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

[STEADFAST]

Did anyone do a map of Ledermans Big n Tall Clothing store
3524 Lafayette Rd, Evansdale, Ia?

It's at the red dot.

 

[RoseWhite]

Sorry if this has been asked. (Hard to catch up on 25 pages of posts.) Was it hot that day? I fear they thought to go for a swim.

Praying the girls are okay and found...now.

 

[hollye]

Did anyone do a map of Ledermans Big n Tall Clothing store
3524 Lafayette Rd, Evansdale, Ia?

I added it to my map. I thought i already had it on there, but guess not. Thanks!


Hollye

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[liz b.]

My thoughts also, that they never made it to the location the bikes were found, and the bikes had been discarded by the perp to make it appear that's where the abduction occurred. The purse, at least in my opinion, also appears to have been tossed.

MOO

Panthera,
Yep, this was discussed a bit at the start. But, the question raised was, how did the abductor get the kids and their bikes into a vehicle in the middle of downtown,on a Friday at noon, with no one seeing anything ? JMO

And that still does leave the question of how LE went so quickly to the lake area ? MOO

 

[manlet]

This perp lives within 0.3mi of Lederman's...less than a minute drive to the store...
http://www.iowasexoffender.com/regi...50707&range=10&type=map&mapformat=Map Results

 

[kikid]

I don't think they disappeared from the spot by the lake either. I'd search every house in that neighborhood with scent dogs.

Anyone with a pick-up truck could easily take the bikes and dump them.

Unfortunately I suspect they were lured into a garage or home nearby where they were last seen.

 

[brighidin]

There is a Facebook posting of someone who said her dad saw the bikes on the trail around 12:27 ish. He didn't report it at the time because there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just 2 bikes there. No one was "missing" at that time.

Thanks. I know that is has been mentioned on facebook.

 

[Considering]

The Demoines Register .com July 15 9:34 am quote from Misty Cook Morrissey ....
“Sometimes when you think about it, you wonder if they’re dead somewhere but you try to push those thoughts out of your mind,” she said.

Does anyone find that a mother of a missing child saying this is odd? My daughter told me of of the quote . I had to search its not any where else! Sorry Im having trouble posting the link!http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/...ies-hold-out-hope-for-two-missing-iowa-girls/

No. I think after being gone for 2 days (at that time) that it would cross my mind that it was possible. I imagine I wouldn't want to think about it, but I would know it was a possibility. I don't know what I would think or what I would do in any given situation until it happens. What might be odd for me might not be odd for someone else. No two people have the same personality and life experiences and those are things that impact on how one reacts. This mother had a close experience with death herself recently. Death may be something that is on her mind.

 

[Shelby2]

Sorry if this has been asked. (Hard to catch up on 25 pages of posts.) Was it hot that day? I fear they thought to go for a swim.

Praying the girls are okay and found...now.

Locals have said it is almost impossible to get in there to swim. Both lakes were dragged yesterday, they were not there.

 

[Jules71]

I think someone made a good point up thread about the possibility of other kids taking/borrowing the bikes and leaving them at the lake.

What if the girls were taken from close to Elizabeth's home/ Big & Tall store - and some other kids happened upon two bikes and a purse/bag laying on the ground and decided to hop on, ride out to the lake and check out the contents of the purse. Then they dumped the bikes and tossed the purse.

I think they need to ask if anyone saw any kids riding bikes to the lake.

ETA: And ask anyone in the neighborhood if they saw the girls bikes on the ground unattended.

 

[Wishbone]

I don't think they disappeared from the spot by the lake either. I'd search every house in that neighborhood with scent dogs.

Anyone with a pick-up truck could easily take the bikes and dump them.

Unfortunately I suspect they were lured into a garage or home nearby where they were last seen.

That's just what LE has planned for today amoung other things...


Officers will follow up on tips, interview family and friends and search homes in the southern two-thirds of Evansdale, he said. Police are contacting known sex offenders in the area to learn about their whereabouts on Friday and are looking at other possibilities.

http://www.kcrg.com/evansdaledisapp...f-Search-for-Two-Missing-Girls-162593266.html

 

[Eyespy]

The way LE has not really said anything about it being a possible abduction, I have a feeling that they know more than they are letting on. It seems that if something actually happened on the trail as opposed to someone taking them away from that area and then staging the scene, that person has to be pretty familiar and comfortable with the area. I wouldn't be surprised if they lived right off the trail or frequently used it.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the perp would have shown up to volunteer in the search, to try to get close to the action and see if LE has anything on them or if they could stray the search away from them.

 

[Shelby2]

No. I think after being gone for 2 days (at that time) that it would cross my mind that it was possible. I imagine I wouldn't want to think about it, but I would know it was a possibility. I don't know what I would think or what I would do in any given situation until it happens. What might be odd for me might not be odd for someone else. No two people have the same personality and life experiences and those are things impact on how one reacts. This mother had a close experience with death herself recently. Death may be something that is on her mind.

True..it struck me as odd, but, I did not HEAR her tone when she said it. So I'm back at "not sure" but at the time I was surprised to read that.

 

[Shelby2]

The way LE has not really said anything about it being a possible abduction, I have a feeling that they know more than they are letting on. It seems that if something actually happened on the trail as opposed to someone taking them away from that area and then staging the scene, that person has to be pretty familiar and comfortable with the area. I wouldn't be surprised if they lived right off the trail or frequently used it.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the perp would have shown up to volunteer in the search, to try to get close to the action and see if LE has anything on them or if they could stray the search away from them.

Very good points.

 

[Considering]

There is a Facebook posting of someone who said her dad saw the bikes on the trail around 12:27 ish. He didn't report it at the time because there was nothing out of the ordinary. Just 2 bikes there. No one was "missing" at that time.

Whose Dad? I believe someone may have the person who said he saw the bikes at 12:27 confused with one of the Dad of one of the girls. They weren't looking for the girls at 12:27. They began looking for the girls around 2:00.

 

[Ollipop]

Thanks. So what looks like a dock in the aerial view is actually some rocks and the beginning of the drainage pipe. It sounds like an abduction from the road can be ruled out. If the water is also ruled out, then it seems like two possibilities remain: the girls rode their bikes there and met someone that led them away on the path, or the bikes were put there by someone else. However, if the bikes were indeed there at 12:27, and the girls were seen downtown at 12:15, that doesn't give an abductor much time to ditch the bikes there. That leaves one possibility: the girls met someone there and were lured or taken to a nearby vehicle. That doesn't make much sense to me. If the girls were lured, why wouldn't they take their bikes ... why leave them on the path and walk out of the park ... unless they were asked to help carry something, like a kitten.

I agree with this assessment.

Another long time site visitor, first time posting.

I did notice, when driving east from Waterloo on 380, there was a group of three law enforcement personnel searching the 'ditch' area-- mind you, this is between the road and the tall fence that separates the whole Meyer's lake area from the road. They were having what appeared to be a difficult time with the slope of the ground. This was at 11.30am.

The traffic did seem to be more congested this morning, especially around the Meyer's Lake area, people seemed to be slowing down to gawk.

Praying that these two girls are found soon.

Yes, I walked that area on Friday night. It is difficult, steep, overgrown, and there is constant large and fast traffic seemingly within arms reach. At no point do you ever feel safe, especially since I know about the car falling slipping off the road there before (I believe an elderly gentleman had a stroke/heart attack and simply drove into the ditch).

It seems a bit odd that one or more abductors were just waiting in the exact area by the lake. I am wondering about the time and place where the girls were last seen. I am wondering why only their GM saw them in the area behind the clothing store. Also, it would be instuctive to find out who else,if anyone was at GM's house that morning and early afternoon...JMO

But if you were going to wait anywhere on that trail, that is the exact spot that makes the most sense.

The MSM mentions the bikes being found, not at 12:27, but 4 hours later:
Lyric and Elizabeth were last seen riding bikes near downtown Evansdale just off Lafayette Road at 12:15 p.m. Friday. Their bicycles were located by an Evansdale firefighter about four hours later on the southeast corner of Meyers Lake along the bike trail.

from here: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/up...d32-11e1-a656-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz20o6ioHVH

Yes, the bikes were found later in the afternoon. The tipster had seen them earlier, and extrapolated the time from when he'd made a phone call on his cell shortly after spotting them @ 12:27. I believe he notified them after LE had found the bikes.

You have to be AT LEAST 13 and be attending HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE to join Facebook. These two were not even in Middle School/Jr. High yet, they were way under the age limit and still in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. There are REASONS Facebook has age restrictions.

I don't remember every showing my ID or proving my age when signing up. My 12-yr-old niece has a fairly active account, and asked us recently if she could help our 9-yr-old daughter set one up. We declined, obv.

Can you please look at my map and direct me to locations of where the bikes and bag were found? Are the markers that I have fairly accurate as to the locations? If not, can you direct me to where I should put the markers? Thanks!

Glad to have locals for perspective!


Hollye

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your map is accurate. That gate is about 10 feet lower in elevation than 30ft to the west, the trail remains low there - at lake level - for a few feet, and slowly rises another 10 feet to where you have the bikes. I don't know the exact location of where the bikes were found, but from what I've seen/heard, your spot is accurate.

The woods are considerably more dense in summer than winter, obv. I haven't been back there in close to a week now, and its so familiar to me that perhaps the enclosed area seems shorter than I am saying. If I am walking, I am in a secluded spot for about 1 minute, walking at a normal pace. On bike, you pass through it in seconds.

 

[nikkiw319]

Can you clarify what you mean by this? "That isn't thought also"...are you meaning it's not thought they were taken thru the woods? If that is the only area of the trail that is shielded by trees, it seems one of the only LOGICAL things to look at. Seems like the perfect opportunity.

Do we know where the dogs traced their scent to?

And remind me again how we know exactly where their bikes were found along the trail?

There have been pictures posted by the meida of the area where the bikes were found.

Is there a list of verified locals yet?


Hollye

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I haven't been verified though I am happy to. What do I need to do?


Ollipop, what are your thoughts on the bikes being dumped?

I only say that because someone could pull into that small driveway like a worker and within a minute or two, be at the place the bikes were found to dump them all under the cover of trees. Though the trees are not super thick, they are thick enough to hide you from the highway above. Know what I mean?

I agree that this small part of the trail creeps me out. Even riding it as an adult, I just want to hurry up and get through it. It's small, secluded, and hard to see whos coming ahead. I cant imagine two little girls deciding to get off their bikes in this spot of all places. I can't imagine that they hadnt been seen elsewhere if they indeed rode bikes to the lake that day.

 

[panthera]

Panthera,
Yep, this was discussed a bit at the start. But, the question raised was, how did the abductor get the kids and their bikes into a vehicle in the middle of downtown,on a Friday at noon, with no one seeing anything ? JMO

And that still does leave the question of how LE went so quickly to the lake area ? MOO

That's true, it would appear to be more risky to abduct them in the middle of town than while they were riding their bikes out by the lake. Could they have gotten into a vehicle with someone they knew? However, it also appears where the bikes were found to be a difficult place for the actual abduction based upon what our local poster has reported regarding the area. This case is confusing, and largely based on the time frame between when the girls were last seen, the bikes spotted and the girls reported missing.

:waitasec:

MOO

 

[Wishbone]

The way LE has not really said anything about it being a possible abduction, I have a feeling that they know more than they are letting on. It seems that if something actually happened on the trail as opposed to someone taking them away from that area and then staging the scene, that person has to be pretty familiar and comfortable with the area. I wouldn't be surprised if they lived right off the trail or frequently used it.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the perp would have shown up to volunteer in the search, to try to get close to the action and see if LE has anything on them or if they could stray the search away from them.

If that is the case, then there is the chance that the girls may still be alive and are being held captive. IMO everything points to the girls still being near the lake......

 

[Eyespy]

My other big question is did the girls leave the house with anything to drink with them? With it being so hot this summer, I can't imagine they would have left without either having something to drink or planning to stop and get something to drink, if they planned to ride very far at all. If they had loaded up water bottles, etc, that may show they intended to go for a longer ride. I just fear that someone offered them something cold to drink as a way to lure them in.