On the afternoon of July 13, 2012, two cousins rode away from a yard in Evansdale, Iowa, and disappeared into the summer air. Their abandoned bikes were found later that day by the edge of a lake, but it took another five months before their bodies were discovered in a remote wildlife preserve. The case of Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins remains unsolved, haunting investigators to this day.

Friday in Evansdale

Evansdale has about four and a half thousand residents—a town where everyone knows everyone. That Friday was expected to be as lazy as any July weekend in the local school calendar. Lyric was 10 and Elizabeth was 7, and their bond was much more than just family—they were growing up together as their mothers were sisters.

Lyric, born October 2, 2001, attended Kingsley Elementary School. Despite her mother Misty’s jail stint for drug possession during pregnancy and being raised by an aunt until age four, Lyric loved fishing with her father, playing cards with her grandmother, and sledding in winter.

Elizabeth was born July 31, 2003, to Drew and Heather Collins. She loved to dance and sing, played softball and hockey. The cousins choreographed dances and gymnastic routines to perform for their family.

That day, their grandmother Wylma Cook was watching them while their parents worked. With her permission, the girls set off on their bikes. Last seen around 12:23 p.m. on Brovan Boulevard, then near Gilbert Drive by Meyers Lake, they vanished without a trace.

The Handbag and the Phone

The alarm was raised the moment the girls did not return by 2:48 p.m. Police responded excellently—two minutes after the call, three squad cars were canvassing the area; within an hour, assistance from nearby towns arrived. By 4 p.m., officers located two bikes and Elizabeth’s purse, with her phone still inside, on a path around Meyers Lake.

That evening, resources never before seen in Evansdale were deployed. An Iowa State Patrol plane circled with thermal cameras, search dogs followed trails, divers scoured the lake. The FBI was notified that night and dispatched a special child abduction team the next morning. Photos of the cousins were distributed at gas stations, stores, and highways within a hundred-mile radius.

Despite draining and extensively searching the lake area, no evidence supported the initial drowning theory. A week after the disappearance, investigators officially declared it an abduction, turning the summer vacation into a shared nightmare for the small town, and a story making national headlines.

On December 5, 2012, hunters found the bodies in Seven Bridges Wildlife Park, Bremer County, about 25 miles from Evansdale. Identification was confirmed five days later. The cause of death remains secret to this day for investigative purposes—only the real perpetrator would know these specific details.

The White SUV and Klunder

Half a year after the discovery of the bodies, a lead emerged that is still considered the most important in the case. Three independent witnesses described seeing an older white SUV, possibly a Chevy Suburban or a Ford Bronco, parked on Arbutus Avenue late that morning. This street connects directly to the bike path where the girls’ bicycles were found.

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit profiled the suspect as someone very familiar with the area, knowing both Meyers Lake and the distant Seven Bridges reserve. Analysts suggested the possibility of deceit or threat used in the abduction. The suspect may have changed the appearance or color of the vehicle afterwards.

Over the following years, police checked more than 300 registered sex offenders and interviewed over a thousand people. One name kept coming up: Michael Klunder, who in May 2013 abducted teenager Kathlynn Shepard, was a promising lead at one point, but was ultimately ruled out in 2014.

Elizabeth’s father, Drew Collins, remained determined, keeping the case in the public eye through the media and ongoing collaboration with detectives.

A Town That Remembers

The Collins family established a foundation in Elizabeth’s name, supporting families of missing persons and focusing on child abduction prevention and education, especially in schools.

The city of Evansdale officially designated July 13 as a remembrance day for the two girls. Their names are spoken with solemnity, and only one thing is missing: justice. The person responsible has yet to be brought before a court for what happened that summer in 2012.

One question still hangs heavy, regardless of the years that have passed: How could someone, in a town where everyone knows each other, put two young girls into a white vehicle in broad daylight—and to this day, no one knows who was behind the wheel?

Sources

– Elizabeth J. Collins, 8 and Lyric R.
Cook-Morrissey

[https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/lyric-cook-and-elizabeth-collins/]

– Evansdale cousins’ case remains unsolved 13
years after discovery in Bremer County

[https://www.kcrg.com/2025/12/05/evansdale-cousins-case-remains-unsolved-13-years-after-discovery-bremer-county/]

– 12 years later, investigation into the
Evansdale cousins’ abduction, murders still active

[https://eu.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2024/07/13/evansdale-cousins-murders-what-to-know-12-years-later/74379360007/]

– The unsolved murders of Lyric Cook and
Elizabeth Collins

[https://truecrimesocietyblog.com/2025/01/12/the-unsolved-murders-of-lyric-cook-and-elizabeth-collins/]