EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) — The fifth anniversary of the abduction and killing of two young cousins will be marked by events raising awareness about the unsolved case and teaching lessons about child safety.
The nonprofit Angels Park foundation is hosting an event Sunday that will focus on child safety, when DNA samples and fingerprints of children will be taken for free, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (http://bit.ly/2thONzb ) reported. Workshops on personal safety will also be offered at the Evansdale Community Resource Center.
“If we can help but one child or family, it is worth it,” said Dona Frickson, an organizer of the event. Last year, about 600 children participated, and Frickson is hoping for the same this year.
Ten-year-old Lyric Cook-Morrissey and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins were taken on July 13, 2012. Their disappearance during a bike ride sparked a massive search that ended when their bodies were discovered on Dec. 5, 2012, in Bremer County.
On July 15, a memorial motorcycle ride from Lofty’s Lounge in Evansdale will be held to remember the girls. The group hosting the ride includes Drew Collins, who is Elizabeth’s father and Lyric’s uncle.
The goal is to keep the girls’ memory alive and remind people about the case, Collins said.
“There’s still a murderer out there,” he said. “We get an influx of calls every time we do this during this time. A lot of people will call in. It does raise the number of tips. We’re trying to keep it going and, hopefully, we’ll get the right tip.”
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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com