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Black Hawk County Sheriff
Elizabeth Collins, left, and Lyric Cook went missing in Evansdale, Iowa, last July.
Updated at 7:15 p.m. ET: Two bodies found Wednesday appear to be the remains of cousins who disappeared last July in Evansdale, Iowa, police said Wednesday.
Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook disappeared on July 13 shortly after they left their grandmother's house. Collins was 8 years old and Cook was 10 at the time of their disappearance.
Hunters found the bodies in a wooded area, Capt. Rick Abben of the Black Hawk County Sheriff's office said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
The girls' families had been notified, he said, but positive identification of the bodies will be determined by the state medical examiner.
"It's definitely not the outcome that we wanted, obviously," Abben told reporters, according to The Associated Press. "This is a difficult thing for us to go through. It's a difficult thing for the community."
Abben did not say if police had a suspect in the case, but said another news conference would be held Thursday.
The girls' bikes and a purse were initially found near Lake Meyer, prompting investigators to send in divers with sonar.
When no signs of the girls were found at the lake, officials reclassified the case as an abduction.
"Now that it's an abduction, everyone's a suspect," Abben said at the time, adding that investigators had recovered some evidence and sent it to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for analysis. He declined to say what the evidence was or where it was found.
Police had offered a $50,000 reward for information to help find the girls. Last week, an anonymous donor also pledged a $100,000 reward for information, the AP reported.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Rest in Peace, Little Angels.
This makes me so angry.
I can't even imagine what their families are going through.
This is just horribly sad but unfortunately not surprising. I hope their passing was swift.
I don't believe in Heaven or Hell. I know a lot of people do, and IF they are right I hope that their Hell holds the worst area available aside just for people that hurt children.
Rest in Peace little ones.
Hunt these bastard(s) down to the ends of the earth. Whatever it takes, please capture them alive so we can feed them to the general population in prison. But before scum(s) going into the prison how about water-boarding them 100 times, and cane them 100 times to soften the meat up first! But do it publicly, I want the child molesters that are running around to see what's in store for them when they're caught.
This happens way too often. As scary as it may sound, we may want to reconsider the limitations placed on our justice system by the laws regarding “no cruel or unusual punishment”. These poor girls experience horror and extreme fear. The person who did this, needs to suffer.
ROCCO....., when it comes to punishment, or lack-there-of, we live in a civilized society, unfortunately. If it were up to me, if they catch whoever is responsible for this, (with 100% certainty of guilt) your ideas would just be the warm-up for what I have in mind. While what I/we want to do is clearly never going to happen in our country (thankfully so) we do need actually punishment for crimes, which we clearly do not have today. Its been said that punishment is not a deterrent, like hell it isn't. Knowing what would happen if my parents found out kept me on the straight and narrow many times in my childhood, because punishment was certain. We've lost that, most criminals operate with little regard to what will happen to them if caught. Perhaps a majority would if the punishment was something a rational person would fear, granted a large % of criminals are not rational in which case no amount of punishment would deter their behavior.
I'm glad your not incolved in corrections or our prison population would triple beofre your clients killed you.
leftright...., there is a segment of the prison population that is in prison because they know there are no real consequences for crime. There are countries in the world that have astonishinglylow crime rates, and very severe consequences for those convicted of crime. Whether or not a person capable of killing little girls has the capacity to comprehend punishment may very from perpetrator to perpetrator, but currently we don't have punishment as a deterrent. If we did, our prison population would be smaller, how much so would be pure speculation, but it would be smaller. I'm not advocating cutting the hands off a thief, but there needs to be a hell of a lot more than the slap on the wrist they get now.
I'm sick to my stomach to hear this tragic outcome and hope the slime or slimes who did this are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I will never understand how anyone could do something like this to anyone, let alone children.
I hope these girls fought like hell and captured DNA from the scum who did this to them.
I keep asking this question. Does this sort of child abduction/killing happen in other countries as often as it does here?
Common Sense,
Yes. And in some countries, they happen more. We just put it in the news more.
It does happen in other countries frequently. They just don't tend to make US news simply because it IS a common occurance.
My prayers go out to the family, heart breaking news.
hope their families can find peace and move on and i hope both those angels r.i.p
I am so sorry about the loss of these poor innocent girls, may you rest in peace.
I am so sorry to read about these two little girls. I was just wondering about them the other day. So sad I hope their families can find some peace and I hope they find the monster who did this.
God speed little ones and may the person(s) responsible meet Karma in the worst possible way.
This is the outcome that nobody wanted to see.Now the investigations will start and hopefully soon the cause of their death will result in an arrest.
I'm heartbroken. Rest in peace little angels. I'm so sorry for the families.
:::tears::: God bless you angels, and your families.
so, so sad -- here we are coming upon Christmas, usually a time of great joy for families, and these two families now have such sorrows placed upon them....
our hearts are heavy, but we lift up prayers for the families of these innocent children --
requiescat in pace, dear angels.
There is no such thing as "move on" when it comes to the death of a child.
That is so damn true rational-3230793. That is a statement you can engrave in stone!
I hope I never have to live what these families are living, and I can't say I fully understand what they're going through. Finding the bodies provides some answers vs. never knowing what happened. And hopefully the bodies will reveal clues and DNA that will help to capture the SOB who did this.
What the hell is seriously wrong with people? My god, if you find yourself with the urges to harm a child or ruin their innocence in any way, please...just take a gun to your mouth and pull the trigger. You'll die with more dignity and I'm sure if there's a god above he'll look at you and say you made the right choice.
No punishment could be severe enough for those who decide to ruin childrens' lives.
Could not possibly have said it better myself.
They're are cowards, so they won't go that route. Every time I read about child abductions/molestations it sickens me to the core beyond words. Because you know that the molester will show no mercy. I just do not understand what the attraction is with innocent children. You can't cure these bastards; you can only lock them up. Why can't we just execute the ones that are predators? Why? We are suppose to show mercy to those who have none. We are suppose to be civilized to the uncivilized, why?
Those that commit these sort of acts don't think about the welfare of others or that, 'Hey, I'm about to harm someone, so I'll just blow my own head off instead.' If only it were that simple. They fulfill their own selfish, demented desires. They are psycho, evil, whatever you want to call it. They are NOT rational thinkers, obviously. Yes, anyone who is capable of doing these sort of crimes should not be a burden on the taxpayers and should be immediately put down like a rabid dog.
Death penalty for rapists and/or murderers of children!
R.I.P. little ones. My deepest sympathy to your families.
DAMN I'm so sick of reading this kind of garbage! Once they "KNOW" who committed this unspeakable crime, as well as those of so many others involving helpless children and elderly victims...they need to blow the bastards away once and for all PERIOD!!!!! My granddaughters are 8 & 10 and imagining life without them due to an accident or natural death is unimaginable for me, but to have them disappear only to be found like this would kill me.
My deepest sympathies for the loved ones of these precious little girls. May they find comfort in the love and support of their friends, family and community. And may the monster who destroyed two innocent little lives soon be a threat nevermore! :(
Sad ending to this case. I know most 8 and 10 years olds know better to not get close to strangers..I believe there were more then one person involved in this... to control two young girls like that and kill them both.
Only other way, the girls knew the person as a friendly!
Or the scum had a gun and the girls didn't know what else to do but to cooperate.
Prayers to the families. Rest in Peace little ones.
Reading the article, it had no mention of how the children were killed or died. It did say they were in a wooded area, which might mean they got lost and died of exposure or some other type of tragedy. Of course, even if it was known, the authorities still have to have a thorough investigation. Let them do their work and make sure what happened to these two cousins. And let their families make peace with themselves. They need the solace each can give to work through, if working through it can happen at all, this terrible tragedy.
That said though, if someone actually took the lives of these two girls, the book needs to be thrown at them. Whoever did this, if it was someone or several someones, the death penalty is not a deterrent. It simply means that the state murders the perpetrators. That doesn't mean peace for the families or the two girls.
I believe in the death penalty. I'm not against it at all. But I am against spending millions to simply put someone to death. It's just that much cheaper, about 25-30k, to incarcerate a person per year for life. That's a cheaper way to go. Put whomever in a super-max prison where sunlight has to be piped in and let whomever dwell on how it happened he (generic he) got there for the rest of his/her natural life.
Again, I believe in the death penalty. I just don't believe in spending the amount of money used to mete out the ultimate penalty.
The only reason prison is cheaper than the dealth penalty is the lawyers who work so hard to set these monsters free in the name of wealth & fame. One appeal for constitutional rights & evidence review, quick death, no 20 years on death row. However our justice system now days is a joke & laughing matter to the guilty.
I agree Jackieboy.
...and then hopefully some other prisoner who we pay for will take this bastard out.
R.I.P. girls.
If they would POSITIVELY make sure that the person(s) who commit these types of crimes, do away with years of appeals for these clowns, all appeals done at once, inside of say, 30 days, that is not only (hopefully) a strong deterrent but think of the tax dollars saved!! I'm all for it!
Considering they were lost during the summer months... I doubt they would have died of exposure together.
Not only that, but they were found in Bremer County. Meyer Lake, in Deerwood Park, is in Black Hawk county... counties which are touching yes... but there is no way those girls walked there, not across several towns without being noticed
Death penalty only when it is absolutely proven without any doubt... DNA + confession etc.
Then it should be done with the efficacy of putting down a bear who has tasted human.
In other words... the Texas model is not acceptable. (cheers at mention of # killed, yay!!!)
That would all be great if we had a death penalty in Iowa...which we don't.
The girls wouldn't have left their bicycles and walked that far.
Sad to know that such young lives are snatched forever. What contribution would they have done for humanity is lost forever!
While being sad at the loss to the family and humanity, we too must ponder about the abortion that ends life in the womb. Is it right to kill of a new life at the source without valid reasons? I know every one has a right to do whatever they want to do with their bodies. Is it true? Actually, NO! If one wants to commit suicide, the authorities will stop you and punish you. So it is not a person's right to decide how he/she treats his/her body.
If you have some disease, authorities will take you and confine you however much you protest that it is your body and you have the right to decide what you want to do to your body. So the argument that women can do whatever they want to do with their body does not hold water. If you have no right to kill yourself, then you have no right to kill the life in your womb!
yeah right just what this overpopulated world needs, more unwanted single parent babies. republican religious dude, quit trying to push ur 18th century morality viewpoint on the rest of america. y dont u and ur party join the rest of us in the 21st century
gudprsn,Using this forum on these two missing girls,found deceased, for your anti abortion crusade is in bad taste and classless.
I never said I am against contraception. In fact I prescribe contraception drugs and administer contraception 3 monthly injections to ladies who request. So don't think I am against contraception. People must plan their pregnancies. I always advise young people, that if they are going to be sexually active; then take precaution against unwanted pregnancies. But once pregnant, respect the life you are carrying. It is wrong to kill a life just because you made mistake. That's not moral!
Gudprson, what does your sermon have to do with the abduction and murder of these two little girls?
Grud, take your anti-choice propaganda elsewhere. This is not the place.
I just wanted to make a point that when you don't respect human life in whatever form, then there will be beasts who will snatch lives of innocents. I am just saying that when killing babies in the womb is accepted, then killing outside the womb will be easy! Why the double standards? A murder is murder, whether in the womb or outside.
If you can't understand the difference between a mass of cells that could not survive on their own (not "human life") vs. the life of an actual living person, then it's pretty difficult to explain to you.
gudprsn: "I just wanted to make a point that when you don't respect human life in whatever form, then there will be beasts who will snatch lives of innocents"
Then how do you feel about capital punishment--are you for it? How about war? Is it ok to wage war and kill others while being killed? Does that respect life?
How about providing medical care and/or welfare for mothers who get pregnant but can't afford the child? Will you pay for their children and provide medical services for all?
Or do you only love the fetus but once it's born--they're on their own?
Speaking as a former fetus myself--I can tell you I would want to be aborted--rather than to be born to a mother who does NOT want me--or was raped by my "father" or to be born into an abusive childhood. Life's difficult enough once we get here--even when we're wanted. Just saying...
I disagree, you do have the right to kill yourself. What more personal and individual decision is there?
As for the anti-abortion bit I would have more respect for your position if your belief that every life is precious extended past birth. You want every child to be born, then you pay for the full 18 years upfront. If you're not willing to make the sacrifice yourself, why force someone else to?
Now how about we let the families involved mourn in peace and not try to turn their child's death into a political talking point.
Just stop talking to grud. Trolling on an article about two dead girls from my community = NOT acceptable.
gudprsn - you're slightly off topic. This isn't the forum for the abortion debate. I do believe you're in the running for Troll du Jour with your shock and awe dissertation on abortion.
Heartbroken...:(...
Sad sad sad sad...may you rest in peace up in heaven little angels....My heart goes out to their family...
How horrible. Who would do such a thing to little children? My sympathy goes out to the parents. such a tragedy.
again there goes a few of u ready to convict some "monster." what short memories, last time y'all did that was the new jersey girl killed for her bicycle. how bout being better parents, that would end a lot of this bs.
They searched every inch of that wooded area initially with hundreds of volunteers. Those bodies were recently placed there. Look to the druggie parents, whom I bet are responsible.
Speaking of druggies, hows that meth problem going for you, mccainisacrankyoldguy?
Separate wooded area buddy. The girls were found in an entirely different county. And if it was the parents why would the have bothered swiping them from a park in the first place?
The girls were found in Bremer County, Iowa... Not in Black Hawk County, which is where they were reported missing.
http://www.kwwl.com/story/20270787/2012/12/05/police-two-bodies-found-may-be-related-to-missing-cousins-case
So sad...
Just going by what the local news (for that area) reported as of 4PM last night. They did not say Bremer county at the time.
You're an idiot, but you knew that
Sincere condolences to the families of these two precious little girls. I hope they catch whomever is responsible as soon as possible. Before they hurt anyone else, and to gain justice for these two girls and their families. Very sad..
How anyone can do this to children, or anyone for that matter, is beyond me... Sick minds..
:( so much sadness in this world.