Coming Sunday: 'Dancing Up with Our Savior,' The Missing Cousins of Evansdale

For nearly five full months, Iowans joined in the lookout, joined in fundraisers and joined in prayer for 9-year-old Elizabeth Collins and her 11-year-old cousin, Lyric Cook-Morrissey.

The two little girls vanished from Meyers Lake in Black Hawk County on July 13, and hopes of their safe return continued until Wednesday, when two bodies were found in a wooded area of Bremer County, 25 miles to the north.

In the time before the discovery, Iowans were both saddened and jittery as the girls remained missing and one abduction attempt after another was reported around the state.

Once again, Iowa lost more of its innocence.

Heather Collins, the mother of Elizabeth, posted this on her Facebook page:

We knew when our girls went missing that would be two outcomes unfortunately this is not the one that we wanted but we know our girls our dancing up with our savior. We know that he will continue to be with us giving us strength and comfort always. 

For now, though, sadness continues.

On Sunday, Patch provides a full account of the missing cousins, the search for them and the impact the case has had on parents, on children, on just about everyone across the state of Iowa, the state where this just isn't supposed to happen.