Hi All
I have been quietly following this case and the discussion here since the start. I grew up in Bloomington, and went to school at IU many years ago. In grad school, I lived just a couple blocks east of 5N. Some of my best friends lived a few blocks farther west just past the underpass on 11th St. Ive walked that neighborhood barefoot and inebriated in the wee hours more than once. Of course, that was before the development of all the high density upscale student housing. Back then it was just a run-down neighborhood on the far edge of downtown. When I came across this story 2 years ago, it caught my attention. That this still has not been solved is tragic beyond measure. I cannot imagine the grief and despair that her parents must feel.
Im not sure that I have anything new to add to the extensive discussion here, but 2 years is a long time and I feel the urge to share some of my thoughts with you just as you have all shared your thoughts and ideas with me.
We STILL dont know many of the crucial details of what happened that night, but it does seem clear (from video evidence and statements from the POIs) that LS was at or near 5N at about 3:30 or 4:00am. Given her reported state of inebriation and injury, it doesnt seem very likely to me that she left 5N under her own power. I agree that the boys at 5N probably know more than has been reported. Since their stories (however sketchy) all seem more or less in line, that leaves 2 alternatives that they are telling the truth, and she really did walk away at ~4am or that one or more are involved to some extent.
I can imagine a few possible scenarios in which the 5N boys might feel the need to collaborate on a consistent story and dispose of a body. And I really dont see hiding a body as a big issue. Even if JRs truck was in the shop (cmon, its a Rover theyre always in the shop) these are wealthy kids, I would assume that all had vehicles, plus there was at least one out-of-town visitor. Within 15 minutes drive in almost any direction they could be in a place where a body could easily be hidden in 30 minutes they could have driven to some very remote areas. It would have been hinting dawn at 4:30 or 5:00am and even a couple fd up kids could have found a reasonable hiding place. (Do I remember correctly that one or more of them were SPEA students? If so, they might well have been on field trips into the National Forest just south of town, or other remote areas.) Or, since they may not have been familiar with the surrounding countryside and/or may not have been comfortable going there, they could have hidden a body in any of a thousand dumpsters many of which may well have been taken to a different landfill or transfer center than the one searched.
But what if she really did walk away from 5N? If that was the case, then an opportunistic stranger abduction becomes more of a possibility, as does the possibility of a stalker abduction (although the hour or more she reportedly spent at 5N would imply a very patient stalker). And the statistics related to this sort of thing overwhelmingly point to a friend or acquaintance.
How about MB? His story has been the least consistent of the 5N bunch. Reportedly, he was writing a paper or 2 due the next morning after partying at JRs earlier in the evening. Now I pulled more than my share of all-nighters writing papers back in the day, but I never could have done it if I began the evening partying with my friends. What if his papers were already written and he saw a very vulnerable LS stumbling past his door
?
Or JW? His alibi is pretty weak his roommate said they went to bed after the game
. I have long wondered about the boyfriend and why he seemed so untouchable in all this. The recent comments by his parents raise all sorts of red flags for me. What if LS headed to his house from 5N? It would have been an easy walk maybe twice as far as SW - and she may have been conscious enough to realize she didnt have her key. Or maybe, after an evening being hit on by CR she would have wanted some comfort and familiarity. Or, what if JW was out looking for her. Lets say JW and roommate headed to bed. Some time later JW gets a text (from one of ZOs group?) telling him his girl is wasted and out w/ CR. The timing is about right. He stews about it for a while and then heads out towards CRs, finds LS and things turn ugly
. To me, what has been reported of JWs activities the next day could be interpreted in 2 ways: as the actions of a concerned boyfriend, or as those of someone trying to cover his tracks by raising the alarm. Its also reported that he had access to her apartment that day (picked up HTs keys) which could have either confirmed his suspicions that she was missing, OR allowed him to tamper with incriminating evidence.
I also wonder about the missing person report. In my experience, LE does not do anything more than note the report until at least 24 hours have passed longer in the case of a young adult. Something about the report must have led them to action much sooner than usual. LSs medical condition? Pressure from parents or parents lawyer? Some other factor that suggested foul play?
As so many others have said, it would be nice if us armchair sleuths had access to the full LE file on this case. I certainly hope that they have a whole lot more to work with than we do. Do they really have so little evidence that they cant bring some of the POIs in for questioning? No other charges or infractions against them that would allow a bit of leverage? BPD has the reputation of being very sensitive to the political and PR implications of crimes involving college students. Im sure that BPD and IU would like nothing more than for this case to quietly disappear. I hope that Qualters is being truthful when he says that they are actively pursuing this case, although I would rather hear that they are aggressively pursuing it with all available resources.
Like so many of you, I keep coming back here hoping to read that someone has come forward, that the police have made an arrest, that the case has been solved
. My heart goes out to the Spierer family. I sincerely hope they can soon get the resolution they so need and deserve.
- John