Episode 130: Who Killed Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins - Part 1 of 2

In this podcast episode, we delve into the heartbreaking 2012 disappearance of 10-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and her 8-year-old cousin Elizabeth Collins from Evansdale, Iowa, a small, tight-knit community. On July 13, the girls, who were inseparable, vanished while biking near Meyers Lake. Their abandoned bikes and Elizabeth’s purse were soon discovered, triggering a massive search involving local police, the FBI, and volunteers. Despite draining the 33-acre lake and canvassing the area, no trace of the girls was found initially. The case, one of only 15 double child abductions in the U.S. from 1970 to 2012, garnered widespread media coverage. Suspicion briefly fell on Lyric’s parents, Dan and Misty, due to their drug-related criminal past and initial reluctance to cooperate fully, including Dan’s failed polygraph test (later passed when sober). This focus created tension with Elizabeth’s parents and may have slowed the investigation. Five months later, on December 5, 2012, hunters found the girls’ remains 25 miles away in Seven Bridges Wildlife Park, confirming a tragic end. The case, believed to involve sexually motivated crimes, remains unsolved.The episode notes a similar 2013 abduction in Dayton, Iowa, 100 miles away, where a 12-year-old’s escape provided critical clues, to be explored in part two. Rewards totaling $200,000 are offered for information leading to an arrest or conviction. The host recommends the HBO Max series Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? for visuals but warns of sensitive content involving child crimes.

Sources:

Iowa Cold Cases, Inc. (2025, October 2). Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins | Iowa Cold cases. Iowa Cold Cases. https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/lyric-cook-and-elizabeth-collins/

HBO Max. (2024, August 6). Episode 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBJ97l-ASDY

Hermiston, L. (2015, April 28). Letters from Evansdale officers show lack of confidence in former chief Smock. The Gazette - Local Iowa News, Sports, Obituaries, and Headlines – Cedar Rapids, Iowa City. https://www.thegazette.com/news/letters-from-evansdale-officers-show-lack-of-confidence-in-former-chief-smock/

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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Himes and Music by Ryan Creep