otto
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The only real similarities in the cases are that they both took place in eastern Iowa as well as the mass media coverage. I can't see them being connected.
I think the massive media coverage is due to the fact that the Evansdale cousins, and Mollie, vanished in extremely unusual circumstances that led to the immediate suspicion of a stranger abduction. Police spent days searching Meyers Lake because the bikes, as well as Lizzie's phone and purse, misled police to believe that the girls were in the area. The predator deliberately left evidence that led police in the wrong direction. I suspect that the digital trail that led police to the Guernsey area is the same tactic - deliberate evidence to mislead police. This suggests to me a very calculating predator with a good understanding of technology who cleverly uses an understanding of investigative techniques to manipulate investigators into wasting time looking in the wrong place.
The fact that social media suspected Lyric's parents due to drug problems is nothing new, but parental drug problems has yet to lead to directly causing the murder of a child. For example, when Jessica Ridgeway disappeared, social media focused on "single mom" issues and questioned drug use, when Victoria Stafford was murdered, social media was rabid with accusations against her mom due to her drug use. In both cases, the victim's mothers had nothing to do with the disappearances.
What is most significant for me is the July 13, 2012 abductions of Lyric and Elizabeth, and the July 18, 2018 abduction of Mollie. I'm of the opinion that everyone who lives in the farming community between Evansdale and Brooklyn should be reflecting on the behavior of family and friends around those two time periods.