Jeremiah Cook, an uncle of missing girls, Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins, is hospitalized at Waterloo's Allen Memorial Hospital, following a drug overdose in Waterloo late Thursday.
Waterloo Police, the Tri-County Drug Task Force and Waterloo Fire & Rescue were called to 1415 Vine Street in Waterloo, where they found two people allegedly overdosed.
Several sources told KWWL one of the alleged overdose victims was Jeremiah Cook, also known as Miah, uncle of the missing girls.
Cook's mother, Wylma Cook, later confirmed to KWWL that her son is in the hospital. She said her son is recovering and responding well to treatment. His mother did not know for sure what drug was involved in the overdose.
Jeremiah Cook is the brother of Lyric's mom, Misty Cook-Morrissey, and Elizabeth's mom, Heather Collins.
The other alleged overdose victim is believed to be a girlfriend of Jeremiah Cook. Sources identified her as a Carolyn Lynn Pieper, but KWWL has not been able to formally confirm that as her name. Sources say her overdose was not believed to be serious. She is expected to recover
Interestingly, Miah Cook's Mom thinks the drug overdose may have saved her son from a serious heart attack. His mother told KWWL that doctors treating him for the drug overdose also found one of his arteries to be 95-per cent blocked, which could have led to a massive heart attack in the near future.
Waterloo Fire and Rescue personnel took Jeremy Cook away from the residence on a stretcher and loaded him into a ambulance for transport to an local hospital. There is no word on his condition.
As of this writing Thursday, no family member and no branch of law enforcement is making any connection between the alleged drug overdoses and the missing girls' case.
One family member told KWWL that several other family members had visited Jeremiah Cook in the hospital and prayed for him.
Coincidentally, the alleged drug overdoses came one day before a court appearance by Lyric's father, Dan Morrissey, on several drug charges and a domestic assault charge, unrelated to the investigation involving the missing girls. Noting Morrissey's current personal problems with his daughter missing, Judge Andrea Dryer delayed Morrissey's trial until August 28 to give him additional time to focus on the criminal charges he faces.
The search for Elizabeth and Lyric is in its 15th day Friday. The girls vanished on Friday, July 13, while on a bike ride in Evansdale. While the case is being treated as an abduction case, the FBI says it believes the girls are still alive, based on evidence it has gathered in the investigation.
The Bureau would not elaborate on any of the evidence collected thus far. A tip line telephone number has been set up for anyone to call with information about the missing girls. That Tip line number is 319-232-6682.
Authorities say any tip, even if it seems to be totally irrelevant, should be called in. It could prove to be extremely important in the investigation into the missing girls, eight-year old Elizabeth Collins and ten-year old Lyric Cook.
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WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - An uncle of the missing Iowa cousins is recovering in a hospital following an apparent drug overdose.
Wylma Cook says her 32-year-old son Jeremiah Cook was in stable condition Friday at Allen Hospital in Waterloo after the overdose Thursday night. She says he's expected to be OK.
Wylma Cook says the disappearance of 10-year-old Lyric Cook and 8-year-old Elizabeth Collins has "taken a toll" on Jeremiah, who was having trouble sleeping and eating. She says he has no children but was very close to his nieces, considering them his "prized possessions."
The girls vanished after leaving for a bike ride July 13 in Evansdale.
Cook says her son hadn't taken methamphetamine, cocaine or marijuana, but she declined to say what caused the overdose.
