New DNA technology being used in Evansdale cousin abduction case 13 years later
Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, were abducted while on a bike ride in Evansdale on July 13, 2012. Now 13 years later new DNA technology is giving new hope in solving the case.
Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, were abducted while on a bike ride in Evansdale on July 13, 2012. Now 13 years later new DNA technology is giving new hope in solving the case.
Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, were abducted while on a bike ride in Evansdale on July 13, 2012. Now 13 years later new DNA technology is giving new hope in solving the case.
Inside the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation's Crime Lab, scientists quietly and meticulously pour over test tubes and machines. It's the behind-the-scenes part of a homicide investigation the public rarely gets to see.
"We have taken a lot of steps and done a lot of work on this case and rightfully so," said Mike Halverson, Criminalist Supervisor at the Iowa DCI Crime Lab.
On July 13, 2012 two young cousins went on a bike ride and never returned. The disappearance of Elizabeth Collins, 8, and Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, shook the town of Evansdale and the entire state of Iowa.
The girls' bikes were discovered near Meyers Lake in Evansdale on a remote part of the trail that is covered by trees. Overhead interstate traffic drowns out any noise on that part of the trail.
"You can't hear anything. It's the perfect place to take a couple kids," said Elizabeth's father Drew Collins.
Hunters discovered the girls' bodies fives months later in the woods at Seven Brides Wildlife Area approximately 20 miles north of Evansdale. Investigators have never revealed a cause of death. There are still no arrests 13 years later.
"My oldest was roughly the same age, and so that brought it a little closer to home," said DCI Special Agent Scott Reger.
Reger has investigated the Evansdale case since the beginning, and he became the lead investigator in 2017. He said law enforcement has followed up on more than 2,000 leads. Reger said five investigators are still actively working the case.
"Time actually becomes an advantage because it starts to advance ... there is things you can do now in 2025 that we weren't able to do in 2012," said Reger.
New technology in the DCI Crime Lab in Ankeny is now being utilized. In April, the DCI Crime Lab started using a software program called Starmix. Starmix can analyze and separate a mixture that contains several DNA profiles.
"In the past we couldn't see much about that minor component because it was too weak. It was kind of outnumbered by the major. The beautiful thing about Starmix is it can really separate out components of the two or three person mixtures, and help us compare that to the known samples," said Halverson. "So now we are able to say much more about a minor component of DNA in a mixture, which quite often really is the probative evidence or the really important part of the mixture that we need."
Halverson is unable to reveal details, but he said the DCI Crime Lab has written 30 reports, 20 of those reports are the results of DNA testing on evidence that has been collected from the crime scenes in the Evansdale investigation.
"A typical case, a general run of the mill case would just have one report," said Halverson. "It goes to show how hard our state, our state investigators, our law enforcement partners, our crime lab has worked on that case."
Elizabeth's father, Drew, says he finds hope in knowing that evidence is being examined by new technology.
"I am very confident in the people we have in place that are looking at this case and working this case," said Drew Collins. "I don't see them slowing down in 13 years. We haven't had the results we want yet, but I think they're coming."
The Iowa DCI has never named a suspect or a possible motive.
Investigators have closely looked into other crimes involving children. Ten months after the Evansdale abductions, Michael Klunder kidnapped two girls from Dayton, Iowa.
The Iowa DCI said Klunder killed Kathlynn Shepard, 15, before killing himself. Dezi Hughes, who was 12 years old at the time, managed to escape. In 2013, the DCI Agent in charge at the time said Klunder was ruled out as a suspect in the Evansdale investigation. However, today Reger says he will not comment on ruling anyone in or out of the investigation.
Reger believes the Evansdale case is solvable.
"Time just has a funny way of realizing what's true in all things in life and this isn't going to be any different," said Reger.
Drew and Heather Collins say they will continue to fight for justice as long as they live.
"We're not going to slow down. We're going to continue until the day we die," said Heather Collins.
vlog reached out to Lyric's mother, Misty Cook, for an interview. She declined. In June, Cook was charged with conspiracy with intent to manufacture or deliver meth and conspiracy with intent to manufacture or deliver marijuana. Lyric's father, Dan Morrissey, also has a lengthy history of drug use. The DCI has declined to comment on if they think drugs played any role in the girls' abduction and death.
Investigators are asking the public to continue to submit any information that is relevant to the case. The best way to do so is by emailing ourmissingiowagirls@dps.state.ia.us.
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