Technology aids in search for missing Evansdale girls - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

Tuesday marked Elizabeth's ninth birthday, and a family member who shares the same birthday marked it by hanging some new flyers with a technological twist.

Chris Stechman is the girls' cousin. On Tuesday, he went to the Kennedy Mall in Dubuque to hang posters.

These posters have what are called QR codes. People with smartphones have the ability to scan the codes, which will take them directly to a mobile site containing all the information about the missing girls.

"Somebody with a smartphone could come out to a store, happen to see the poster and instead of having those old fashioned tear-away tags with a phone number, they can photograph the code, have the entire poster with them," Stechman said.

He shares a birthday with Elizabeth, and there have been several birthdays in his family since the girls' disappearance.

"It's very bittersweet that we've got all these celebrations, but at the same time both girls are missing, so our focus, obviously, is trying to bring them home," Stechman said.

He said he hopes the added technology will help spread information about the girls more widely and efficiently.

Stechman runs the mobile site but had contractors design the site and custom QR codes.

The mobile site is HERE. The Facebook page, which also has the QR code, is HERE.