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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.

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.

vlog EIGHT NEWS AT SIX. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS UNSOLVED CASES IN IOWA. 13 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, TWO YOUNG COUSINS WERE ABDUCTED WHILE ON A BIKE RIDE IN EVANSDALE. THERE ARE STILL NO ARRESTS IN THEIR DEATHS. vlog’S LAURA TERRELL GOT AN INSIDE LOOK ON WHERE THE CASE STANDS TODAY AND HOW THE DCI CRIME LAB IS USING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO TRY TO CATCH THE KILLER. HER SMILE, HER LOVE FOR LIFE. LIKE SHE JUST LOVED LIFE. SHE COULD BE IN TROUBLE. AND SHE STILL WOULD BE SMILING. IT’S BEEN 13 YEARS SINCE DREW AND HEATHER COLLINS HAVE SEEN THEIR DAUGHTER ELIZABETH SMILE IN PERSON. WE’VE MISSED A LOT. WE’VE. MY KIDS HAVE MISSED OUT ON THEIR SISTER. LYRICS. FAMILIES MISSED OUT ON HER DIVORCE. NOW THEY SIT SIDE BY SIDE IN THIS INTERVIEW WITH THE SAME GOAL. WE JUST WANT JUSTICE. THOSE GIRLS DESERVE JUSTICE. FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THEY’VE WAITED FOR ANSWERS THAT NEVER COME. EVERY DAY, TO ME, IS JUST KIND OF LIKE A NIGHTMARE. BEST FRIENDS SINCE THEY WERE BABIES, COUSINS. ELIZABETH AND LYRIC DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER, INCLUDING THAT BIKE RIDE ON JULY 13TH, 2012. I SAID, WE HAVE TO CALL THE POLICE RIGHT NOW. I SAID, SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT. I SAID, THIS JUST, WE NEED TO CALL THEM RIGHT NOW. WHEN TEN YEAR OLD LYRIC AND EIGHT YEAR OLD ELIZABETH DID NOT RETURN HOME, POLICE SCOURED EVANSDALE AND EVENTUALLY FOUND THEIR BIKES RIGHT HERE IN THIS REMOTE PART OF THE TRAIL BEHIND MYERS LAKE. IT’S COVERED WITH TREES. YOU CAN’T HEAR ANYTHING. IT’S THE PERFECT PLACE TO TAKE A COUPLE KIDS. ELIZABETH’S FAVORITE PURSE THROWN OVER THIS CHAIN LINK FENCE. SHE SENT ME A PICTURE AND ASKED ME IF THAT WAS HERS. AND I JUST WAS LIKE, THEY’RE GONE. FIVE MONTHS LATER, HUNTERS FOUND THE GIRLS BODIES IN A REMOTE WOODED AREA ABOUT 20 MILES OUTSIDE OF TOWN. YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE ON MY LIST THAT MAKES GOOD SENSE. IT COULD BE THEM. DREW FIRMLY BELIEVES THE KILLER IS SOMEONE LOCAL WHO KNOWS THE AREA WELL. BUT 13 YEARS LATER, STILL NO ARRESTS. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS CASE IS SO DIFFICULT TO SOLVE? THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. DCI AGENT SCOTT RIEGER IS IN CHARGE OF THIS CASE. HE SAYS WHILE DOUBLE CHILD ABDUCTIONS ARE RARE, POLICE ARE OFTEN INUNDATED WITH A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF TIPS RIGHT AWAY. WHEN YOU GET A LOT OF INFORMATION AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS HARD TO IT’S NOT TO STAY FOCUSED. IT’S HARD TO BE FOCUSED ON ONE PARTICULAR LEAD AND REALLY RUN THAT TO GROUND. RIEGER SAYS THEY HAVE FOLLOWED UP ON 2000 LEADS IN THIS CASE, FIVE INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING IT TODAY. DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE OF INTEREST? SO I NEVER COMMENTED ON LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE PEOPLE OF INTEREST. HERE’S A SUSPECT. WE REGULARLY GET NAMES OF PEOPLE. SOMETIMES THEY’RE PEOPLE WE’VE ALREADY VETTED. SOMETIMES THEY’RE THEY’RE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS. EVEN 13 YEARS LATER, RIEGER BELIEVES TIME IS ON THEIR SIDE WHEN IT COMES TO CATCHING THE KILLER OR KILLERS. THERE’S THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO NOW IN 2025 THAT WE WEREN’T ABLE TO DO DOWN IN 2020 OR 2012. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHERE THE STANDS ARE. vlog GOT A RARE LOOK INSIDE THE DCI CRIME LAB, WHERE SCIENTISTS ARE USING THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY TO TRY TO SOLVE THIS CASE. THAT INCLUDES UPGRADED ALTERNATIVE LIGHT SOURCES TO EXAMINE EVIDENCE. CRIMINALIST ALEX HAGER USES FAKE EVIDENCE TO SHOW US. NOW YOU CAN SEE EASILY WHERE SOME OF THESE STAINS ARE PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE LAB IS A SOFTWARE PROGRAM CALLED STARMIX. SINCE APRIL, THEY’VE USED IT TO SEPARATE OUT MIXTURES THAT CONTAIN DNA FROM MULTIPLE PEOPLE. SO NOW WE’RE ABLE TO SAY MUCH MORE ABOUT A MINOR COMPONENT OF DNA IN A MIXTURE, WHICH QUITE OFTEN IS THE REALLY PROBATIVE EVIDENCE OR THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE MIXTURE THAT WE NEED. CRIMINALISTS ALSO HAVE UPGRADED MACHINES TO EXTRACT DNA FROM PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. THAT MEANS THEY CAN PULL DNA FROM SAMPLES THAT ARE DEGRADED FROM BEING OUT IN THE WEATHER. THE INSTRUMENTS NOW ARE MORE SENSITIVE, MORE CAPABLE THAN THEY THAN THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN 2012. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ARE LEARNING HOW MUCH DNA HAS BEEN TESTED IN THE EVANSDALE CASE, HALVERSON SAYS. THE DCI CRIME LAB HAS WRITTEN 30 REPORTS, 20 OF THOSE INCLUDE RESULTS OF DNA TESTING ON EVIDENCE THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED FROM THE CRIME SCENES. YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF EVIDENCE. ESSENTIALLY, YES, IT IS A LOT. VERY MUCH SO. A TYPICAL CASE, A GENERAL RUN OF THE MILL CASE WILL JUST HAVE ONE REPORT. SCIENTISTS DEVELOP A DNA PROFILE WHICH LOOKS LIKE THIS PEAKS ON A PIECE OF PAPER. THEY THEN COMPARE THOSE TO KNOWN SAMPLES TO TRY TO DEVELOP INVESTIGATIVE LEADS. DO YOU THINK THIS CASE IS SOLVABLE? ABSOLUTELY. RIEGER SAYS PERSISTENCE WILL SOLVE THIS CASE. HE’S NOT GIVING UP, AND NEITHER ARE DREW AND HEATHER COLLINS. THIS PERSON IS STILL OUT THERE. AND ARE THEY GOING TO DO IT AGAIN? ELIZABETH WOULD HAVE TURNED 22 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR. LYRIC 24. THEIR YOUNG FACES NOW PERMANENTLY SMILE ON BENCHES AND PLAQUES NOT FAR FROM WHERE THEY DISAPPEARED. WE’RE NOT GOING TO SLOW DOWN. WE’RE GOING TO KEEP KEEP GOING UNTIL THE DAY WE DIE. THOSE GIRLS REALLY, REALLY DESERVE JUSTICE. AND I WANT TO MENTION WE ASKED LYRIC’S MOM, MISTY COOK, FOR AN INTERVIEW FOR THIS STORY. SHE POLITELY DECLINED. LAST MONTH, SHE WAS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY WITH INTENT TO MANUFACTURE OR DELIVER METH AND CONSPIRACY WITH INTENT TO MANUFACTURE OR DELIVER MARIJUANA. SHE AND LYRIC’S FATHER, DAN MORRISSEY, HAVE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF DRUG USE THAT’S BEEN VERY PUBLIC. THE DCI SAYS THESE NEW CHARGES DON’T REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE INVESTIGATION. WE ASKED THE DCI HAS ALWAYS DECLINED TO COMMENT OR SPECULATE ON IF DRUGS COULD HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE GIRLS ABDUCTION AND DEATH. AND WE WANT TO MENTION THAT INVESTIGATORS STILL REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO PASS ON ANY INFORMATION THAT THEY KNOW. THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS RIGHT ON YOUR SCREEN THERE. IT’S AN EMAIL. OUR MISSING IOWA GIRLS AT DPS DOT STATE DOT. I DOT US BEN. ALL RIGHT. LAURA. SO YOU ASKED IF THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS CASE WAS SOLVABLE. DO THEY THINK THEY’RE ANY CLOSER TO ACTUALLY SOLVING IT? YOU KNOW, THAT’S A QUESTION I ASK EVERY YEAR. AND AGENT RIEGER SAYS WE ARE CLOSER EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BECAUSE EVEN THE DOORS THAT CLOSE OR THAT DON’T WORK OUT, OR THE THINGS WE CAN CHECK OFF OUR LIST THAT ARE NOT THE PERSON MAKES US THAT MUCH CLOSER TO THE ANSWER. SO HE REALLY BELIEVES THAT THEY ARE TAKING STEPS AND GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE TRUTH. WE ALL HOPE TO SEE THAT DAY. LAURA.
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Updated: 1:06 AM CDT Jul 14, 2025
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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.

vlog logo
Updated: 1:06 AM CDT Jul 14, 2025
Editorial Standards
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.» Subscribe to vlog's YouTube page» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

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.

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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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