Can I ask a question to those who live in Bloomington or attended IU last year? This is a bit off topic from the most recent conversation about the POIs, but a few comments above made me think of an old post.
A while ago, I came across an article in IDS (From March 2011) about a string of violent robberies that targeted IU students walking home from bars late at night:
Here is the article:
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=80315 and here is the post in which I mentioned it:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7293442&postcount=726
I was interested in finding out more -- about this story specifically, but also to get an idea of the public/ police reaction to it, but I don't have a subscription to the Bloomington newspaper site and couldn't find anything else.
I have no idea what crime in Bloomington is like, but it seems pretty scary that there were a string of increasingly violent attacks robberies and assaults involving female students late at night in a college town. Although the article describes a seemingly successful investigation and arrest of one man responsible, I am wondering:
1) Was this a big news story? I.e. were Bloomington residents aware of the string of robberies? Or the fact that a girl had her jaw broken in a violent assault? Did the police publicize the investigation while it was going on, or only after the man was arrested?
No, it's obvious to me now that you've brought it to my attention that this was UNDER REPORTED. All I found on local Herald-Times is a standard entry in the daily police beat of the perp's arrest.
2) Were IU students warned about the robberies?
No, not that I am aware of or could find. Definitely not reported like the series of attempted robberies early in the 2011 Fall semester. Those warnings were issued precisely because of Lauren's disappearance IMO..
3) What happened? Was the guy convicted? What about the other person? They only mention one arrest...
The perp has been in jail since his arrest and his jury trial is scheduled for March 12. BTW, his address in Pigeon Hill, the druggie neighborhood not far from 5 North..
I don't know/can't find anything about the other suspect.
Just curious whether locals were familiar with this story... thanks.