Elizabeth Collins, 8, & Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10 missing 7/13/12 Evansdale, IA

[klaasend]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/164912856.html

FBI Investigators Return to Meyers Lake in Search for Missing Girls
KCRG/Gazette/Courier Staff Reports
Story Created: Aug 3, 2012 at 1:30 PM CDT



EVANSDALE, Iowa - FBI officials returned to Meyers Lake Friday to follow up on a lead in the search for two cousins who have been missing for three weeks.

Sandra Breault, spokeswoman for the FBI, confirmed authorities were near the lake in Evansdale. She said the search yielded "no positive results."

Authorities were not searching the lake itself, but instead in a wooded area near the lake, said Evansdale Police Chief Kent Smock.

Authorities are looking for Elizabeth Collins, 9, and Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, who have been missing since Friday, July 13. Authorities have classified the case as an abduction.

The girls' bicycles were recovered at Meyers Lake by a local firefighter at 4 p.m. on July 13. The girls were last seen riding their bicycles in downtown Evansdale at 12:15 p.m.
 ::snipping2::

[klaasend]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-Racecar-Driver-Helps-Spread-Word-and-Faces-of-Missing-Girls--164965556.html

Iowa Racecar Driver Helps Spread Word and Faces of Missing Girls

By Addison Speck, Reporter


Story Created: Aug 3, 2012 at 8:24 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 3, 2012 at 10:48 PM CDT
NEWTON, Iowa- A racecar driver is doing his part to raise awareness about the disappearance of Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook. Iowa native, Michael Annett, will show the faces of Cook and Collins and the number for the tip line as he races in the U.S. Cellular 250 this weekend. "It made sense, not only for the people who will be at the track Saturday evening but the people at home that are watching," said Annett.

Friday, marks 3 weeks since the two girls went missing in Evansdale. Since then, Eastern Iowans have worked to spread the word and their faces.

"This is the best way we could come up with to try and help," said Annett. The race takes place at the Iowa Speedway in Newton this weekend.

Hundreds of Thousands of people will turn out and tune in for the event, but out of the dozens of cars racing on the track, Annett's car is likely to catch a few more eyes."We had some room left on what we call the deck lid of our sport, and so many things made sense and it was the perfect opportunity to take this horrible situation and make something good come out of it," said Annett.
 ::snipping2::

[klaasend]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/-Booth-at-Iowa-State-Fair-to-Feature-Girls-Abducted-from-Evansdale-165302876.html

Booth at State Fair to Feature Info About Girls Abducted from Evansdale



Story Created: Aug 7, 2012 at 1:04 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 7, 2012 at 1:04 PM CDT
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Fair says a police booth will display information about two missing Iowa cousins and accept tips about their whereabouts.

The fair faced harsh criticism online Tuesday after turning down a request from volunteers who wanted a booth so they could give out information about 10-year-old Lyric Cook and 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins.

Fair spokeswoman Lori Chappell says the deadline had passed to apply to rent a booth and all 700 are taken. She says fair policy only allows groups that have booths to distribute information on the grounds.

But Chappell says the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation had already been planning to display a poster of information and a lockbox to receive tips at its booth. She says the girls "are not being forgotten."

The fair begins Thursday.

[seahorse]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/-Booth-at-Iowa-State-Fair-to-Feature-Girls-Abducted-from-Evansdale-165302876.html

Booth at State Fair to Feature Info About Girls Abducted from Evansdale



Story Created: Aug 7, 2012 at 1:04 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 7, 2012 at 1:04 PM CDT
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Fair says a police booth will display information about two missing Iowa cousins and accept tips about their whereabouts.

The fair faced harsh criticism online Tuesday after turning down a request from volunteers who wanted a booth so they could give out information about 10-year-old Lyric Cook and 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins.

Fair spokeswoman Lori Chappell says the deadline had passed to apply to rent a booth and all 700 are taken. She says fair policy only allows groups that have booths to distribute information on the grounds.

But Chappell says the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation had already been planning to display a poster of information and a lockbox to receive tips at its booth. She says the girls "are not being forgotten."

The fair begins Thursday.

Thank-you, Klaas.  I hope a positive lead will come from the Lockbox.

 ::justice2NJ::

[grace-land]

 

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/The-Search-for-Elizabeth--Lyric-Four-Weeks-Later-165745756.html

The Search for Elizabeth & Lyric: Four Weeks Later
Story Created: Aug 10, 2012 at 12:18 PM CDT
(Story Updated: Aug 10, 2012 at 2:03 PM CDT )

EVANSDALE, Iowa - Friday marks four weeks since the disappearance of 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook. Investigators believe someone abducted the girls from Evansdale on July 13th.

In a press release to the media on Friday, investigators said that they continue to receive leads on the tip line. Investigators said that they encourage the public to continue to call in with their leads, no matter how minor or insignificant the caller believes it may be.

"We also encourage anyone who may have had a minor or perhaps unintentional part at the time in the disappearance of the girls to contact investigators," the release said.
 ::snipping2::

[seahorse]

 
Adam Amdor

 ‏@AdamKWWL7

 Leads still coming in, investigators still gathering evidence, still receiving test results on evidence already obtained. #EvansdaleSearch

10:07 AM - 10 Aug 12


http://twitter.com/AdamKWWL7/status/233972748437823488

http://www.kcrg.com/evansdaledisappearance

[grace-land]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Iowa-Cousins-Still-Missing-After-One-Month-165956316.html

Iowa Cousins Still Missing After One Month, Leads Lend Hope
Story Created: Aug 13, 2012 at 5:58 AM CDT
(Story Updated: Aug 13, 2012 at 6:04 AM CDT )

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) - Two Iowa girls have been missing for a month, but the FBI says leads make investigators believe the girls are still alive.
 ::snipping2::
 
The Des Moines Register says FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault would not discuss the leads nor say whether investigators believe the girls were kidnapped for ransom, abducted by a relative or abducted by a nonrelative.
 
The likelihood of finding abducted children alive drops as time goes on, but Breault and others say it's important for relatives and investigators to not give up hope.

[MuffyBee]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1208/17/ijvm.01.html
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Cousins Missing for One Month; Teacher Guilty of Having Sex with Students; Rihanna` Brand New Confessions to Oprah Winfrey; Keeping Sharks Off the Menu

Aired August 17, 2012 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

 ::snipping2::
Then new developments in the search for little Lyric and Elizabeth, the Iowa cousins who vanished last month while riding their bikes. What are cops saying about the attempted abduction of a fifth grade girl in the very same region? Is there a connection? Or could the powerful drug methamphetamine be behind their disappearance?

The FBI believes the girls are still alive. So where are they? Their aunt joins me tonight.
 ::snipping2::
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously something bad has happened.

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): The mystery deepens into what happened to these two young cousins.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My stomach`s just in knots over it. And I can imagine everyone else feels that way, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re thinking more and more that this was an abduction.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just pray that the children are OK. If they`re hurt, I don`t care if they`re hurt. Just let us have them. We`ll deal with that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve taken our kids. Just bring them back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you don`t find out anything, what happens next?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have no idea.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like maybe they were taken.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s very difficult to picture how any kind of abduction might happen here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just want our children brought back. I don`t want to know who you are. I don`t care who you are.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just desperately want them home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is an attempted abduction in Iowa linked to the disappearance of these two adorable cousins, the girls, then 8-year-old Elizabeth and 10-year-old Lyric, vanished over a month ago? They were last seen riding their bikes in Evansdale, Iowa.

Now just two and a half hours away, police say there was an attempted abduction of a fifth grade girl.

It happened yesterday morning. The little girl was waiting for her school bus. She told cops a deep purple-colored van with three black stripes on the side and tinted windows pulled up next to her.

The male driver told the girl to get in. And that`s when the child darted toward her house. And the guy drove off. So bravo to that young girl for not getting in that van.

The weapon of choice for abductors is a van. Since Elizabeth and Lyric disappeared, there have been a string of attempted abductions throughout Iowa. Cops are telling us tonight this incident in Waukee, this attempted abduction, does not appear to be linked to the missing cousins` disappearance.

How do they know that? That`s what I`d like to know.

Jon Lieberman, HLN contributor, investigative journalist, you`ve been looking into this. How can they say so quickly nothing to see here?

LIEBERMAN: Quite simply the FBI believes they have a theory of what happened to these girls. They believe these two girls are still alive. And based on the information -- which they haven`t released publicly; they`re keeping it close to their vest -- they believe they know how this went down. And this other attempted abduction does not fit into their theory of what happened to these two cousins.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And by the way, there have been kind of a slew of attempted abductions in this general region within about two and a half hours from where the little girls disappeared. So I`d like to know what is going on there. It`s very, very disturbing.

Now, federal authorities tell us Lyric`s mom, Misty, was sentenced in 2003 for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. Last September she violated the terms of her supervision and served another five months in prison. She was released in January and went to a halfway house. And she got out of the halfway house just a few months ago.

We`re talking about the mother of one of the missing girls. As is standard procedure, police have given everyone in the family a polygraph. And Misty says she passed hers. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY MORRISSEY, MISSING GIRL`S MOM: It feels kind of awkward. You know, you know that you don`t really have any information to give up, but I also know that it needed to be done.

Former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, Holly Hughes, if she has just gotten out of a halfway house, is it possible that she met somebody in that halfway house who is a problem? Somebody who may have bad intent? Somebody who may have found out where she lived?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely because not everybody is going to be in there for the same offense. It`s not all going to be drug-related. You could have child predators in that halfway house -- even female, yes, I know what everybody`s thinking. They`re not going to mix male and female in the halfway house, but it could be somebody that she befriended who has a man in their life who is a predator.

There are all sorts of possibilities when unfortunately you`ve got a whole bunch of folks convicted of a crime put into one place. And they`re going to talk. And some of them are not reformed. They`re still looking for the next gig, the next scam, the next way to get over.

And unfortunately if this lady came out and still had ties with some of her old drug connections, we could see some type of an abduction because they`re mad about something that happened in the past. She ratted on somebody.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And of course, we only explore that because we`re trying to find these girls. By the way, you`re looking at some just generic boaters. Cops have been looking for somebody who was on that kind of boat in the lake near where the bikes were found. And they still haven`t been able, my understanding is, to talk to that person.

Tammy Brousseau, you`re the aunt of the two missing girls -- thank you so much for joining us tonight --

TAMMY BROUSSEAU, AUNT OF MISSING GIRLS (via telephone): Yes, thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What have authorities been telling you? What is the latest? Because they were so quick to say that this attempted abduction two and a half hours away of a little girl yesterday had nothing to do with the disappearance of your two nieces. Do you think that that was correct in other words that they could discount that so quickly?

BROUSSEAU: Well, to be honest with you, I don`t keep up with the media. I haven`t watched any interviews. I haven`t -- I don`t read the paper. I tend to just steer clear of it because a lot of what I hear, you know, is so far off the beaten path that it just kind of -- it kind of sickens me to sit and listen to it.

But it`s ok. People are going to have their opinions. And there`s no getting around that. So I just --

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tammy, what have authorities told you? What have authorities told you? They have said to us that they think these girls are alive. What do you know?

BROUSSEAU: Well, of course they`re going to say that they`re alive, number one, because we don`t have two dead bodies. And of course, we all want to believe that the two children are still alive. That`s our hopes. We want our children returned to us alive, yes.

They have no other leads that they`ve told us. And if the FBI does have any leads or something that they`re going off of, they`re certainly not going to tell us because they don`t want to botch up any situation that could potentially lead to the abductor and to getting our kids back.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tammy, it`s difficult for me. I don`t want to go through some of these unpleasant details. But unfortunately we must to cover this story.

And the fact is that Lyric`s dad -- he has a criminal record that involves methamphetamine. And he`s appeared in court numerous times. He`s due back in court in a little over a week. He insists he had absolutely nothing to do with the girls` disappearance. And he has said in the past that he felt like he was being treated like a suspect.

Let`s listen to this. I want to get your reaction to some developments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN MORRISSEY, MISSING GIRL`S DAD: You`re telling the truth and they say you`re holding something back and you`re not, what more do you have to talk about? You know. We can go over and over and over it, you know. So I don`t know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did it make you feel like a suspect?

D. MORRISSEY: Well, it made me feel like -- yes, they were looking at me like a suspect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So, Tammy, he said, the father of Lyric, that he felt he was being treated like a suspect. Has that changed?

BROUSSEAU: No, Jane. I hope for every individual including Misty, Heather, Drew, everybody, I hope everybody is looked at as a suspect until we have the return of our children, you know. That`s proper and standard procedure. So no, let`s keep the ball rolling. Let`s stay on top of it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tammy, published reports claim that after being separated for years, Lyric`s parents, Misty and Dan, you just heard from Dan, were preparing to file for divorce. Is that true?

BROUSSEAU: That`s true.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: At the time the girls disappeared they were finally preparing to divorce?

BROUSSEAU: That is true. But they hadn`t been in a relationship for at least over a year.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you think that that might be a factor here?

BROUSSEAU: We can throw it into like a 2 percent factor, you know -- maybe even a 1 percent. It`s very, very low factor that Dan or Misty`s criminal drug history had anything to do with the disappearance of these two little girls.

Lyric lived in Waterloo and Elizabeth lived in Evansdale. It was a secluded area where the girls came up missing, you know. My thoughts just tend to continue to lean towards a pedophile; he got his opportunity.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Tammy, I want to thank you for joining us. Our hearts are with you and your entire family. We`re going to stay on top of this case. And if you know anything, if you`re watching, please call police immediately.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/mother-of-missing-evansdale-iowa-girl-hospitalized/article_fb59255b-217e-5bee-8c26-17845df6e667.html

Mother of missing Evansdale, Iowa, girl hospitalized
4 hours ago (August 21, 2012)

WATERLOO, Iowa | The mother of one of two cousins who have been missing for more than a month has been hospitalized.

According to police reports, Misty Morrissey, 34, was taken to Allen Hospital Monday evening after she was found unresponsive at a relative’s home.
 ::snipping2::

According to the report, police acting on a tip found Morrissey sleeping and were unable to wake her.

Family told officers she had been at the hospital earlier in the day and been heavily medicated and later drank alcohol, the report states.

[grace-land]

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19332348/mother-of-missing-evansdale-girl-hospitalized

Mother of missing Evansdale girl hospitalized
Posted: Aug 21, 2012 1:34 PM CDT

 ::snipping2::
Misty's mother, Wylma Cook, says Misty is doing okay and says her daughter has obviously been under a great deal of stress recently. Wylma Cook would not confirm why Misty was in the hospital.
 
According to a police report, Misty was in a deep sleep and could not be woken up.  Family members said she was at the hospital earlier in the day, heavily medicated, and later drank a large quantity of alcohol.  She allegedly also took an unknown amount of her own prescribed medication.
 
The family also told officers she was threat to herself..
She was later admitted to the ICU.

[grace-land]

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Father-of-missing-Iowa-girl-seeks-change-of-venue-3813360.php

Father of missing Iowa girl seeks change of venue
Published 1:02 p.m., Friday, August 24, 2012

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — The father of one of two missing Iowa cousins is asking for his trial on drug charges to be moved.
 
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (http://bit.ly/PHh7jx ) reports that Daniel Morrissey's attorney says his client cannot receive a fair trial in Black Hawk County.

Read more...

[grace-land]

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19370410/morrissey-appears-in-court-trial-gets-continued

Morrissey appears in court; trial gets continued
Posted: Aug 24, 2012 2:59 PM CDT

WATERLOO (KWWL) -
Dan Morrissey was in Black Hawk County Court Friday morning for a pre-trial hearing on charges from several separate incidents last year.
 
The charges include domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of meth making materials.

Friday morning, a judge agreed to delay his trial 30 days. Morrissey's lawyer said he is not able to focus due to his missing daughter.
 ::snipping2::

[Northern Rose]

Investigators want you to study photos of missing girls
Authorities ask for new information on missing girls
UPDATED 6:34 AM CDT Sep 07, 2012

EVANSDALE, Iowa — Authorities have setup a new email address and released six key points to help get new leads in the case of two missing Iowa girls from Evansdale.

 ::snipping2::


The new email for tips is OurMissingIowaGirls@dps.state.ia.us. Tips can also still be submitted by phone at 515-323-4360.

Investigators said six key points should be kept in mind as the public works to help solve the case:

 ::snipping2::

http://www.kcci.com/news/central-iowa/Investigators-want-you-to-study-photos-of-missing-girls/-/9357080/16505396/-/item/0/-/l8n01mz/-/index.html

[Northern Rose]

Surveillance video may help find missing girls
Posted: Sep 07, 2012 3:29 PM MDT

EVANSDALE (KWWL) - This Friday marks eight weeks since 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook disappeared from Evansdale.

Authorities believe the people involved in the abduction may have been recorded on a surveillance camera. Officials have hundreds of hours of footage collected, but they need your help to find what to look for.

 ::snipping2::

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19487211/surveillance-video-may-help-find-missing-girls

[grace-land]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/09/iowa-cousins-missing-2-months-authorities-plead-for-help/

Sep 13, 2012 3:04pm
Iowa Cousins Missing 2 Months; Authorities Plead For Help

 ::snipping2::
“Today marks two months since the disappearance of 11-year-old Lyric Cook and 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins,” Rick Abben, chief deputy at the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, said in a statement Thursday. “Both girls were last seen on July 13 at 12:15 p.m. riding their bicycles away from the Collins residence in Evansdale. We have information that the girls were seen approximately 12:23 p.m. on Brovan Blvd. and between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. on Gilbert DR. in the area of Meyers Lake in Evansdale.”
 
A $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the girls’ disappearance has been offered.
 
“Law enforcement is asking for anyone that was in the Arbutus Ave. or Gilbert Dr. and Elmer Ave. areas or anywhere in Evansdale on that day that may have seen the girls to notify us,” he said.
 ::snipping2::

[grace-land]

http://www.wxow.com/story/19544827/marking-two-months-since-elizabeth-lyric-disappeared

Marking two months since Elizabeth & Lyric disappeared
September 14, 2012

Thursday marked two months since Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook disappeared in Evansdale. Investigators believe someone snatched the cousins while they were riding their bikes near Meyers Lake on July 13th.
 
Chief Deputy Richard Abben said they're getting tips every day, although not as many as they received the first few weeks. They have confirmed additional people saw Lyric and Elizabeth the day of their disappearance.
 
Thursday, they issued a plea for anyone who was in the Arbutus Avenue, Gilbert Drive, and Elmer Avenue areas on July 13th, and who may have seen the girls, to call police. Several witnesses reported seeing the cousins in this area between 12:30 and 1:00 that afternoon.
 
At a candlelight vigil Thursday night, Elizabeth's parents Drew and Heather Collins once again asked for help from the community -- saying, someone knows where the girls are, and they just want them home.
 ::snipping2::
Investigators ask you to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Even if you think it's minor, it may be the break authorities need. Also, study the girls' photos closely -- not just their hair or eye color -- those can be changed. Look at their smile or their freckles, and keep their images in mind when you see children in public.
 
If you do have any information, you're urged to contact authorities at 319-232-6682 or ourmissingiowagirls@dps.state.ia.us. A $50,000 reward is available for information leading to the arrest of the person, or persons, responsible.

[MuffyBee]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/12/ijvm.01.html
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Teen Goes Missing After Joy Ride; Robbery Suspect Throws Money Out Car Window

Aired September 12, 2012 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, folks. "JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" starts right now.

 ::snipping2::
Then, a new break in the case of two missing cousins in Iowa. Cops believe they could have the surveillance video showing the girls as they`re being kidnapped. But they need our help. Do cops still think the two girls are alive? And if so, where on earth are they? We`ll investigate and talk to their aunt.
 ::snipping2::

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A frantic search continues for missing cousins from Iowa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight-year-old Elizabeth Collins and 10-year-old Lyric Cook were last seen leaving for a bike ride.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re worried. We`re stressed out. We`re lack of sleep.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two missing girls. And we have no idea why.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s as though they disappeared into thin air in broad daylight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pink ribbons as a reminder of two little girls still missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today the process has begun to drain Myers Lake.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lake slowly recedes draining into the Cedar River.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those girls are just beautiful, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This corner down here is where the girls` bicycles were found and the purse of one of the girls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just baffling to try to figure out the pieces to the puzzle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody is willing to do a polygraph test, you know. We just want our girls home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just trying to hold onto whatever hope you have.

END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, could new surveillance video unlock the mystery of two missing Iowa cousins? Police believe that the girls, ages 9 and 10, were abducted and that the kidnapper`s vehicle was caught on surveillance tape. But what vehicle and what location should they hone in on?

In a moment I will talk to the girls` grandmother, the last one to see them before they vanished. Investigators pouring over hours and hours of footage from around the time Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook disappeared two months ago. They need your help. They`re desperate for that crucial tip to help them know what to look for.

One of the lead investigators made this chilling comment. Quite, "Whoever did this walks among us and lives among us." The cousins vanished the afternoon of Friday July 13th; their grandma, the last one to see them as they left for a bike ride in Evansdale, Iowa. They did this all the time, biking.

Police say this grainy surveillance footage shows Lyric and Elizabeth on that fateful bike ride. About four hours later their bikes and Elizabeth`s purse were found on the banks of a nearby lake. But the trail then goes cold.

Lyric`s parents have been under intense scrutiny because of their criminal past. They`ve each taken polygraph tests and insist they have nothing to do with the girls` disappearance. Still, the dad you`re looking at there, Daniel Morrissey has said that he feels he has been treated like a suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL MORRISSEY, FATHER: When you`re telling the truth and then they say you`re holding something back and you`re not. What more do you have to talk about?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did it make you feel like you were a suspect?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It made me feel like, yes, they were looking at me like a suspect. As far as what I know, I`m not -- I know the truth. I mean, I know I`m telling the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I know you`ve been following this case. Call me with your theories: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297.

We are very delighted to have with us tonight Wylma Cook, the girls` grandmother, the last one to see these two girls before they vanished as they road off on their bikes. Wylma, tomorrow will be two months since Elizabeth and Lyric, your granddaughters, vanished. My heart goes out to you. This has got to be a nightmare. How are you and the parents of these two girls holding up? What is it like?

WYLMA COOK, GRANDMOTHER OF THE COUSINS (via telephone): It`s really hard. It gets harder every day. But we keep praying. We have faith in the Lord that they`re going to be coming home.

And as for that new surveillance that they`re talking about, there isn`t any. We talked to Kent Smock, the chief of police from Evansdale. I don`t know who started that story. But it`s not true.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, here`s the thing, Wylma. It`s not like they found surveillance of the girls. What we`ve heard is that police have hours and hours of surveillance. We`re talking about from the area. There are stores with surveillance cameras, gas stations, parking lots, but they don`t know where to start looking or what to look for.

If let`s say there was a van involved, they don`t know what van, what color van or even if there was a van. So they`re asking everybody. Please report anything suspicious that could point to a potential suspect or vehicle that was suspicious.

Tom Shamshak, you`re a former police chief, you`re a private investigator; police say if somebody changes their hair color or facial hair, is acting differently or suspiciously, repainted their car to make it look different or moved out of the neighborhood abruptly. Aren`t those some of the things to look for? What else, Tom?

TOM SHAMSHAK, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Jane, you`re correct -- looking for immediate flight after this occurrence. Although, you know, we really have to begin looking at the scene where these bikes were found. Was it staged? Could they have been abducted elsewhere and the bikes placed there?

Law enforcement would be looking at footwear impressions in the area. Was there any evidence of a struggle in that area? Looking for tire marks that might have indicated that a vehicle fled at a high rate of speed. But you`re right, that`s what has to be done. Looking at automobile plates from the highway, if it`s a toll road, capturing that information and going out there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to --

SHAMSHAK: People that might have been in the neighborhood working.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re looking at this lake, and I want to ask Wylma, the girls` were -- their bikes were found near that lake. What do you think happened? What`s your theory, Wylma?

COOK: I feel that they never made it to the lake. I feel they were caught before they even got to the lake. And a lot of us feel that way. Some of us don`t.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you think that the scene, with the bikes, was staged?

COOK: That`s the way I feel.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And who would have done this? Who had the motive to take these girls?

COOK: I have no idea because it`s no family member. It`s none of people we know. Nobody had no vendetta against us.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wylma, I say this not to embarrass you or anyone but only and only because it could be crucial to the case. It`s been publicly reported many times missing Lyric`s mom and father have lengthy criminal records. That`s just a fact. Her mom, Misty, was released from a halfway house just a few months ago. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute meth as well as illegal drug use. Her estranged husband, Dan Morrissey has been convicted of burglary, theft and was arrested last year on conspiracy to manufacture meth and possession of meth with intent to deliver. He`s also facing domestic assault.

Now, Howard Samuels, founder and CEO of The Hills Treatment Center, addiction specialist and a person in recovery, when you`ve heard Wylma say, well, there was nobody with a vendetta, but if you bring in alleged conspiracy to distribute meth, what doors does that open?

HOWARD SAMUELS, CEO, THE HILLS TREATMENT CENTER: Well, Jane, where there`s smoke there`s fire. I mean let`s be real about this. They associated with a criminal element especially because they were manufacturing meth with a lot of other criminals. And so where there`s these type of individuals -- and I`m not accusing the parents, but I`m certainly accusing the environment and the other people that had access to the kids. Not a healthy environment. So how could there not be a connection between those two things?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stacey Honowitz, if the dad you`re looking at there is about to go to trial, could somebody have taken these children to try to silence him so that he wouldn`t testify against them?

STACEY HONOWITZ, FLORIDA PROSECUTOR: Well, absolutely. I mean, you really have to get past the big elephant in the room like what Howard was saying. When you`re in a criminal element especially if you`re getting ready to go to trial and if you`re dealing with meth, you`re dealing with a very dangerous element and anything is a possibility. So the police are honing in on the criminal activity of the parents.

The father`s upset that he`s looked at like a suspect. I can understand that. But he has to go further out and peel back the layers of people that he`s been associated with to make a determination as to whether or not there was any kind of involvement.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s go to a quick phone call, George in Washington State. Quick question, George.

GEORGE, WASHINGTON STATE (via telephone): She`s so cute.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: George. All right. I think George is saying that these -- young ladies are beautiful young ladies. And they are. Wylma, what we`re doing is showing the pictures --

(CROSSTALK)

COOK: Yes, but I feel --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Go ahead.

COOK: -- you know, that was many years ago that all that happened. And everybody that they knew as of the last few years, everybody has been checked out thoroughly. And I don`t feel he had anything to do with --

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. But it was really in December of 2011 that Daniel was arrested for possession of meth. That`s not that long ago. That`s less than a year ago. So I understand your point. But we`re just looking at possibilities.

Again, it may be something completely unrelated. We just have to look at all the possibilities.

And, Wylma, I hope you come back soon with some good news. But we`re going to stay on top of this case and continue to get your granddaughters` pictures out there. Thank you.

Now, we`ll bring you the latest on the search. We want to bring these beautiful young girls home, obviously.
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[grace-land]

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Dubuque-County-Adds-A-Child-a-Missing-System-170413496.html

Dubuque County Adds "A Child is Missing" System
Story Created: Sep 19, 2012 at 5:43 PM CDT
(Story Updated: Sep 19, 2012 at 7:06 PM CDT )

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Dubuque County is changing the way it handles missing child reports. The county is now using an alert system called, "A Child is Missing". That system alerts communities when any child, mentally ill, or elderly person disappears.

Terri Wainwright, of Dubuque, is collecting signatures for "the cousin's law". In an effort to help police issue alerts earlier in the event of a missing child search.

Wainwright is the great-aunt of Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins, two cousins now missing from Evansdale for more than two months.

Wainwright said, "I think 'A Child is Missing' is fantastic and it will be basically supplemental to when the cousin's law goes into effect."

When the Black Hawk County cousins first disappeared, Dubuque County Sheriff Don Vrotsos decided to make a change to his county's missing child alert policy.

Vrotsos said, "if they have a missing child we can't always use the Amber Alert because the Amber Alert is more restrictive. They're going to know we are out there doing what we can to immediately find that child."
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[grace-land]

http://www.kwwl.com/story/19613179/can-drive-to-benefit-missing-girls

Can Drive benefits missing girls
Posted: Sep 22, 2012 3:45 PM CDT

WATERLOO (KWWL) -
As the search continues for cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins, a can and bottle drive held at the National Cattle Congress grounds raised awareness and money for the Missing and Exploited Children's Foundation.

Volunteers accepted donated cans and bottles Saturday.  People were also encouraged to sign the petition for the so-called "Cousins Law", a law that would that would change Amber Alert guidelines.
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[grace-land]

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/09/25/judge-denies-dan-morrisseys-request-for-a-change-of-venue-in-upcoming-trial/

Judge denies Dan Morrissey’s request for a change of venue in upcoming trial
11:08 AM, Sep 25, 2012

A judge has denied the request of the father of a missing Waterloo girl to have his trial moved away from Black Hawk County.
 
The order denying Dan Morrissey’s change of venue request was filed Monday, according to online court documents.
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His trial, originally scheduled for mid-August, has been pushed back and is set to begin on Nov. 13.