Authorities 'confident' bodies are 2 Iowa cousins

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By RYAN J. FOLEY and DAVID PITT

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) - Northeast Iowa residents who have been holding out hope that two young cousins missing for five months might be home for Christmas were grappling Thursday with the news that hunters likely found the girls' bodies.

Autopsies by the state medical examiner's office were still under way, but the remains are believed to be those of Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins, who were 10 and 8 when they did not come back from riding their bikes July 13, Black Hawk County sheriff's Capt. Rick Abben said.

The girls' families were stunned by the news that two bodies were found, family friend Sara Curl, who has organized community events to support the families, said Thursday night.

"To be honest we have been trying to keep the positivity going so much this 100 percent blindsided us and it absolutely did them as well," she said. "I don't think that when they were called down there yesterday that they expected to hear the news that they did. so it's really going to take some time to process."

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20121207/DA30KF8O2.html

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This combo made from undated photos provided by the FBI shows cousins Lyric Cook, 10, right, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, who have been missing since Friday, July 13, 2012. Authorities say hunters have found bodies believed to be two young Iowa cousins who disappeared while riding their bikes in July. (AP Photo/FBI)

[Taverner]

1. :(

[emmadoggy]

2. Such a tragic end to this story.

I hope they find the monster who did this.

[happyslug]

3. I hate to say this, nothing in the article even suggest anything but a natural death

Now, if I was a betting man, I would bet this is was done by a "monster" but given what we know RIGHT NOW, these children may have died from natural causes (for example, they bikes was involved in an accident, throwing them onto the ground and both died due to injuries incurred in the accident and animals carried they bodies 25 miles away. I am not saying I believe that happen, but it could have, it is possible just like walking back wards from New York City to Los Angles is possible, don't bet on it, but it is possible).

Just a comment, we have to wait to see what caused these two children to die and what evidence can be gathered as to who did it. We can NOT jump to a conclusion that is was anything but a natural death until we hear from the Medical Examiner. I know their bikes were found 25 miles away from their bodies and increases the likelihood of foul play, but we have to see what the experts can derived from the remains before we jump to to many conclusions.

[emmadoggy]

5. The chances that this was

anything "natural" are so remote it can't be considered in the realm of reality.

Someone did this and dumped their bodies in a remote area where it was unlikely they would be found anytime soon. Yes, confirmation of this will have to come from authorities, but I put the chances that this was murder at 99.9%.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

6. Um

There aren't a lot of animals here in Iowa that can drag a body 25 miles.

[barbtries]

11. i'll jump.

they were murdered.

[bitchkitty]

15. Are you kidding?

Do you think that they ran away to join the circus and died in a freak elephant-watering accident?

[Quantess]

16. That doesn't sound plausible at all.

My speculation is that the bodies have decayed so much that the causes of death are now more difficult to pinpoint. But yeah, aliens didn't shoot the girls dead with ray guns, lightning didn't kill two. Animals don't drag bodies 25 miles, (but aliens might).

Anything other than foul play is pretty much fantasy.

Edit to add: sorry if that contained way too much sarcasm.

[Nay]

4. Those poor little things...at their ages, it would have truly been a miracle to find them alive

after all this time. I suppose they could have died of natural causes, but that would be a real stretch. They were found 25 miles from where they were last seen--little kids don't walk or bike that far, ever.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

7. I wonder what information the police had?

They were saying for the longest time that they expected to find them alive. They made it seem like they knew something.

[raccoon]

9. The parents' background was less than pristine and there was some speculation that

the children might have been kidnapped by associates of the parents as collateral in a drug deal.

[exboyfil]

13. What does it say about our drug laws

if someone would risk kidnapping and possibly murder (assuming that was not the original intent) to avoid a drug charge? The two crimes (drug selling and kidnapping) should not even be close in terms of sentences. Also this is why there should be some room in sentencing between kidnapping/sexual assault and murder. No matter what happens we want to get our children back. Once the act becomes a "freebie", then you have absolutely no deterrent to the murder.

These two little girls went to my daughter's church. She is pretty shaken up by the news.

[justice1]

14. i don't believe this case is an example of our drug laws.

If you are as familiar with the case, you will remember the last person who saw them alive, it was the man in the boat at the lake ., that the police referred to as a 'witness'. I feel bad for the parents, and would be shocked if charges were ever filed against them.

[exboyfil]

17. I was working from the previous post

assumption of a drug connection (it is a theme I hear at work as well). My first reaction would be some serial pedophile/murderer (a little unusual that two were snatched though). Possibly a team of pedophiles/murderers (like Hillside Strangler, Lucas&Toole). Snatching two kids seems pretty hard for a single person. Of course you could always have someone known and trusted by the girls involved.

[LisaL]

18. I think police said they expect to find them alive because they didn't have evidence

they were dead.

[Sienna86]

8. Very sad

I also had thought, based on police actions and statements, that the police had an idea that the girls were still alive. I held out hope.

May they rest in peace.

[Odin2005]

10. Oh no!

[question everything]

12. What a tragedy

And after so many months, what are the chances of ever finding out the how and what and why?

My deepest condolences to the families.