from ME!

 

[watcher9]

It was and they did - still do I think.

There are locals who have posted on this, I'll see if I can find the link.

The park was very well used by campers and picknickers (and partiers) until the bridge went out IIRC, now it's almost become the town dump.

BBM
That's the part I don't understand.
The bridge going out didn't prevent access to the park. It just prevented people from crossing the river. Why would that stop people from going there?

Could there have been some other reason people quit going there? Did the river change course? Did the park flood out? Did someone drown or get snake bitten?
Does anyone have an access to maps of the park and bridges from before and after?

 

[iamnotagolem]

It must be fairly well known to the locals near Readlyn, Denver, Waverly, dunkerton. Like ive said before, I'm from Waterloo and have never heard of it, and we own property near Fairbank. So the key would be someone probably living in Evansdale or visits frequently, with ties to that area.

I don't think that the park is frequented much now. Maybe the occasional camper, but how many people camp anymore without modern amenities??

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

I think it is done much more often than non-campers realize. I grew up camping in campgrounds. I haven't camped in a campground save once in the last 12 years. None of our friends or families camp in campgrounds. We hit the mountains and camp on forest land.

For us camping is cheap recreation, spending $20+ night on a campsite that eats into the cheap factor, not to mention you are feet away from hundreds of strangers with nothing by nylon to provide protection and privacy.

 

[iamnotagolem]

I came here to talk about how in the Leila Fowler murder (12 y/o brother arrested) it was mentioned that her brothers DNA would have been all over the house and not raised any suspicions. It makes me wonder if there was no foreign DNA found on Elizabeth and Lyric but that not being ample proof of anything.

 

[SapphireSteel]

I came here to talk about how in the Leila Fowler murder (12 y/o brother arrested) it was mentioned that her brothers DNA would have been all over the house and not raised any suspicions. It makes me wonder if there was no foreign DNA found on Elizabeth and Lyric but that not being ample proof of anything.

Exactly.

The fact that we have heard zero about DNA tells me that they either don't have any, or don't have any that is not explainable by day to day contact.

That is called "insufficient evidence". ullhair:

Abben said "we don't have a gender" which would imply that there is no stray male DNA.

 

[georger]

Abben said "we don't have a gender" which would imply that there is no stray male DNA.[/quote]

did I miss something? Has there been a statement about dna I missed?

To say "we don't have gender" is either saying they have no human dna
at all or, they don't have enough of a partial to even determine gender ?

 

[SapphireSteel]

Abben said "we don't have a gender" which would imply that there is no stray male DNA.

did I miss something? Has there been a statement about dna I missed?

To say "we don't have gender" is either saying they have no human dna
at all or, they don't have enough of a partial to even determine gender ?

Or, they have DNA but nothing foreign.

"No gender" also implies that whatever they do have, is not semen.

 

[SapphireSteel]

BBM
That's the part I don't understand.
The bridge going out didn't prevent access to the park. It just prevented people from crossing the river. Why would that stop people from going there?

Could there have been some other reason people quit going there? Did the river change course? Did the park flood out? Did someone drown or get snake bitten?
Does anyone have an access to maps of the park and bridges from before and after?

IIRC the city put a gate/chain across it, "closed" it, stopped maintaining it - it used to have picnic benches etc there.

Probably a financial decision - it was cheaper to close it than rebuild the bridge.

:twocents:

 

[alliemay]

Abben said "we don't have a gender" which would imply that there is no stray male DNA.

Not sure what date that statement was made, maybe at that time they did not have a gender but they do now and choose to keep quiet about it. I also wonder about men who cannot produce seamen, I think it's a rare condition but I have heard of it, don't know the medical name for it though.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Here's what the WCF Courier reported about Seven Bridges:

The bodies were found by hunters at Seven Bridges Wildlife Area at 12:45 p.m. The wildlife area is about 25 miles from Evansdale.

Investigators from several agencies were working in the tree-covered area, which is intersected by the Wapsipinicon River and is popular for hunting and fishing.

"I would call it more of a secluded area," said Bremer County Sheriff Dewey Hildebrandt. "But it does get regular visits from people that like to use the outdoors."

http://wcfcourier.com/news/evansdal...cle_394b71f6-3f2c-11e2-8ae9-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[Marilynilpa]

Regarding suspects:

But Heather Collins, the mother of Elizabeth, told CBS affiliate KCCI that police are looking at specific people.

Blackhawk County Chief Deputy Rick Abben didn't go nearly as far in a phone interview Monday afternoon, according to the station.

"We haven't aimed in on any one specific person or gender or anything like that," Abben said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...irl-8-says-police-are-eyeing-specific-people/

 

[tlcya]

regarding the DNA, if the bodies were there as long as many of us suspect, I would not expect to find DNA foreign or known.

 

[foxbluff]

Yes, last time I went to seven bridges I forgot to take my directions with me and we got lost even though we had been there once before. We ended up in Gilbertville south of Evansdale and I stopped at a Caseys and asked for directions. The lady at the register didn't know, and two local men from Gilberville didn't know, then another man came in and said he thinks it's by Dunkerton, and told me to go that way. Which we did and once I drove thru Dunkerton I remembered how to get there. But, my point is, that even locals didn't know how to get to seven bridges. So I feel it was someone who has grown up in the area, like when the place was more popular.

bbm - interesting.

Okay, I can understand them not being able to give you specific directions to 7bridges, but certainly they all immediately knew it was located in adjoining Bremer Co. and commented that it was where the two little girls' bodies had been found? TIA

 

[foxbluff]

regarding the DNA, if the bodies were there as long as many of us suspect, I would not expect to find DNA foreign or known.

bbm - I want so badly to believe they have DNA. I've tried, over and over again, to convince myself that they might. However, I don't believe they have the perp's DNA.

 

[foxbluff]

This meeting had been scheduled to take place the day after bodies were discovered at 7bridges...

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/bl...cle_a8465678-3e20-11e2-a01e-0019bb2963f4.html

[Date of Article: December 4, 2012] - Black Hawk County Sheriff, Bremer County Sheriff-Elect to Hold Town Hall Meeting

JANESVILLE, Iowa --- Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson will hold a town hall meeting Thursday with Bremer County Sheriff-elect Dan Pickett.
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The Bremer County Sheriff's Office and the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office cooperate in several investigative efforts, as well as partner in training endeavors and share resources.
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[Marilynilpa]

This sounds like a wonderful event:

http://www.traerstarclipper.com/pag...n-ongoing-for-Cherish-the-Child.html?nav=5011

 

[Marilynilpa]

This is from an article about the Cleveland case and missing children:

The Cleveland case also brings hope that if missing children cannot be returned alive, then at least those who did them harm can be brought to justice.

Family, friends and authorities hoped that Evansdale, Iowa, cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, would be found alive after they disappeared from Meyers Lake in Black Hawk County on July 13, 2012.

But in December, their bodies were found in the Seven Bridges Wildlife Park in Bremer County.

The search for their killers continues.

"We believed they would come home alive until the day we found them," said Evansdale Police Chief Kent Smock. "We were all heartbroken. But this case is still very much alive. We are following leads every day, both from public tips that have come in and things that we have uncovered."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/08/missing-children-parents-hope/2144223/

BBM

I still wish we knew why LE thought the girls were alive - was it just LE hoping for the best, or did they have a reason for feeling this way?

 

[cluciano63]

This is from an article about the Cleveland case and missing children:

The Cleveland case also brings hope that if missing children cannot be returned alive, then at least those who did them harm can be brought to justice.

Family, friends and authorities hoped that Evansdale, Iowa, cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, would be found alive after they disappeared from Meyers Lake in Black Hawk County on July 13, 2012.

But in December, their bodies were found in the Seven Bridges Wildlife Park in Bremer County.

The search for their killers continues.

"We believed they would come home alive until the day we found them," said Evansdale Police Chief Kent Smock. "We were all heartbroken. But this case is still very much alive. We are following leads every day, both from public tips that have come in and things that we have uncovered."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/08/missing-children-parents-hope/2144223/

BBM

I still wish we knew why LE thought the girls were alive - was it just LE hoping for the best, or did they have a reason for feeling this way?

IMO, they had nothing to indicate they were not alive. I think it was standard LE-speak, perhaps combined with an idea that taking and killing two girls was somewhat less likely than if just one child had gone missing. Perhaps they suspected for a while that they may have been taken as some sort of revenge issue. The situation of the pending court case and charges of the parent may have seemed too much of a coincidence to dismiss lightly.

 

[foxbluff]

This sounds like a wonderful event:

http://www.traerstarclipper.com/pag...n-ongoing-for-Cherish-the-Child.html?nav=5011

Yes, I agree... this is lovely. I wonder if any friends and/or family members of Lyric and Elizabeth have signed up?

The below is a quote (bolded by Foxb) taken from the link you provided (Ty, M.PA):

Registrations are now being received for the 4th Annual Cherish The Child Walk and Service of Remembrance hosted by Abels & French-Hand Funeral Homes of Grundy and Hardin County. This very special event is held each year to honor the memory of children who have died at any age, miscarriage through adulthood. The walk is a symbolic walk of less than 1 mile. The service of remembrance features parent, grandparent and sibling speakers, as well as special music and other commemorative activities. Karen Shipley of the Marshalltown Chapter of Compassionate Friends will be one the speakers for this year's service. The event will also include a moment for remembering Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins and the victims of the Sandy Hook School shooting.
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