IA IA - Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook, 10, found deceased, Evansdale, 13 Jul 2012 #38

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July 2019 rbbm.
Father of Elizabeth Collins still has hope case will be solved
''Hunters discovered the girls’ bodies in a secluded wooded area about 20 miles away, five months after their disappearance.

“As far as a person of interest, there hasn’t been a solid one,” said Mitch Mortvedt, of Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Authorities aren’t ruling anything out. They’ve looked at more than 300 sex offenders and interviewed more than 1,000 people.''

''Once a month Collins meets with FBI agents for coffee to check in. The FBI remains tight lipped on the details but tell him they are determined to find his daughter’s killer''.

''He said he has new hope after hearing online DNA profile websites have recently helped police catch murderers years later.

“I am hoping technology that is on the edge of coming out or something that is recent or new will bring this case to a close,” Collins said.''
 
The Delphi and Evansdale Murders - The Murder Squad
May 13, 2019
''Evansdale, Iowa:
8-year-old Elizabeth Collins and her 10-year-old cousin Lyric Cook went for a bike ride around 12:15 PM on July 13, 2012. They were last seen alive by a witness between 12:30-1 PM near Gilbert Drive not far from Myers Lake. Later, when Lyric's mother arrived home in the afternoon and the girls aren't there, the community begins to search for the Elizabeth and Lyric. Both of the girls bikes and Elizabeth's purse and cell phone were found on a trail in the southeast corner of Myers Lake.

The search yielded no results until December 2, 2012. Twenty-five miles away a hunter found Elizabeth and Lyric's bodies in the Seven Bridges Wildlife Park in Bremer County. Authorities released a description of a possible vehicle: a white, older model, full sized SUV-like a Suburban or Bronco-was seen near the lake the day Elizabeth and Lyric went missing. Also while working with FBI, law enforcement released the following profile:

1. The offender is familiar with both Meyers Lake/Angels Park in Evansdale and Seven Bridges Wildlife Area in Bremer County.
2. The suspect chose Seven Bridges because he or she was familiar with the area and knew it was secluded.
3. The offender blends in with and may be part of the Evansdale, Bremer and surrounding communities.
4. The suspect likely used “quiet coercion” to gain the girls’ compliance into leaving Meyers Lake, using a ruse or threats of violence.
5. The suspect may have been experiencing stress related to legal troubles, spousal problems, employment difficulties, financial strain or mental health issues in July 2012.
6. The suspect may avoid discussing the case or showing interest in the matter but is likely following developments inthe media.
7. The offender may have attempted to abduct children or adults in the past.
8. Following the disappearance, the suspect may have altered his or her physical appearance, such as changing hair style and facial hair. The offender’s vehicle may also have been altered with a new paint job or re-upholstery.''
 
Yemelyan said:
Not trying to be argumentative, this is a genuine question....where did you see that no DNA was found at the scene? I was always under the impression that investigators had never revealed whether or not they recovered DNA in this case. If they truly have none to work with, it might mean that the remains of the girls were found without clothing, as clothing - even if exposed to the elements for that long - still has a chance to retain it.

This article, published when investigators were examining a potential link between the murderer/rapist Michael Klunder and the Evansdale victims touches on the DNA issue: Investigators hope to decide next week whether Klunder involved in Evansdale murders

In this article, it states that authorities had declined to discuss whether or not they have DNA; however some quotes from investigators provided here seem to indicate that they have something. One of the ways they eventually eliminated Michael Klunder was through forensic characteristics (perhaps not limited to DNA, however).

With regard to sex offenders, it is said in several articles that at least 300 registered sex offenders had been questioned about the Evansdale murders.
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I may have been making an assumption based on the post-mortem interval, but I think it's a good assumption. I have never heard of a case where offender DNA has been recovered from bodies left exposed to the elements—unburied—for that long or even half that long. I would gladly be proved wrong.
 
Ozoner said:
I may have been making an assumption based on the post-mortem interval, but I think it's a good assumption. I have never heard of a case where offender DNA has been recovered from bodies left exposed to the elements—unburied—for that long or even half that long. I would gladly be proved wrong.
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The possibility of recovering a foreign DNA sample from the victims' actual bodies would be vanishingly small after that length of time outside (I don't want to say zero chance as I have no idea what exactly they found.)

DNA recovered from an object associated with the scene is more possible and could be what they have (if anything). It's likely a degraded and incomplete sample, but it may be something.

Of course you can then get into the question of whether or not an item found at the scene is even related to the crime. If it's something like the victims' clothing, items likely used to transport their bodies or bindings found near or on them, however, investigators may have something to work with, especially if the source of the foreign sample is hair. IMO it could be hair in the Evansdale case, since the investigators talked about forensic characteristics.

In the Molly Bish abduction/murder, LE have DNA recovered from items that were found with her remains when they were discovered three years after her disappearance (also an outdoor scene). It's not known exactly what this sample is. It's forensically linked, however, to samples recovered from the scene where she was abducted.
Evidence from Molly Bish case to undergo enhanced DNA testing

Other cases with outdoor scenes where DNA evidence was retrieved from associated objects months after the bodies were left would be Holly Piirainen (about two months postmortem) and Amy Mihalejevic (about three and a half months postmortem). These are just examples off the top of my head.
 
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Hoping the perp handled the girl's bikes, phone and purse, all of which was located early on in the case, imo. rbbm.
Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins: Bodies Found in Search for Missing Iowa Cousins
''Lyric, 11, and Elizabeth , 9, vanished shortly after noon on July 13 while on a bike ride in the small town of Evansdale, Iowa, triggering a massive search that brought the town to a standstill. The girls' bicycles and a purse were quickly found near Meyers Lake, but there was no sign of the girls.''
 
dotr said:
Hoping the perp handled the girl's bikes, phone and purse, all of which was located early on in the case, imo. rbbm.
Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins: Bodies Found in Search for Missing Iowa Cousins
''Lyric, 11, and Elizabeth , 9, vanished shortly after noon on July 13 while on a bike ride in the small town of Evansdale, Iowa, triggering a massive search that brought the town to a standstill. The girls' bicycles and a purse were quickly found near Meyers Lake, but there was no sign of the girls.''
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Great point! The DNA in this case (if it exists) could absolutely be from the abduction scene, not the body recovery scene.
 
Eight years ago, the bodies of Elizabeth and Lyric were found

KWWL is the local news station. If you go to their Facebook page, you’ll find this article and an interesting comment string. JM has some very specific feelings about a RP, who was once suspected to have been involved in Evelyn Miller’s disappearance and murder. He has never been connected with Elizabeth and Lyric (to my knowledge) so I don’t think I can officially mention his name, here.

ETA: link for context Mom's ex-boyfriend charged with first-degree murder in Evelyn Miller death
 
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Hi, guys. It seems like forever since I’ve been on WS. I think about these two very often. I am sadly beginning to believe that if this case is ever solved, it will be a miracle.

My health has greatly improved and I plan to go back to being an active participant once again.
 
Marilynilpa said:
Hi, guys. It seems like forever since I’ve been on WS. I think about these two very often. I am sadly beginning to believe that if this case is ever solved, it will be a miracle.

My health has greatly improved and I plan to go back to being an active participant once again.
Click to expand...

Welcome back; I'm glad to hear that you are doing well. Many assisted-miracles are still needed for these young ladies and the many others on this site still awaiting justice and/or their reunions with their identities.

Happy New Year! May you enjoy continued health and may this be the year many miracles happen.
 
Marilynilpa said:
Hi, guys. It seems like forever since I’ve been on WS. I think about these two very often. I am sadly beginning to believe that if this case is ever solved, it will be a miracle.

My health has greatly improved and I plan to go back to being an active participant once again.
Click to expand...

Gr-r-r-reat! So good to have you back with us, Marilynilpa! We missed you!
Jump on in -- the mystery and crime waters are fine!
 
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