MURDERED: Lyric Cook-Morrissey & Elizabeth Collins, Evansdale, Iowa Part Two

Almost a year after the abduction of Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins from Evansdale, Iowa, two more young girls would be abducted from a town just under two hours away. On May 20, 2013, 15-year-old Kathlynn Shephard and 12-year-old Dezi Hughes were kidnapped by a man named Michael Klunder while walking home from school in Dayton, Iowa. No one could deny the similarities between the two cases. 

In this episode, we will examine Dezi and Kathlynn's abduction, Kathlynn's tragic murder, the investigation into Michael Klunder, and possible connections to Lyric and Elizabeth. 

We will end by discussing advancements in DNA technology that are bringing hope to this case. 

If you have any information about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and deaths of Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins, the best way to submit a tip is to email it to [e-mail]

You can also call the Evansdale Police tip line at 232-6682 or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-8477.

A $150,000 reward, raised privately and by the FBI, is available for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. Additionally, Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers has offered a $50,000 reward for anyone coming forward with information that leads to an arrest.

For resources on substance use and domestic violence, please explore the following websites that offer resources: 

• samhsa.gov
• thehotline.org 

SOURCES: 

• Misty Cook, mother of Lyric Cook-Morrissey, arrested on meth charges, KCRG, JUNE 8, 2023
• Dan Morrissey, dad of missing Iowa girl Lyric Cook-Morrissey, faces possible trial amid search for cousins, CBS News, July 26, 2012
• Heller, Aaron and Agee, Nicole, 10 years after Evansdale case, investigators inching closer to justice, July 15, 2022, KCRG TV9
• Klingseis, Katherine, Body found in river identified as kidnapped Iowa teen, The Des Moines Register
• KCCI, New DNA technology being used in Evansdale cousin abduction case 13 years later, Laura Terrell, July 14, 2025, KCCI
• Lyric & Elizabeth: 10 Years Later - A Parent’s Perspective, May & June 2022, KCRG-TV9
• Sederstrom, Jill, Grandfather of Teen Killed in Delphi Murders Says Girl and Her Friend “Had to be Scared Out of Their Minds”, February 21, 2025, NBC
• Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth, August 8, 2024, HBO Max
• Bodies found believed to be Iowa girls who went missing in July, December 5, 2012, NBC News
• Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Morrissey Case Summary, Jody Ewing, Iowa Cold Cases

Support the show

If you have any information on any of the cold cases covered, you can submit a tip here:

https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-crime-victims/iowa-cold-case/cold-case-tip-form

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