129 replies to this topic

[Kasey2601]

I don't understand if they've already dredged the lake why drain it? Doesn't sound like it's a very big lake.

[regi]

Lady Kasey, on 17 July 2012 - 07:26 PM, said:

I don't understand if they've already dredged the lake why drain it? Doesn't sound like it's a very big lake.

Right?! The lake is five acres, and I'm not sure why they think it's possible that two bodies could have been missed. After this amount of time, and in this heat, bodies would have resurfaced...unless weighted.
I don't think it makes sense that the bikes wouldn't have also been hidden in the lake.

I don't have a link (sorry), but fox news reported that the bikes were found near a maintenance gate, which of course, lends access.

Another thing, the aunt said (in an interview with Anderson Cooper- again, sorry no link) that the girls left their grandmother's house at about 11:30 am. and after the girls weren't back, that she and Elizabeth's older brother went to the lake and asked around about the girls. A man stepped up and said he'd seen the girls headed east on the trail (the direction in which the bikes were located) and he said that was at about 2:30, or somewhere around that time- I don't recall exactly, but my point is that in the Fox News article, Elizabeth's mother said that the girls knew not to be gone long, so I don't think it makes sense that the girls would still be riding around the lake at the time that the man said he saw them. The aunt said that the police have the man's name.
I don't know what to think that situation, and I find it odd that despite that sighting, it's still reported that the girls were last seen when they left the grandmother's house.
Do the police question the witness' credibility? Or do they think he could simply be mistaken? Of course, the grandmother's sighting is the most reliable...just sayin'.

[regi]

Correction: Re: claim of later sighting, the interview was with Jane Valez-Mitchell, not Anderson Cooper.
http://www.hlntv.com...a-cousins-speak

[regi]

I think this is key because it seems to narrow the "focus area". Robert Carpenter- who lives about two blocks due north of Meyer's Lake on Lake Avenue says he saw the girls ride by on their bikes sometime between 12:00 and 3:00pm Friday as he was watering his lawn. He spoke with police later that afternoon during the police door-to-door, at which time he learned the girls were missing.
He and his wife were familiar enough with Elizabeth to recognize her when they saw her. Carpenter said that "they" would ride by their house, but that "they usually turned around and went back." Carpenter's wife says that she would see Elizabeth "almost every night", and that "she always stopped and talked to people", that "she was a very friendly little girl."
Okay...this contradicts that the girls didn't or wouldn't ride so far as Meyer's Lake, but...
Why would Elizabeth routinely be present in that part of the neighborhood?
Was there a particular reason that she would ride down Lake Avenue (passing the Carpenter's) to get where she was going?
(This info is from the Des Moines Register, and I've had trouble with the freakin' link.)

[regi]

This case continues to be heavy on my mind.

Looking at that lake, it's hard to imagine anyone accomplishing anything either around there or certainly on the lake without a witness since this crime occurred in broad daylight.
The perp has to close; he must be familiar because he's apparently knowledgeable and comfortable with that area.
I still don't think the location of the bikes was a dump site because the bikes weren't hidden in the lake and they easily could have been. Why would a perp not hide evidence if he purposefully transported the evidence to that area to get rid of it?
Why risk staging a such a scene where he might have been witnessed?
Those questions are why I don't thnk that's what's occurred.

[supervike]

This horrible story is unfolding right in my backyard.

I ride my bike on the Myers lake trail all the time.  The spot where they found the bikes is the most secluded area of the Lake trail.  The fences are on both sides of the trail, and then there is a forested area, blocking the view from both directions.

But, the trail is accessible via car.  It's plenty wide enough.  In fact, the area where the bikes were found also has a 'normally' locked gate leading to the lake.  The gate was open.  I've seen city workers using that before because it gives access to the lake's overflow valve.

None of us in the community know what to think.  There are plenty of opinions and theories, but no real evidence.   Hopefully they'll be able to find something concrete to go on soon.  To be honest, the only real chance at the girls still being alive are if they were abducted.

[supervike]

Lady Kasey, on 17 July 2012 - 07:26 PM, said:

I don't understand if they've already dredged the lake why drain it? Doesn't sound like it's a very big lake.

The officials don't think they will be found in the lake either.  The lake is actually pretty good size.  You can walk completely around it, but it'll take 15-20 minutes.

But, since this lake is equipped with an overflow valve, it really is a simple matter to drain it and be 100% sure.  All it really takes is time.  And once that is put to rest, they can stop (possibly) wasting efforts there.

Edited by supervike, 18 July 2012 - 08:46 PM.

[QuiteContrary]

They are focused locally, but I figure they've checked any internet correspondence. Anyone online can map the area and lake.

[regi]

supervike, on 18 July 2012 - 08:42 PM, said:

This horrible story is unfolding right in my backyard.

I ride my bike on the Myers lake trail all the time.  The spot where they found the bikes is the most secluded area of the Lake trail.  The fences are on both sides of the trail, and then there is a forested area, blocking the view from both directions.

But, the trail is accessible via car.  It's plenty wide enough.  In fact, the area where the bikes were found also has a 'normally' locked gate leading to the lake.  The gate was open.  I've seen city workers using that before because it gives access to the lake's overflow valve.

Yes, it is the most secluded spot...it causes me to wonder if the girls were stalked...maybe expected to arrive in that location.
Just out of curiosity, do you know what that building is that's situated east of the lake, and north of the woods, off S. Evans Rd./Arbutus Ave.?

[JonathanVonErich]

Update: Mother thinks the two missing girls may have been "taken"

The mother of a missing Iowa girl thinks there is a chance she and her cousin were abducted and are not at the bottom of a lake where dogs have led searchers.
"Because we haven't found them anywhere in the surrounding area, I feel like maybe they were taken," Misty Cook-Morrissey, mother of 10-year-old Lyric Cook, told CNN on Wednesday.

Full article: http://www.cnn.com/2....html?hpt=hp_t3

By the way glad to see you back Supervike.

[Chris Baker]

I've just looked at Meyers Lake on google maps, it's right next to an interstate junction.

Someone could have taken them a long distance very quickly.

[supervike]

regi, on 18 July 2012 - 09:26 PM, said:

Yes, it is the most secluded spot...it causes me to wonder if the girls were stalked...maybe expected to arrive in that location.
Just out of curiosity, do you know what that building is that's situated east of the lake, and north of the woods, off S. Evans Rd./Arbutus Ave.?

Yes, that is a house.  It's kind of run down, but I do think someone lives there.  The next property over from that is a house that actually never got built.  You can see all the lumber in the google maps pic, but that's all been taken away.  I think that is just a covered up basement now.

Also, if any of you are looking at the area on google maps, let me add a few comments.  It looks like the highway is very close to the trail, but that doesn't really tell the whole story.

First off, the lane closest to the park (eastbound lane) is currently being used for two way traffic, as they are doing massive construction (as in a total rebuild) of the westbound lane.  Traffic gets pretty heavy right through there (especially during the time frame of the disapperance), and it would be close to impossible for someone to pull over on the shoulder and walk down to the bike trail.  There just isn't hardly any shoulder to do that.

But then there is a very steep ditch, which is covered in trees and weeds, a very tall (8feet I think) fence.  Then on the otherside of the fence is the bike trail.

The spot where the bikes were found is not only secluded by the trees that surround it, but you are actually about 20 feet below the 'road' level.  You'd have to look up to see traffic.  But the other thing is that it is also really noisy there, as the sounds of the traffic are pretty heavy.   That would certainly muffle any screaming.

But also because of the construction, you cannot exit at the River Forest exit (which is the cloverleaf).  You can, however, get on the highway before the cloverleaf (only if heading eastbound)

Edited by supervike, 19 July 2012 - 02:58 PM.

[regi]

Thanks for that info., Supervike!

Anyway I look at these circumstances, there's indication that the perp is right there in the area because 1) the perp appear to be familiar with the area to have been there at all, and 2) if the scene is staged, then the person is close to the victim.
When I first posted on this case, I assumed that the lake was one you could just drive up to, but clearly, it's rather private and closed in- even though there's the highway bordering the south side, there's no obvious access by vehicle...except at that maintenance gate.

Another thing, we've got a small window here, but I don't know how small. I've read early reports that the girls were seen at 12:15 behind Lederman's Big & Tall Clothing which is located at 3524 Lafayette Road.
The girls were expected back relatively soon, so that sighting at 12:15 doesn't make sense in that they'd leave and go further from home after already riding for 45 minutes.
I'm racking my brain here.

[regi]

Okay, a current video from USNews shows that the maintenance gate opens to the lake from the trail, so one would have to already be driving on the trail to get to the gate, and the gate only leads to the lake. I didn't get that.
I thought one would come to the gate first. To me, the gate holds no significance, except that the girls had access to lake from the trail because the gate was open.
I don't see a perp driving on what should be a biking/walking trail in broad daylight at mid-day to ditch, or plant evidence.
Also, we have an issue of time; that small window I was talking about. Ditching/planting evidence would have taken place later, not before and so seems unlikely that that's what happened.
I'm confused that the scent dogs led to the lake.

[supervike]

I've walked/ridden my bike countless times on this trail, and I think I've only saw that maintenence gate unlocked one time.   However, according to reports the gate was left open.  That gate opens to the overflow valve for the lake.  If the lake gets too high, they can let water out (it goes under the highway, and dumps to the cedar river to the south)  Of course, that was a theory early on, that maybe somehow the girls fell into this.  But, it has a huge grate, so nothing big could go through.

The trail is plenty wide enough to drive a car onto, and you can see by that east side where it would be easiest to enter from (arbutus st.).  That entrance would be shielded from the main part of the lake and the trial.  In fact, that is the way I've seen the maintenence workers enter the trail.  They mow the grass, etc.

The location they were spotted last (behind Lederman's) is actually right where the grandma lives.

There were also reports than an older man saw the girls as he was watering his lawn.  He lives down on Lake St.  I think the name was Robert Carpenter.  He doesn't know what time, but he says he's seen the girls ride by before.  That would at least put the girls closer to the lake.  I only saw that report once though, so not sure of it's veracity.

Also, even though I live almost 1.5 miles away, my garage, shed and cars were searched.  They were doing house to house searches, so in fact all my neighbors got searched as well.  However, I've heard of folks living right by the lake that have never been asked permission to take a look.  I'm not sure why of the inconsistancies.

Lastly, I don't want to come off like I think I'm any sort of expert on this.  There are tons of news sources, but I guess since I'm local to the story, I felt I could chip in a little perspective on a few things.  I really just want those girls to be found, safe, and reunited with their families.  It's such a sick feeling.  As a father of two daughters, It would seriously be the worst nightmare to have to live through.

Edited by supervike, 19 July 2012 - 08:44 PM.