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On August 8, 2024 the streaming platform Max released a three-part docuseries titled Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? The series dives into the double abduction and murder of young cousins Lyric Cook-Morrisey and Elizabeth Collins in Evansdale, Iowa back in 2012. It sheds light on the relentless pursuit for answers that had continued to haunt their family and the entire community for over a decade.
While the focus of the series is on finding the perpetrators of the heinous acts against Lyric and Elizabeth, it also delves into a related tragic event. Back in 2013, another chilling abduction occurred in Dayton, Iowa, where 12-year-old Dezi Hughes and her friend Kathlynn Shepard were kidnapped. Miraculously, Dezi Hughes, a survivor of abduction, managed to escape after which she could provide crucial details that helped the investigation.
The survival of Dezi Hughes
After her narrow escape from a perilous abduction by convicted sex offender Michael Klunder in 2013, Dezi Hughes has been on a tough road to recovery. The trauma of the event left deep scars but Dezi has shown remarkable resilience.
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At present, she stays with her family and keeps a low profile about her personal life. Dezi Hughes and her family received substantial support from their community and from mental health professionals that helped her go through the struggles of life after such a traumatic experience. Dezi Hughes's bravery also spurred legislative changes aimed at enhancing the safety of children in Iowa, reflecting the impact of her story.
The double abduction case
Taken Together: Who Killed Lyric and Elizabeth? retraces the distressing circumstances surrounding the disappearance and eventual murder of Lyric Cook-Morrisey and Elizabeth Collins. The series sets the scene in Evansdale, Iowa where the young cousins last enjoyed their freedom, riding bikes near Meyers Lake on July 13, 2012.
The day marked the beginning of a nightmare for the Evansdale community and the girls' families, as the initial search only led them to the girls' bikes and Elizabeth’s purse, implying something more sinister.
The investigation quickly escalated as local law enforcement mobilized a massive manhunt utilizing all available resources, including FBI involvement. The community rallied together holding vigils and aiding in searches clinging to hope as days turned to months, without a trace of Lyric and Elizabeth.
The break that the community and investigators desperately hoped for, came in December 2012 when hunters discovered the girls' remains in the remote Seven Bridges Wildlife Area, which is 20 miles from where they were last seen. This confirmed everyone's worst fears and shifted the case from a missing persons investigation to a murder investigation.
As detailed in the docuseries, authorities poured over the case while analyzing every lead and interviewing potential suspects, including examining the possibility that the girls’ family members could be involved.
Lyric’s father, Daniel and Elizabeth’s parents, were scrutinized for Daniel’s past criminal activities related to drug manufacturing, which roused suspicion. Despite exhaustive interrogations and numerous polygraph tests, no substantial evidence linked the family to the crimes, and they were eventually cleared by the investigators.
The series also explores how law enforcement considered the possibility that the girls were abducted by someone within a network of local sex offenders. This was a theory fueled by the prevalence of such individuals in the area.
The angle however, failed to yield any concrete results and left more questions than answers. As the investigation continued, parallels were drawn to another case in Dayton, Iowa, where Michael Klunder abducted Dezi Hughes and Kathlynn Shepard in a manner, starkly similar to the Evansdale case.
Although Dezi Hughes escaped, Kathlynn suffered a tragic fate. Klunder’s subsequent suicide prevented any interrogation that might have linked him to Lyric and Elizabeth’s murders. However, his phone records later disproved any connection, implying that Lyric and Elizabeth's murderer may still be at large.
