The Buckingham

Iowa authorities began draining a 5 acre lake along with volunteers in a search for missing girls. A search of a 12-mile radius drew almost 1,000 volunteers Saturday and almost 900 Sunday, but yielded no significant leads. Elizabeth Collins, 8, and her cousin, Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, were last reported leaving their grandmother’s house last Friday and have not been seen since. Both girls’ bicycles and Elizabeth’s purse were found later that day near a bike trail at Meyers Lake in the Iowa city of Evansdale, leading authorities to a search of the lake beginning last Saturday.

Although authorities dredged the lake and have been interviewed family, friends, and registered sex offenders who live in the area, there have been no significant leads to the girls’ whereabouts. The lack of any significant leads have influenced the decision to drain the lake, which Black Hawk County Chief Deputy Rick Abben said could take up to three days.

However, the significant question for authorities remains as to why or how the girls had disappeared.

“It wouldn’t be proper for me to stand here and tell you we have a theory because we don’t”, Abben said. “We have two missing girls, and we have no idea why.”

Abben said that local, state, and federal officials have began utilizing all methods in an attempt to find the girls. The decision to drain the lake was part of authority’s plan to completely rule out the possibility that the girls are in the lake water. Once it is confirmed that they are not, search strategies and resources can be turned else where.

Assistant Director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Chari Paulson, said fifteen agents have been assigned to the search since the agency joined the effort Saturday. She said agents are chasing any information obtained from the families or search parties as it is brought to their attention.

“These are some of the most important types of cases we work, finding missing kids,” she said, “We are deploying any and all resources we can to help resolve this case.”

Misty Cook-Morrissey noted that her daughter may have attempted to swim the lake, despite a swimming ban. She stated that the family regularly swims at a nearby lake, and that her daughter is a good swimmer. Elizabeth’s mother, Heather Collins, said it’s rare for her daughter to venture too far from home, but she may have been persuaded by her older cousin. Despite the anxiety, both mothers say that they are attempting to stay hopeful.

“Today I’m feeling pretty good,” Misty Cook-Morrissey said Sunday. “Sometimes, when you think about it, you wonder if they’re dead somewhere, but you try to push those thoughts out of your mind.”

Cook-Morrissey is grateful for the community support in Evansdale, a suburb in northeast Iowa.