IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #1

[nursebeeme]

Authorities have started draining Meyers Lake near Evansdale, in the search for two girls missing since Friday.

Black Hawk County Chief Deputy, Rick Abben, says draining of Meyers Lake could take two days.

8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook were last seen Friday afternoon by their grandmother around 12:15. Authorities are manning a tipline in the case 24 hours a day at 319-232-6682.

In addition to draining the Lake, the investigation goes on 24/7, said Abben.

The FBI has been going door to door interviewing Evansdale residents. Authorities have also been stopping vehicles at Evansdale street intersection in the search for the missing cousins. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also involved in the search.

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19023342/evansdale-police-searching-for-two-missing-girls

 

[nursebeeme]

some info on the lake:

City officials confirmed that they started to drain the lake, which is where the girls' bikes and a purse were found Friday. Authorities said it would take several days to drain the lake. The spring-fed lake is a former borrow pit that was dug to get rock during the construction of Interstate 380.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Lake-Being-Drained-in-Missing-Girls-Case-162634286.html

 

[ABeautifulRide]

thank you Jules :rocker:

I am still wondering why grandma doesn't know what they had on...

I would like to hear more about the morning/what happened at the house before they left on the bike ride.

My twelve year old daughter changes clothes as many times as the wind changes direction in a day. I can quickly see how grandma can't be sure what they were wearing.

 

[otto]

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19023342/evansdale-police-searching-for-two-missing-girls

Thanks. So if they're draining the lake, they haven't yet completely ruled out the possibility that they went into the water, perhaps voluntarily.

 

[panthera]

Per google maps, it is approx 1.5 miles from Lederman's to the SE corner of the lake via the bike route and takes 7-8 mins. They could have left at 12:15 and arrived at 12:22 - then the tipster sees the bikes abandoned at 12:27. Pretty tight time frame though.

Very tight considering if that location is where the abduction occurred the man could have ridden up upon the crime being committed.

MOO

 

[liz b.]

BBM I also think LE knows something and is not saying what clues they do have.

It has been said that GM became alarmed when the girls were not back by 2pm. She then spent an hour searching for them. Wonder where she looked ? I don't recall reading anything about that hour that GM looked for them... And when LE was called at 3p.m., they went quite quickly to the lake area. HUGE clue there, IMO...Did GM talk to someone in that hour that she spent looking for the girls, and they told her that they went to the lake ? Or something like that ? JMO

 

[nursebeeme]

My twelve year old daughter changes clothes as many times as the wind changes direction in a day. I can quickly see how grandma can't be sure what they were wearing.

but grandma claims they asked her if they could go for a bike ride and she last *saw* them at 1215 when they left on the short bike ride...

also previous outfits would most likely be found scattered on the floor if they changed (if they are anything like my tween son who also changes his clothes a few times a day)

but true maybe that is what the confusion is related to... maybe there was evidence of clothing being changed but no idea what outfits they changed into.

 

[BelieveinUFO]

map posted on the chat (link in previous messages)

 

[Jules71]

I thought I read the girls usually rode bikes but not for longer than 10-20 mins. If that is the case, and G'ma last saw them as they left at 12:15 - wouldn't she be expecting to see them earlier than 2? Or were they told to be home at 2 and when they weren't she became worried?

 

[Wondergirl]

I would just like to point out, that I read the posts by the tipsters daughter on FB, and the tipster and the daughter checked their phones for the time of the call, and it was 12:27 pm that day.

BUT

She said her Dad called her after he went to the washroom, which was immediately after he seen the bikes. Not sure "where" he went the washroom, but, technically, this could bump the siting of the bikes in the timeline back at least 2 minutes and as much as 10, really.

FWIW

 

[nursebeeme]

I would just like to point out, that I read the posts by the tipsters daughter on FB, and the tipster and the daughter checked their phones for the time of the call, and it was 12:27 pm that day.

BUT

She said her Dad called her after he went to the washroom, which was immediately after he seen the bikes. Not sure "where" he went the washroom, but, technically, this could bump the siting of the bikes in the timeline back at least 2 minutes and as much as 10, really.

FWIW

ita... I think one of the locals posted that he rode to the gas station (few minutes ride)

something is off with the last seen time imhoo... (maybe grandma wasn't looking at a clock or her clock was off)

either way this is one of the tightest timelines I have ever seen....

 

[shefner]

I would just like to point out, that I read the posts by the tipsters daughter on FB, and the tipster and the daughter checked their phones for the time of the call, and it was 12:27 pm that day.

BUT

She said her Dad called her after he went to the washroom, which was immediately after he seen the bikes. Not sure "where" he went the washroom, but, technically, this could bump the siting of the bikes in the timeline back at least 2 minutes and as much as 10, really.

FWIW

Wonder if LE has checked the tipster?

 

[roseofsharon]

There is a bar on the map that looks a short distance from the lake. Is it open on Sunday and what time does it open. Does the bar have video surveillance in the parking lot. If it is open on Sundays, is it busy on Sundays or just a handful of regulars.

Are there any indications near the lake area that people go there to party, i.e. beer cans, etc. Are people permitted to camp near the lake, as in pitch a tent just for the night.

If the girls met up with person(s) with harmful intent, imo, the person encountered the girls right where they were at the time and not from the interstate.

Just some thoughts.

 

[panthera]

ita... I think one of the locals posted that he rode to the gas station (few minutes ride)

something is off with the last seen time imhoo... (maybe grandma wasn't looking at a clock or her clock was off)

either way this is one of the tightest timelines I have ever seen....

This is exactly why I question the time the grandmother actually saw the girls. It could be as you said that her clock wasn't correct, or maybe she misread it by an hour - such as 11:15 instead?

If only there were confirmed sightings by other parties.

MOO

 

[lishac23]

Any idea how far apart the bikes were found? From the pics it looks like they were a pretty good distance apart (when you take into consideration if they were riding together and voluntarily dropped their bikes, the bikes would be next to each other). Also if they were going for a swim, I would imagine that the purse/bag with the cell phone in it would have been found next to the lake. I can't figure a good reason why a they would toss the phone over the fence (presumbly to keep it with them) but not pick it back up on the other side.

I read through the posts and didn't see if any locals can give the estimated time it would take someone to ride a bike from the Big and Tall store to the area where the bikes were found. Is it possible to get to the lake on a bike in 12 minutes?

 

[nursebeeme]

http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kgan_vid_12021.shtml

still no clues (video at link)

myself: I don't think that LE has any clue as to what happened to them at this point :moo: in the video the LEO says they have nothing beneficial to help the investigation... :-(

 

[nursebeeme]

Abben said local, state and federal officials have been "grasping for straws" in the frantic search. A tip line turned up numerous reports of articles of clothing that had been found, but none belonged to the girls. He said it was as if they had just disappeared.
"It wouldn't be proper for me to stand here and tell you we have a theory because we don't," he said. "We have two missing girls, and we have no idea why."
He said the decision to drain the lake was made to rule out with 100 percent certainty that the girls are not in the water. Once that's done, all resources can be used elsewhere.
FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault said the agency was working to get photos of the missing girls onto more billboards and websites. She said the bureau was sending in dogs trained to search for human scents in the area where the girls went missing.
Chari Paulson, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said 15 agents had been assigned to the search for the missing girls since the agency joined the effort Saturday. She said agents are chasing any leads or information from the public and the family or searchers as they are brought to their attention.
"These are some of the most important types of cases we work, finding missing kids. We are deploying any and all resources we can to help resolve this case," she said.
Abben said the sex offender interviews led to no new information.
"Everyone has been cleared," Abben said. "We have no concerns with that."http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...chTqUw?docId=1ec883af5ace4e25acec4461bc845994

much more at link

 

[trigger]

It has been said that GM became alarmed when the girls were not back by 2pm. She then spent an hour searching for them. Wonder where she looked ? I don't recall reading anything about that hour that GM looked for them... And when LE was called at 3p.m., they went quite quickly to the lake area. HUGE clue there, IMO...Did GM talk to someone in that hour that she spent looking for the girls, and they told her that they went to the lake ? Or something like that ? JMO

ITA Hopefully Jane asks her these questions..

Also I hope Jane asks LE were there any signs of a struggle at the lake? footprints? Any tire marks? Touch DNA done.


raying:

 

[liz b.]

Has to be a good reason for the 12 :15p.m. last time they were seen being stated. GM has not wavered,has not said anything else. Presumably she has told LE and the FBI that she last saw them then. And,for sure, they would have asked her.And re-asked her. It looks to be firm...MOO

 

[Morethenrubies]

If the girls where exploring, I wonder if there are any kind of holes they could have fallen into? Strange I know, but I keep remembering something from when I was younger of a child falling into a hole that went really deep down.