Two bodies were discovered in the woods by hunters on Wednesday. The bodies are believed to be of two cousins from Iowa that went missing in July. The girls, Elizabeth Collins, 9, and Lyric Cook, 11, went missing on July 13 near a lake in Evansdale, reported the Associated Press.
Investigators found their bikes and a purse near the lake but never found the girls. Hawk County sheriff's Capt. Rick Abben said in a news conference, the AP reported, "It's definitely not the outcome that we wanted, obviously. This is a difficult thing for us to go through. It's a difficult thing for the community."
The medical examiner's office has not officially confirmed the identity of the bodies. Elizabeth's mother, Heather Collins posted the following message on Facebook, "We know that they are up in heaven with our savior. Lord we know that you have them in your loving arms and we are so blessed."
After the girls went missing, hundreds of volunteers helped search for the girls and the lake was searched. Police said they believed the girls were abducted.
The bodies were found around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The AP reported that authorities looked through thousands of tips that poured in during the search. "They looked into Cook's parents, who had criminal records for prior involvement in making methamphetamine. Cook's father, Daniel Morrissey, is being prosecuted for domestic assault and a series of meth and other drug charges, and he backed out of a plea agreement with prosecutors the day before the disappearance. They have denied any involvement," reported the AP.
Last week an anonymous donor pledged $100,000 for information about the girls and the police had offered $50,000.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
