Officials called a news conference Wednesday afternoon to release information in the case of two eastern Iowa cousins who have been missing since July.
Officials say hunters contacted them after locating two bodies in a wooded area around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. The bodies are believed to be of Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins but a positive identification has not been made.
The location of where the bodies were found has not been released. However, on Wednesday night, police and state investigators converged on Seven Bridges Park in Bremer County, 20-miles from Meyers Lake in Evansdale.
The lake is where Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook’s abandoned bicycles were found on July 13th.
On Wednesday night, Evansdale residents met there for a candle light vigil to honor the two as the community mourns.
Family friend, Sarah Curl, spoke of how the community is dealing with the news, “Prayer and community support, support of friends and family. I think everybody just kind of leans on each other.”
The bodies have been taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for autopsies.
Despite yet receiving a positive identification, mother Elizabeth Collins wrote in a Facebook posting about the support she has received since. In her words, “My beautiful daughter and nieces bodies were found.”
Since their disappearance, officials had previously searched the area and even drained the lake, but were unable to locate the girls. The FBI said they believed they were abducted.
Lyric was 10-years-old and Elizabeth was 8-years-old at the time of their disappearances.
Evansdale Police and the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office held the news conference at the Evansdale Police Department. They plan to hold another news conference Thursday to release more information in the case.
