Police: Teen Asking for Donations Wasn't Affiliated With Memorial Fund for Murdered Evansdale Girls

A teen going door-to-door in Evansdale and offering to do chores in exchange for donations isn't affiliated with a memorial fund for cousins who were abducted and murdered last year, Evansdale Police Chief Kent Smock said Monday.

Residents had reported the incident as a possible scam.

Smock, however, said the issue had been discussed with the teen and his mother and the matter was taken care of.

"It got overblown," he said.

Though the issue with the teen has been taken care of, the incident serves as a reminder that some take advantage of tragedy. In recent weeks, scam artists have sought to capitalize in the wake of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting and through Hurricane Sandy relief funds.

Cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, and Elizabeth Collins, 8, were kidnapped in July while riding their bikes near Meyers Lake in Evansdale, and their bodies were discovered by hunters in rural Bremer County on Dec. 5.

A memorial called "Angels Park" is being planned on an island in Meyers Lake. The plans include a pedestrian bridge and a gazebo.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier has a report today that volunteers are warning that people collecting money for the memorial are not associated with their organization, including someone who visited the home of one of the victims.

“We just want people to know that they are not with us, and people might want to double check before they give someone their money,” volunteer Dona Frickson told the Courier. “That is not something we have set up.”

No door-to-door donations are being sought for the Angels Park memorial. Donations are only being collected at First Security State Bank in Cedar Falls and Evansdale or on the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa-Angels Memorial website.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the deaths of Lyric and Elizabeth is ongoing. A $150,000 award is available for information leading to the capture of those responsible. Anyone with information is asked to call the Evansdale Police Department at 319-232-6682 or the Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-TIPS (8477).