The Search For Lyric and Elizabeth

My heart goes out this family. My hope is that I can help to tell the story of their return.

Marcus Norman, of the Evansdale Fire Department, right, gives instructions to a search group before sending them out to an agricultural field East of Raymond to search for Lyric and Elizabeth. More than 1,000 volunteers helped with the search within the two days following the girls' disappearance.

Volunteer Earl Conerd, 77, of Quasqueton, kicks at a barrel to expose any possible content as he and others continue to search the sand pits and wooded areas of BMC Aggregates L.C. in rural Gilbertville. Conerd says he saw the story of the missing girls on the news the night before and knew that he needed to help with the search.

Curtis DeGroote, front left, hands out stacks of posters to Liz Chihak, of Waterloo, front center, and Brittni Gipper, front right, Michelle Kremer, back left, and Alexis Kremer, 10, back right, all of Fairbank, to post in their work places and neighborhoods in order to familiarize the public with Lyric and Elizabeth's faces in hopes that anyone with information would call the tip line.

 

 

Drew Collins, front, is comforted by his wife Heather Collins, center, during one of many prayer vigils held in honor of the Collins'  missing daughter Elizabeth Collins, 8, and her cousin  Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, of Waterloo, at Heartland Vineyard Church, the Collins' home church,  in Cedar Falls.

 

 

 

 

 

Curtis Bertch, front center, of Cedar Falls, releases his ballon as Tammy Brousseau, front right, of Waterloo, holds up a stuffed bear at a balloon releasing ceremony held to support the family of missing cousins Elizabeth Collins, 8, of Evansdale, and Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, of Waterloo, at Deerwood Park in Evansdale, marking one week since the girls' disappearance. Bertch is a cousin to the girls, and Brousseau is the girls' aunt.

Capt. Rick Abben responds to questions about the lack of new information available during a press conference, in Evansdale, regarding the continuing search for missing cousins Lyric and Elizabeth. Within the first week, volunteers searched Evansdale and surrounding communities, Meyers Lake was partially drained, and the FBI brought in a diving team to search deep pockets in the lake. The girls were not found.

 

Misty Cook, front, mother of  Lyric, prays aloud and encourages others to do the same during a candlelight vigil at Meyers Lake, marking one week since Lyric and her cousin Elizabeth's disappearance--which earlier in the day was officially reclassified as an abduction.

Brittnay Brousseau, front left, Haley Bertch, 14, front center, and Isabella Schlamann, 12, front right, comfort each other while  attending a candlelight vigil, for missing relatives Lyric and Elizabeth.

FBI spokeswoman Sandy Breault urges anyone who was at Meyers Lake on Friday, July 13, 2012 to come forward, even if they don't believe that they hold useful information. Breault also dispelled rumors about the investigation and discussed the ongoing search efforts for Lyric and Elizabeth.

 

Grace Burg, 5, at left, of Waterloo, looks down at the flower she has chosen as a crowd gathers for a candlelight vigil held for missing cousins Elizabeth and Lyric at Meyers Lake, marking two weeks since the girls' abduction.

Drew Collins, of Evansdale, takes a moment after tossing his flower into the water during a candlelight vigil for his missing daughter Elizabeth and missing niece Lyric, at  Meyers Lake in Evansdale, marking two weeks since the girls' disappearance.