That was actually what they were doing in the early afternoon of July 13th, 2012.
When school had let out for the summer, the two ended up spending a lot of time together at their grandmother Wylma's house, where they often played cards with Wylma or rode their bikes around outside - weather, permitting. The cousins were close enough in age that they had many similar interests, and often hung out together during family get-togethers. They spent a lot of time together at family functions - especially since Lyric ended up spending a lot of time in the care of her grandmother and aunts. Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins were cousins related by blood through their mothers, who were sisters. always the last one to finish her lunch because she was always talking." According to her third-grade teacher, Elizabeth was: That was where she got to show off her more rambunctious personality, which also came out when she hung out with her friends at school. She had a dog named Gus that she loved to baby, and the two had grown inseparable.Įlizabeth also had a tougher side, which really came out when she played hockey. She attended Poyner Elementary School in Evansdale, and became a bit of a girly girl, who loved makeup and nail polish and all of that stuff, in addition to singing with her friends and taking care of animals. However, her family life was much stabler than her cousin's, and she was incredibly close with both of her parents. Like Lyric, Elizabeth also grew up in Evansdale. She was close with all of her siblings, even though she was known to boss them around constantly. She had one brother, named Kelly, as well as two sisters named Amber and Callie. Lyric's cousin - Elizabeth Collins - was born a little under two years later, on July 31st, 2003.Įlizabeth was one of four children born to Drew and Heather Collins. Along with two of her cousins, they had nicknamed themselves the "Bradford Badboys" after their current obsession, Zayn Malik. And, like most girls growing up in the early 2010's, she was obsessed with the boy-band One Direction. Lyric attended Kingsley Elementary School, over in Waterloo, where she was also active in her local church. When she wasn't spending time outside, of course no matter the weather - rain, snow, or shine - Lyric loved being outdoors. She was involved in all kinds of activities commonly associated with girls her age - such as cheerleading and gymnastics - and she also loved to spend time at the bowling alley. Both of her parents would struggle with drug abuse through Lyric's early life, so Lyric was primarily raised by her grandmother, Wylma.ĭespite her troubled home life, Lyric grew up to be as normal a girl as possible. However - despite her family living in the neighboring town, Waterloo - Lyric would grow up primarily in Evansdale, being raised by her grandmother and her aunts. Her parents, Dan Morrissey and Misty Cook-Morrissey, had one child prior to Lyric: an older son, named Dillin (with whom Lyric would be close). Lyric Ray Lynn Cook-Morrissey was born on October 2nd, 2001, in Waterloo, Iowa. This is the story of the Evansdale Murders. It's a story that continues to plague discussions in Evansdale, to the point that a simple Google search involving the town will undoubtedly pull up at least an article describing this town's darkest hour. It's a story that has become synonymous with the town itself, being named after the locale of this particular incident. However, for the past few years, a singular story has engulfed the small town of Evansdale. About an hour away from Cedar Rapids and close to two hours away from Des Moines, it's really wedged in the middle of nowhere, Iowa - in a sleepy section of the state that doesn't receive much attention outside of election season. The three cities rest along the Cedar River and seem to have grown into one another, which has created a larger metropolitan area.ĭespite Evansdale having a population of just under 5,000, more than 100,000 people live in the immediate vicinity giving it a small-town feel but having all the benefits of a much-larger suburbia.įor years, Evansdale enjoyed a reputation of being a rather-obscure town, hidden in the middle of the Midwest. June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins)Įvansdale, Iowa, is a small city in Black Hawk County - about 10 miles southwest of Waterloo.Įvansdale and Waterloo tend to bleed into one another, as well as the city of Cedar Falls, which rests on the opposite side of Waterloo as Evansdale.Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers.Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong.The North Augusta Huddle House Shooting.