IN - Lauren Spierer, 20, Bloomington, 03 June 2011 - #1

[Surly Sasha]

Lauren's Mom posted that they are searching Lake Monroe ... https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-59-WXIN-Indianapolis/149126144574?sk=wall

I wonder if there is a reason they are looking there?

There are three lakes right around Bloomington (Lake Monroe, Lemon, and Griffy). Anytime someone is missing those are obvious places to begin searching. Unfortunately, in Bloomington's recent history (Jill Behrman, Crystal Grubb) the cornfields nearby are more popular dumping grounds.

 

[waltzingmatilda]

I absolutely agree, but to give some context (I was born and raised in Bloomington and actually live about 3 miles from where she went missing) the area she went missing from is right in the heart of downtown. *If* there is anywhere that a person might feel safe it would be in that area.

It's a college town so it's not unusual, during the school year especially, to see students walking around campus at any hour.

It's my understanding that she had left Kilroy Sports and had gone to a friends house that was slightly further away from her apartment and was walking home, but even so that's literally only a couple of well-lit blocks.

(Sorry to hop in on my first post with this...I actually registered to discuss the Casey Anthony case)

:greetings:

Surly Sasha, Welcome to WS!!

wm

 

[Surly Sasha]

What is the local sentiment? Are there any prevailing theories on the case?

I don't know of any theories except that there are a lot of raw feelings because of Jill Behrman's disappearance/murder (a lot of locals don't believe that John Myers, the man convicted of her murder, is guilty). Eric Behrman, Jill's father, was downtown this morning doing interviews and helping search. So it Coach Crean (IU men's basketball coach) and other coaches.

There have been other missing people here (I mentioned Crystal Grubb already) but she was living a high risk lifestyle and her friends are widely thought to be her killers.

This is totally different.

There are posters for Lauren *everywhere*. My Facebook feed is plastered with it since my friends are mostly local as well and everyone is posting it. It really feels like Jill's disappearance all over again (I went to school with Jill and am a couple of years older than her and I've never quite gotten over that). I think a lot of locals feel that way. I didn't go anywhere yesterday that it wasn't being discussed.

Mostly the feel I get locally is tons of support and fear, some bitterness from Crystal Grubb's family and friends (again, the dynamics between her and a young coed, lower income and middle class, some don't feel as if the police/media treated her disappearance as seriously as they have this one), and also some animosity towards the Bloomington Herald-Times since their reporting has been less than extensive. The Indiana Daily Student has been *much* better.

 

[Daisyjane]

http://www.fox59.com/news/crime/wxin-lauren-spierer-search-continues-for-missing-iu-student-20110606,0,4022464.story

Spierer's cell phone and shoes were recovered from Kilroy's, a local bar in Bloomington where they have a sand pit (hence the reason she may not have been wearing shoes). Her ID was found at her apartment and her roommate turned it over to police.

Well, now we know why she was barefoot. Hopefully the cell phone will yield some clues from her last few calls and texts.

 

[blazelet]

FOX59 News is making this one of their priority stories and have set up a page for updates :

http://www.fox59.com/news/laurenspierer/

Parents issue plea for information about missing IU student (Press Conference)

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-lauren-spierer-parents-issue-plea-for-information-about-missing-iu-student-20110607,0,3756009.story

 

[fran]

Police Suspect Foul Play in Disappearance of Indiana College Student Lauren Spierer
Published June 07, 2011| FoxNews.com


Authorities say foul play is suspected in the disappearance of an Indiana college student last seen early Friday.

Police in Bloomington, Ind., have suggested that 20-year-old Lauren Spierer, a student at Indiana University, may have been taken against her will.

"It is not impossible that she has left on her own and gone somewhere, but at this point we feel it is unlikely," Lt. Bill Parker of the Bloomington Police Department told reporters Monday. "We feel there has been some sort of foul play."

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/0...rance-indiana-college-student-lauren/#comment

 

[Hope32]

Well Kilroys is 21+, and Indiana has a law were EVERYONE, no matter if your 92, must be carded. So that means she either had a Fake ID, or Kilroys wasn't following Indiana Law. It is a popular hang out, everyone I know that has gone to IU has gone to Kilroys.

 

[cluciano63]

What time do the bars close on weekends there, 1am, 2am?

I wonder what is making LE say foul play...the finding of her keys, was it, in the street? Do I have that right? Or are there some conflicting stories from witnesses? Do we know who reported seeing her walking?

 

[mibright]

What time do the bars close on weekends there, 1am, 2am?

Kilroy's closes at 3:00 a.m. according to their website.

 

[mibright]

Can you tell us why LE suspects foul play?

"There is the possibility she left on her own, but based on the circumstances, alcohol, bar, time of day/night last seen, police believe foul play is involved. "
http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-laur...t-missing-iu-student-20110607,0,3756009.story

 

[mibright]

New details - Updated 12:40 p.m.
http://idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=81847

 

[trigger]

Lauren left Sports with a friend at 2:30 or 2:40 a.m. She left behind her cell phone and shoes, Parker said. The items are in police custody. Lauren likely left her shoes because there is a fenced-in beach and sand area at the bar.

The two walked to Lauren’s apartment complex, Smallwood Plaza, but video cameras show she did not enter her apartment. The friends stayed inside the complex for a short time and then headed north to another friend’s apartment.

(LE found her purse and keys along this route).

Around 4:30 a.m. Lauren told her friends she felt like heading home to Smallwood. A male friend watched Lauren leave the apartment. He saw her last on the corner of 11th Street and College Avenue, he told police. That male friend was the last person to see Lauren, Parker said.

http://idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=81847

TY Mibright.

 

[sherryannhartman]

In Bloomington, they usually require 2 ID's for admission into the bars. Lots of students had fakes, but might have them in their own name since they might need 2.
That's where I went to school...

 

[sherryannhartman]

I assume the friends she was with had car(s). I wonder if they asked her if she needed a ride and she replied that she did not because her apartment was not too far away.

If her friends lived within walking distance, they would not be driving after drinking. Most college kids in Bloomington just walk everywhere because it's such a small town in regards to where bars are located.

 

[ellehill]

IU alum as well. When she left 11th & College to head home maybe she realized she didn't have her purse or keys and headed back to 11th & Morton where they were hanging out earlier...thinking she left them there. I don't think it would've taken her long to realize once she started walking home that she didn't have her keys. Looks like there's an alley that runs behind the buildings (it doesn't show a street name on google maps) maybe she cut through there to go back to the apartments on Morton.

 

[TonyGatto]

Lauren left Sports with a friend at 2:30 or 2:40 a.m. She left behind her cell phone and shoes, Parker said. The items are in police custody. Lauren likely left her shoes because there is a fenced-in beach and sand area at the bar.

The two walked to Lauren’s apartment complex, Smallwood Plaza, but video cameras show she did not enter her apartment. The friends stayed inside the complex for a short time and then headed north to another friend’s apartment.

(LE found her purse and keys along this route).

Around 4:30 a.m. Lauren told her friends she felt like heading home to Smallwood. A male friend watched Lauren leave the apartment. He saw her last on the corner of 11th Street and College Avenue, he told police. That male friend was the last person to see Lauren, Parker said.

http://idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=81847

TY Mibright.

LE finding her keys and purse along the route rather than in her apartment (as first reported) seems to be what is leading them to say "foul play".

 

[sherryannhartman]

And I went to school there. I walked at that hour far greater distances, after a night out. Lots of times, we would close down the bars at 3am, and then go to someone's house until we were tired. It's easy to point the blame at her or her friends, but theyre doing what every other college student does!

 

[sherryannhartman]

I loved going there! They always asked for 2 ID's when I was there. Usually a student ID and then license. Theyre not the hardest to get into though. We used various tricks to get underage friends in.

 

[darkpassenger]

Lauren left Sports with a friend at 2:30 or 2:40 a.m. She left behind her cell phone and shoes, Parker said. The items are in police custody. Lauren likely left her shoes because there is a fenced-in beach and sand area at the bar.

The two walked to Lauren’s apartment complex, Smallwood Plaza, but video cameras show she did not enter her apartment. The friends stayed inside the complex for a short time and then headed north to another friend’s apartment.

(LE found her purse and keys along this route).

Around 4:30 a.m. Lauren told her friends she felt like heading home to Smallwood. A male friend watched Lauren leave the apartment. He saw her last on the corner of 11th Street and College Avenue, he told police. That male friend was the last person to see Lauren, Parker said.

http://idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=81847

TY Mibright.

I would thoroughly check out this friend. Everyone assumes that she was walking alone at 4:30 am because he said so, but unless there's some sort of evidence that she was by herself I would be suspicious.

Also, check out this: http://www.bloomingpedia.org/wiki/Jill_Behrman

I know that these sort of entries aren't exactly objective, but it would be worth looking into the possibility that they didn't get the right guy and the real killer is still out there.

 

[marie-chantal]

I also had a fake ID in college (was in a sorority and would borrow the ID of girls who somewhat resembled me). They're really not hard to get. It was interesting to read about the sand area. Does this bar have sand volleyball courts? Perhaps they could have let her in if she was there for volleyball (I know of some bars that do this). She wasn't dressed for volleyball, but she could have gotten in to the bar because of a game or something.

I don't know why she would walk home at that hour either. It's strange to me, but perhaps she needed to get home in order to take her medicine? Maybe she takes that medication at night, realized she forgot to take it the night before, and then wanted to get home ASAP in order to take her meds before too much time passed.

It is interesting to read about the other women missing from IN who are all about the same size as Lauren. I tried to find info on the FB page about them, but was unable. Does anybody know their names? I wonder if this could be linked.

I saw that someone mentioned a construction worker as a possibility. Do any of the locals know if there are any construction projects going on in the area? I know that the midwest seems to be filled with construction the minute winter ends.