IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, Evansdale, 13 July 2012 - #12

[balaney]

Please help as I am confused.
Does the multi-colored van belong to the person that sometimes stays near the path where the girls bikes were found?
Did the man with the multi-colored van paint it white?
If so, is his white van the same white van LE was looking for?
If so, was he questioned and released?
If so, did his son call and tell LE it was his father's van?
Do we know the man's name?

 

[otto]

This is a very interesting conversation to me! I spent most of my growing up years in southern CA and since then I have lived in various places in the southeastern U.S. and today is the first time I have EVER heard of a "pedalboat"! I've been on many "paddleboats" over the years (lets just say several years). I searched both words separately on google and the same pictures came up for both words (and all but one had 4-5 seats, BYW). If I asked someone around where I presently live if they knew where I could rent a pedalboat, I think I would get a strange look in return. That leads me to ponder the request from the person from the FBI -- what does a "paddleboat" mean to that person? And what about people that were at the lake that day? If you were at the lake on a canoe or kayak and, like me, only knew a "pedalboat/paddleboat" as a "paddleboat," you likely would not respond to the request from the FBI because you were in a canoe/kayak, not a paddleboat (as you knew it). That's fine if the FBI has the same definition in mind, but if the FBI person meant "paddleboat" (as canoe/kayak) as they are also called (by otto, for example), it's possible that someone on that type of watercraft did not respond to the FBI's request because they did not understand. I didn't explain that very well, but maybe everyone understands what I'm saying.

That makes perfect sense. If the FBI says "runner" when they mean "jogger" or perhaps even cyclist, they may also say "paddle boat" and mean "canoe or kayak". It may be a good idea for investigators to ask the public about any non-motor water crafts that they may have seen on the water, including canoes, kayaks and boats referred to as paddle boats ... just to be on the safe side and ensure that no one remains silent because they have the wrong idea about "paddle boat".

 

[GrainneDhu]

There Might have been more area to walk on outside the gate, because of the drought water levels are much lower this year

Meyer's Lake was described as being higher than the Cedar River.

Meyer's Lake is a borrow pond that is spring fed. The aquifers are still full, it's just the top soil that's dry.

But we had rain! A good pouring rain! My neighbour's soybeans may make it, though they are pretty puny beans.

Still, though. Rain!

 

[MNDad]

This is so frustrating. Doesn't NASA or the CIA have live video of the whole world that we could just rewind and see what happened?

 

[helpful]

If the FBI showed a picture of a paddle boat (meaning with pedals) to a group of Iowa LE officers and asked them "what would you call this thing?" I am quite certain all the native Iowans would say "Paddle boat."

If someone asked about a pedal boat, it would take me a long minute to figure out what on earth they meant.

I'm from the upper Midwest (not Iowa though). I'm also a linguist. I absolutely agree with you. A "paddle boat" is a small boat powered by pedaling. I have NEVER heard and would NEVER use "paddle boat" to describe a canoe, rowboat, or kayak.

(Also, every paddle boat I've ever seen has been pretty small - people mostly have them for fun, I think, not fishing or any extensive traveling. I think it's an awfully big stretch to think that a potential abductor was able to fit both Elizabeth and Lyric on the boat and then pedal away without arousing a ton of suspicion, considering the girls probably would have struggled. It's also a lot of work for one person to "drive" a boat like that, especially if they have an adult-sized passenger aboard.)

 

[Considering]

Where's Ollipop?

"Visiting" with his wife for awhile?

:giggle:

 

[nervous_nellie]

This is so frustrating. Doesn't NASA or the CIA have live video of the whole world that we could just rewind and see what happened?

i wish we had access to something like that too... but if not used for "good" purposes it might be kinda spooky.... i think we need more security cams that record..

 

[nikb]

Yep we're picturing exactly the same thing, I swore I'd seen one with a larger seat in the back as well but haven't seen one after much searching so it might've just been in the "stuff I remembered as a kid" category. Or it's now an antique

Sorry to be stuck on the paddle boat thing... I'll stop after this unless LE brings it up again. But just when you think you've seen it all, fresh eyes this morning turned up a new page: http://directboats.com/pedboat10and.html.

I'd seen the flamingo, duck, and swan (2 seater version) but wow... pirate ships, waterslides, 6-seaters? Only online and I sincerely doubt any of these would've been on that small lake but I have to take back what I said about not seeing 3 (or more) seat paddle boats.

 

[GrainneDhu]

I'm from the upper Midwest (not Iowa though). I'm also a linguist. I absolutely agree with you. A "paddle boat" is a small boat powered by pedaling. I have NEVER heard and would NEVER use "paddle boat" to describe a canoe, rowboat, or kayak.

(Also, every paddle boat I've ever seen has been pretty small - people mostly have them for fun, I think, not fishing or any extensive traveling. I think it's an awfully big stretch to think that a potential abductor was able to fit both Elizabeth and Lyric on the boat and then pedal away without arousing a ton of suspicion, considering the girls probably would have struggled. It's also a lot of work for one person to "drive" a boat like that, especially if they have an adult-sized passenger aboard.)

I think that is why people get paddle boats, to be honest. They use up way more energy to move over the same distance than a canoe would and take twice as long.

Those paddle boats are a great way to burn energy off from the kids.

Or maybe I think that because my family had a canoe and I well remember passing paddle boats in the canoe. Even if it made my shoulders burn, no way would I ever want to be passed by a paddle boat! <LOL>

 

[callyn]

How could police know whether it was a kayak or canoe ... and if they were going to be very specific, why would they say a paddle boat if they meant a pedal boat. There's a huge difference between the two.

I lived for many years on a bay where lots of these paddle boats were rented out. They are always called paddle boats here. Kayaks are called kayaks and canoes, canoes. FWIW

 

[MNDad]

i wish we had access to something like that too... but if not used for "good" purposes it might be kinda spooky.... i think we need more security cams that record..

They probably do have this already, but to use it for "good", they would have to admit it exists. I'm just over the top frustrated and just want these girls back home so my brain is reaching.

 

[nikb]

Oh yes, nikb! That's another great point. If someone took the girls
that close to grandma's house surely the abductor was a stranger. But then again ......who would abduct children on a traveled street during the day?
<snipped for space>

Thanks. The potential answers to THAT question scare me. A lot.

 

[azuredewdrop]

As someone else mentioned earlier a case where some children weren't abducted but got trapped (in a trunk? sorry I haven't gone back a couple pages to recollect exactly what was said). We've heard of cases of kids dying in trunks as well as old fridges, deep freezes and other items that can seal and trap. So taking the other idea that maybe they didn't go to the lake or maybe they didn't disappear there, I wonder how much has the rest of the town (particularly around the last official sighting) been searched? How about broken down vehicles and what not in people's yards and other such places on the north side of town and not near the lake? Any locals know?

Bumping my own post to ask again if anyone knows the answer? TIA

 

[nervous_nellie]

Bumping my own post to ask again if anyone knows the answer? TIA

i dont have an answer for you it seems to me that they only had foot searches the first week -- which seems odd to me...moo

i want them to call equuasearch -- i really think that they may be a lot closer.

but the "white van" seems to have conveyed the thought that the girls were taken far away even tho there has not been any confirmation that ANY vehicles were identified in connection with these girls

 

[helpful]

I think that is why people get paddle boats, to be honest. They use up way more energy to move over the same distance than a canoe would and take twice as long.

Those paddle boats are a great way to burn energy off from the kids.

Or maybe I think that because my family had a canoe and I well remember passing paddle boats in the canoe. Even if it made my shoulders burn, no way would I ever want to be passed by a paddle boat! <LOL>

It seems like all of the people I knew growing up who had cabins also had paddleboats. We'd take them out with grand aspirations of PEDALING ALL THE WAY AROUND THE LAKE or something. Inevitably, we'd declare paddleboating "too boring" about ten feet from the dock and then have to begin the arduous task of trying to turn the thing around. Give me a canoe any day.

(Don't ask me about the time I tried to dive into the lake. From a canoe. I made it into the lake, all right, and so did my friend and everything else that was in the bottom of the canoe.)

 

[Tucarra]

What do you think of this video? Male concern of the missing girls.

FIND IOWA COUSINS NOW adbuction lake girls bike missing search abducted fbi police - YouTube

Isn't this the same guy that had an "apology" video too? in the Luka Magnotta thread...possibly...? It's bugging me...gonna have to go look....

 

[MNDad]

Please help as I am confused.
Does the multi-colored van belong to the person that sometimes stays near the path where the girls bikes were found?
Did the man with the multi-colored van paint it white?
If so, is his white van the same white van LE was looking for?
If so, was he questioned and released?
If so, did his son call and tell LE it was his father's van?
Do we know the man's name?

I must have missed something. Is there a multi-colored van in the mix now?

 

[azuredewdrop]

i dont have an answer for you it seems to me that they only had foot searches the first week -- which seems odd to me...moo

i want them to call equuasearch -- i really think that they may be a lot closer.

but the "white van" seems to have conveyed the thought that the girls were taken far away even tho there has not been any confirmation that ANY vehicles were identified in connection with these girls

I wonder if the foot searches focused more on the south side vs north side (more around lake). But since last official sighting (per videos) is north side....

I agree they should call equuasearch or even Klass kids or at the very least hire one of the P.I.'s who specialize in this field as they are out there.

 

[MNDad]

I wonder if the foot searches focused more on the south side vs north side (more around lake). But since last official sighting (per videos) is north side....

I agree they should call equuasearch or even Klass kids or at the very least hire one of the P.I.'s who specialize in this field as they are out there.

How much would a PI cost?

 

[gregjrichards]

This is so frustrating. Doesn't NASA or the CIA have live video of the whole world that we could just rewind and see what happened?

Welcome to Websleuths! I asked this several threads ago. There must be satellite imaging of vehicles etc around the lake at the time frame the girls went missing. If they can spy on terrorists in the mountains of Pakistan they must have this technology in the US.

I think if they do have any images they don't show anything useful unfortunately.