IN - Lauren Spierer, 20, Bloomington, 03 June 2011 #26

[Ros]

I'm sure there are other possibilities besides just those 4. For one thing, maybe someone she knew or had recently met was waiting on her. Maybe an argument ensued. Maybe they went elsewhere to party. Maybe they abducted her for reasons unknown and so it wasn't random.

I'm sure the list could go on. You'd think it couldn't but the fact there's been no arrests and the rumor mill seems awfully quiet would indicate to me that everything along these lines would have to be in play until it can be eliminated.

But I agree with the premise that if the police can't eliminate random abduction then they should at least be giving it some serious weight.

You might add to the list
5. She entered a building between Jay's place and Smallwood (Tenth and College Apts, Tenth and College Village, etc.)

 

[Ros]

Lets' say JR did say he saw LS go to the corner. If so
1 this is a random abduction
2 he knows who she was going to the corner to meet and will not say
3 it is a lie and CR MB JR conspired to hide LS
4 it is a lie and JR hid LS alone or with guest or DD

I would hope LE has firm evidence that indicates 2, 3 or 4 to justify that LE is not out on a manhunt for number 1.
-holly

Did JR say that he saw her go to the corner alone? Maybe he saw her with someone but does not want to say who that might be.

BW, a private investigator in Sarasota, Florida, seems to think that a serial killer may be operating in the midwest and thinks that petite white women are the favored targets. His blog does not always meet the criteria for a Websleuths link, though.

 

[Jupiter812]

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.

My take: This was swept under the rug. Thank goodness IDS reported it. Thank you for posting!

 

[Jupiter812]

Did JR say that he saw her go to the corner alone? Maybe he saw her with someone but does not want to say who that might be.

BW, a private investigator in Sarasota, Florida, seems to think that a serial killer may be operating in the midwest and thinks that petite white women are the favored targets. His blog does not always meet the criteria for a Websleuths link, though.

There would be little reason for JR to call DR, to ask Lauren to stay and sleep at his place, to watch her walk to the corner, if she were with someone.

Regarding, BW, it's too bad that in his sensationalist portrayal of missing women, he conveniently omits women of color, women with hair color other than blonde (although Katelyn Markham is brunette, so how he calls this blonde is beyond me), fails to point out a nearly 25-year age gap between Lauren and oldest, and that he refers to a woman of average height and weight as "very petite." Not to mention Swift was found over a month ago and he still hasn't updated his site. In other words, he's a crackpot.

 

[elmorejames]

Did JR say that he saw her go to the corner alone? Maybe he saw her with someone but does not want to say who that might be.

BW, a private investigator in Sarasota, Florida, seems to think that a serial killer may be operating in the midwest and thinks that petite white women are the favored targets. His blog does not always meet the criteria for a Websleuths link, though.

I've read this same info about the possible truck hauler who may have ties to Louisville which is centrally located to the 5 missing young blondes over the past year and a half...

I only wished I lived anywhere near Bloomington, Martinsville because there's a long list of places I'd like to check out along Old 37. Just from google Satellite images, they look suspicious enough, and I'm still not letting that white truck go either.

 

[Ros]

I'm still not letting that white truck go either.

And I still wonder if they saw any other vehicles on video.

 

[jjenny]

So did the Spierer's mean to imply they are clearing JR but not CR or did the reporter just unintentionally imply that (or think that)?

Because how do you clear JR (or MB) and not clear CR without suspecting or knowing something that's contrary to everything reported?

They parents seem to be saying they ruled out Lauren's boyfriend and DR.

 

[Jupiter812]

Sound familiar?!

I just watched 48 Hours Hard Evidence which was about the case of Jennifer Cave, a young woman with bright BLUE EYES in Austin Texas who was killed by Colton Pitonyak, a BUSINESS student who had been on a DRINKING and DRUG binge when they got together one night and went to a bar. Friends say THEY WERE NOT A COUPLE; they didn't date. But both had issues with drugs and he provided her with drugs.

While at the bar, he made a call on his cell phone to set up the purchase of an 8-ball, an eighth-ounce of COCAINE. The couple was last seen WALKING TOGETHER east on 6th Street. Jennifer was later found by her father (gruesome details omitted here) in Pitonyak’s bathtub. On the stand, Pitonyak testified that HE DID NOT REMEMBER what happened that night. (His girlfriend went to jail for hindering evidence.)

Sooooo....for all those who think that educated college boys from upper middle-class families aren't capable of disappearing a body, here ya go.

 

[Missing Budweiser]

I read the book "A Descent Into Hell" by Kathryn Casey about this murder. One of the best I have ever written. Crazy terrible story.

Sound familiar?!

I just watched 48 Hours Hard Evidence which was about the case of Jennifer Cave, a young woman with bright BLUE EYES in Austin Texas who was killed by Colton Pitonyak, a BUSINESS student who had been on a DRINKING and DRUG binge when they got together one night and went to a bar. Friends say THEY WERE NOT A COUPLE; they didn't date. But both had issues with drugs and he provided her with drugs.

While at the bar, he made a call on his cell phone to set up the purchase of an 8-ball, an eighth-ounce of COCAINE. The couple was last seen WALKING TOGETHER east on 6th Street. Jennifer was later found by her father (gruesome details omitted here) in Pitonyak’s bathtub. On the stand, Pitonyak testified that HE DID NOT REMEMBER what happened that night. (His girlfriend went to jail for hindering evidence.)

Sooooo....for all those who think that educated college boys from upper middle-class families aren't capable of disappearing a body, here ya go.

 

[imkeylime]

Sound familiar?!

I just watched 48 Hours Hard Evidence which was about the case of Jennifer Cave, a young woman with bright BLUE EYES in Austin Texas who was killed by Colton Pitonyak, a BUSINESS student who had been on a DRINKING and DRUG binge when they got together one night and went to a bar. Friends say THEY WERE NOT A COUPLE; they didn't date. But both had issues with drugs and he provided her with drugs.

While at the bar, he made a call on his cell phone to set up the purchase of an 8-ball, an eighth-ounce of COCAINE. The couple was last seen WALKING TOGETHER east on 6th Street. Jennifer was later found by her father (gruesome details omitted here) in Pitonyak’s bathtub. On the stand, Pitonyak testified that HE DID NOT REMEMBER what happened that night. (His girlfriend went to jail for hindering evidence.)

Sooooo....for all those who think that educated college boys from upper middle-class families aren't capable of disappearing a body, here ya go.

Well, reading about that case is enough to keep one up all night ... very scary stuff. I'm still trying to reconcile what JR says happened with what could have happened later, like 1) someone followed LS out of 5 North; 2) a stranger or someone she knew met her en route; or 3) she wandered off and disappeared somehow, which seems implausible due to the searches.

The Spierers seem to doubt LS would take cocaine because of her heart condition. I wonder if she thought Xanax would be safer since it's an
Rx drug. I have heard some horror stories in my little town about teens mixing more than one Rx drug AND alcohol. I can't understand why they don't see how badly that could end. OTOH, CR could have slipped her something with the intention of trying something, which the fight at SW put a damper on.

The other recent thought I've had is that while CR's "amnesia" gives him a reason to not talk, any bruises, etc., he might have had could have been attributed to the fight vs. anything that happened later (between him and LS, for instance). Though I do recall seeing an article where a fellow student didn't notice any facial bruising.

 

[elmorejames]

Anyone in the Bloomington/Martinsville area know of any abandoned, closed, defunct mining areas close to IU... With all the quarry and mining that went on in the past, there could be a strong chance locals are familiar with these secluded area. Especially anyone with ties to a geology degree..

igs.indiana.edu

 

[elmorejames]

Bessie and everyone else out there please feel free to chime in.. I've been doing research about mining, quarries, and other rock and stone facilities, and came across this place the other day... Martin Marietta Aggregates. That being said I thought knowing of it and kept going about my research and other personal business. On a whim, I've recently been doing searches on LS and psychic/medium perspectives and although I may be as skeptical as them I did come across this site.

http://starlightinnerprizes.com/LaurenSpierer.htm

After reading this at the bottom of the page, they bring up the fact about a cold case involving Shannon Rose MacLean (also available here http://jeffco.us/sheriff/sheriff_T62_R60.htm)...

The interesting point is the friend mentioned an ID tag that labeled the man "Martin Marietta"... When I read that I felt I had heard that name. So of course I googled it and it came up purple which meant I had previously clicked on the link.

The reason I am bringing this up is Martin Marietta is a national company with multiple "offices" in Indiana, Martinsville, Gosport, and Indianapolis specifically... What is ever more interesting, they also have "offices" in the Tennessee, IL, OH, area as well.

So to support the random abduction, this is a very plausible idea, and if we are talking profiles of a serial killer, Holly Bobo, LS, and any other young blonde missing in that area could be linked...

With over 4,500 employees, it's time to get a list of their haulers, cross reference them with sex offenders, and go from there...

Please support or refute this idea.

 

[RTC]

First of all, I can't imagine what this family has been through but I will list some frustrating observations IMHO
The family was aggressive in labeling the young men as not cooperative, or was that the media? I kept reading that the poor parents were pleading for answers and none of the boys would help ease their questions. So much print of possible date rape inuendos etc.
I hope this isnt offensive but I found the alley video where noone would say who was with Lauren and what they were doing when she lost her keys on the railing a bit strange. Why the secrecy on who was with LS at this moment on camera? is it to protect LS? but they feel it fair to label the young men as potential drug dealers and possibly gang rapists??? If LS was engaging in some kind of consensual sex act in the alley or if CR was pushing himself on her in the alley it would change the course of the investigation, and in all my reading I havent been able to find what the video in the alley showed. Does somene know what and who Lauren was with?

 

[RTC]

The other part that is frustrating is that some of these guys should be officially cleared by now. cell records, land line records, witnesses, who had a car? early morning alibis. I think most people think Lauren OD'd but no proof at all.

 

[Darcyline]

The alley video annoys me. The only reason I can think of for them being vague is there is something on the video that they want to use as evidence or there is something on the video that would humiliate Lauren and her family. But, what would that be? There really wasn't a lot of time spent in the alley according to the video and the timeline at that moment. I honestly feel like if it was just CR and her walking normally in and out of the camera view we would have a very clear statement about that OR even the actual video.

 

[nitram]

Have any of the apartments at 5 North been searched in any manner by authorities?
Has JR's car been examined by authorities?

 

[RTC]

This case is ice cold. The cops need to release some more information, Did Lauren have any jewlery on her that can be identified?

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

This case is ice cold. The cops need to release some more information, Did Lauren have any jewlery on her that can be identified?

From her NamUs entry:

DIAMOND STUD BAR BELLY RING, LARGE SILVER RING WITH TORQUOISE STONE MADE BY DAVID YURMAN, SMALL GOLD BAND PINKY RING WITH SMALL RED STONE, ROUND SILVER "O" SHAPED RING, THIN GOLD BRACELET WITH RED "EVIL EYE" RUBY SURROUNDED BY DIAMONDS, POSSIBLY A BLUE HALF MOON NECKLACE

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/11173

 

[PlainJaneDoe]

From Jan. 17th:
Remembering today, 21 years ago, as one of the happiest days in our lives. Happy Birthday, Lauren. We love you with all our hearts, Mom, Dad and Rebecca

(http://www.facebook.com/Lauren.Spierer.Family.Updates)

:rose:

 

[RTC]

From her NamUs entry:

DIAMOND STUD BAR BELLY RING, LARGE SILVER RING WITH TORQUOISE STONE MADE BY DAVID YURMAN, SMALL GOLD BAND PINKY RING WITH SMALL RED STONE, ROUND SILVER "O" SHAPED RING, THIN GOLD BRACELET WITH RED "EVIL EYE" RUBY SURROUNDED BY DIAMONDS, POSSIBLY A BLUE HALF MOON NECKLACE

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/11173

Thank you. The David Yurman piece is unique and the red evil eye bracelet sounds unique. Can someone get some photos of the pieces and maybe the newpaper can publish the items to see if anyone has recently been sporting new jewlery. I know it is a stab in the dark but what is their to lose?