IN - Lauren Spierer, 20, Bloomington, 03 June 2011 - #7

[JeannaT]

Let's try a thought experiment: You're a college guy late on a night of partying and the girl you're with suddenly dies (let's ignore cause of death for now). One or two of your friends (at most) are with you and know what happened. Somehow you decide/agree to ditch the body and never tell anyone anything. What do you do next? Here are some factors to get the experiment going ...

- One of you may be sober and able to think clearly. That guy would be able to prevent any drunk/high mistakes from the others.
- You and friends are not hardened criminals, not even close. You don't know the details of crime scene cleanup. But you do know they could take your computer so Google is a limited option.
- You're freaking out hardcore. She's DEAD man! (Which can actually make you more sober than you otherwise would be - flight or fight kicks in).
- Calling someone else for help expands the number of people who "know" and greatly increases the risk of getting caught.
- You may be involved with the drugs she was doing. You may fear getting caught with a stash.

What do you do?

This happens all the time. There are actually laws pending (and observed now, actually) where people who call for help for someone who has drank or drugged themselves to death won't be charged if they call 911.

College boys or girls who are suddenly in the presence of someone they think is dying or dead call 911. Sadly, in young people who don't know how to limit themselves, this happens on every college campus.

The associates who are there don't ditch the body. Like, it doesn't seem like ever.

 

[cluciano63]

Hard to know what people might or might not do, if they find themselves with a dead body all of a sudden...there are thousands of missing people out there and it is more than possible that some of them were accidental deaths where someone panicked.

 

[VeryVeritas]

Ya really. And if someone were to try to hide evidence I doubt they would do it in a public place at Smallwood. But, glad to see the security not overlooking things.

Has anyone done a search of the sewers yet?

 

[jabberwocky]

Are there any verified locals on this thread? If not, if there are any locals on here it would be great if you wouldn't mind notifying a moderator and get verified so we could discuss things that you see going on.

 

[bessie]

Let's try a thought experiment: You're a college guy late on a night of partying and the girl you're with suddenly dies (let's ignore cause of death for now). One or two of your friends (at most) are with you and know what happened. Somehow you decide/agree to ditch the body and never tell anyone anything. What do you do next? Here are some factors to get the experiment going ...

- One of you may be sober and able to think clearly. That guy would be able to prevent any drunk/high mistakes from the others.
- You and friends are not hardened criminals, not even close. You don't know the details of crime scene cleanup. But you do know they could take your computer so Google is a limited option.
- You're freaking out hardcore. She's DEAD man! (Which can actually make you more sober than you otherwise would be - flight or fight kicks in).
- Calling someone else for help expands the number of people who "know" and greatly increases the risk of getting caught.
- You may be involved with the drugs she was doing. You may fear getting caught with a stash.

What do you do?

If you're guilty of nothing more than doing drugs, you call 911 while someone else does a quick sweep of the premises to get rid of any illegal substances that might be present.
Alternatively, you drive her to a hospital and leave her at the ER. It's a simple OD, and LE is unlikely to pursue it as a crime. These guys aren't freshmen. I'd think they know the ropes.

If they are responsible for hiding Lauren's body, then, IMO, it's because there's another angle to the story. In that case, you dummy up and keep a very low profile. And if you're really clever, you each go your separate ways and have little or no communication with each other.

I'm still leaning toward the perp(s) being someone other than the current POI's, btw.

 

[coltsgal]

Are there any verified locals on this thread? If not, if there are any locals on here it would be great if you wouldn't mind notifying a moderator and get verified so we could discuss things that you see going on.

There are quite a few locals here. Btown is the most prelevant as he has been taking photos of the area for all of us. Super duper helpful in presenting all of us with visual aids and also knowledge of the area.

There are at least 3 others that I know of on here too, I just cant think of their usernames at this moment.

 

[Cuoco7]

I've tried to catch up on my posts but you all are so quick!
Today I was looking at the truck. I just thought i recognized as some different model, and then suddenly, before I heard any mention of the back of the truck, my heart dropped. I don't know which website I saw it on but it was clearer than previous photos posted. I know someone was working on enhancing but it really looks like it could be LS. I know it's not likely that someone would put her in the back, but possibly, maybe, she was sick from drinking and the driver said he would take her home and he just didn't. Does anyone else think that this could be a possibility? I can't stop looking at the photo.

 

[Barry]

My thinking at this moment is divided between 2 scenarios:

. One specific POI (directly or indirectly)
. Opportunist that inserted themselves into the chaos of the night.

Strictly based on the available information, which admittedly isn't a whole lot at this point. So, likely as not my thinking is probably about as good as throwing a dart at the dartboard.

 

[Whatever1]

Having worked with photoshop for many years, I tried to rework the images that were posted by LE. I am posting the second image two ways: enhanced and inverted. Sometimes it is easier to see things you normally wouldn't be able to when the image is inverted. I don't really see anything new, but maybe you guys can.

Took me half an hour to figure out how to put pics in here, hope it's done correctly.

So far these seem to be the best pictures showing the shape of the logo or wording on the side of the truck...before they just looked like a big blur, and now you can actually see the shape of the wording.


I still can't believe they haven't found this truck owner. Are there flyers ciculating with the truck pic on it, and is it still being shown on local news?

 

[bessie]

Are there any verified locals on this thread? If not, if there are any locals on here it would be great if you wouldn't mind notifying a moderator and get verified so we could discuss things that you see going on.

Hi, Jabberwocky. Locals don't have to be verified as such unless they claim to be a relative or friend of individuals involved in the case, claim to be a witness to the case, or otherwise have first hand/insider information.

 

[jabberwocky]

So far these seem to be the best pictures showing the shape of the logo or wording on the side of the truck...before they just looked like a big blur, and now you can actually see the shape of the wording.


I still can't believe they haven't found this truck owner. Are there flyers ciculating with the truck pic on it, and is it still being shown on local news?

Does anyone else see a person maybe pulling a trashcan on the sidewalk in the upper right frame of the pic? I know it's probably just my vivid imagination...

 

[PaulR]

If you're guilty of nothing more than doing drugs, you call 911 while someone else does a quick sweep of the premises to get rid of any illegal substances that might be present.
Alternatively, you drive her to a hospital and leave her at the ER. It's a simple OD, and LE is unlikely to pursue it as a crime. These guys aren't freshmen. I'd think they know the ropes.

Except that they were probably on drugs themselves, perhaps pretty heavily, and are not going to be thinking straight.

That does not excuse any potential behavior, of course, but not many people seemed to be thinking straight that evening.

I'm still leaning toward the perp(s) being someone other than the current POI's, btw.

Agreed.

 

[jabberwocky]

Photos of the truck caught by surveillance cameras near 10th St. and Morton at approximately 4:14-4:24 a.m., Friday, June 3, 2011

http://www.theindychannel.com/image/28245532/detail.html

http://www.theindychannel.com/image/28245560/detail.html

I meant the upper right corner of the lower pic of the truck.

 

[cluciano63]

I am watching a "Dateline" now where a woman who vanished from her home in Las Vegas was found, deceased, a week later...and we've seen two cases this week alone where women went missing and their bodies were found within a day or two, either in woods or in water...

And yet sometimes, people are never found. So hoping Lauren is not one of those...I don't think her parents could bear it. How can anyone go on with their lives, no matter who they are, knowing that they not only killed someone but made sure their family would never find their body? That has to be the worst possible thing a family can endure and all because the guilty party is making sure they can't be linked via physical evidence. Sadly, it seems to work most of the time, as I've not seen many cases go forward lately when the body of the person is not found.

And the truck-I am so shocked it has not been found. I guess I was expecting it would be located within a day, spoiled by the internet as we are...

 

[Barry]

I can't understand, why in this day and age, and with camera technology, why surveillance pictures are so crappy.

 

[VeryVeritas]

The Lofts do not have any security cameras outside that I can find. I've looked.

The building behind the Waffle House is a Massage Parlor called Spaah! on the ground floor, and apartments on the upper level. I got my wife a massage there not too long ago. They don't have any security cameras that can see the sidewalk, the road, or out back unfortunately.

Right beside the massage parlor, is Square Donuts. They do have cameras, but also only show interior images. Nothing on the sidewalk or street.

Forgot to add that a couple days ago the City Police went door to door to all the businesses on the road the massage parlor is on , (Walnut St.), asking for video. I'll never understand what took them almost 2 weeks to do that. At anyrate, word is there was nothing noteworthy on those cameras from that night.

Ok, this is where LE could be dropping the ball. If you wait that long and then in 2 days know that there is nothing "noteworthy" i find that unfortunate. Just from one truck photo you can see all of the analysis that can be done to cross check things. Those videos may have captured a piece of something, a shadow, a reflection, stuff that might not mean anything until you fill more pieces of the puzzle in. For example, if the Waffle house has the people that were in the white truck on cam, you wouldn't know it yet, because we don't know who was in the white truck.
But I think it wouldn't take much of an out of focus cam on N. College to show that someone or no one was walking over there between 4:15 and 4:45. Or that a white truck drove south on N. College...

And consider this... What if the white truck turned into the Gravel lot after the first 4:14 pass onto Morton, Was there long enough to load a body(5 to 8 minutes), and then exited back out onto Morton turning right, and then turning again on 11th, then south on N. College and back to Morton via 10th at 4:24.... I figure it would take 2 or 3 minutes to go around the block blowing stop signs. So for example, if someone put LS into about 4 or 5 heavy duty garbage bags at around 100 lbs it should hold. Then bringing it down to the gravel lot, if anyone should see it would just look like someone taking out the trash. Maybe even placed near the dumpster(not sure where that is on the map) Then the truck comes, grabs the bag, tosses it in the back and goes first the wrong way on 11th and so has to go around the block to get out of there in the right direction. When someone has a lot on their mind they sometimes miss a turn or turn the wrong way.

The 10 minutes to go around the block has not been explained. There has been no ATM or gas station evidence to explain this missing time interval for that truck. i'm thinking an ATM transaction is normally faster, but possible in 10 mins. Getting gas I would think would take longer... because it would take 2 or 3 minutes to go around the block, this only left 5 to 7 minutes

 

[jabberwocky]

Hi, Jabberwocky. Locals don't have to be verified as such unless they claim to be a relative or friend of individuals involved in the case, claim to be a witness to the case, or otherwise have first hand/insider information.

Thank you Bessie-I wasn't aware of that!

 

[TravelingBug]

Are there any verified locals on this thread? If not, if there are any locals on here it would be great if you wouldn't mind notifying a moderator and get verified so we could discuss things that you see going on.

While I'm not sure he's verified via WS means, yet...

Btown is clearly a local that I'm sure the mods are aware of given the absolutely incredible job he's done photographing almost every building and every camera anywhere in relation to the known locations of LS that night! :woohoo:


ETA: There are a number of other locals who have chimed in with helpful things, too. But Btown's handle is the one I remember most b/c he's gone so far above and beyond in helping bring this case "to life" for those of us who aren't there in Bloomington. But all the locals have been great in their own ways!

 

[mysterygirl]

I could see that white truck passing her up walking.......making the block and then taking her or talking her into the vehicle.

God this is frustrating.

 

[JeannaT]

Ok, this is where LE could be dropping the ball. If you wait that long and then in 2 days know that there is nothing "noteworthy" i find that unfortunate. Just from one truck photo you can see all of the analysis that can be done to cross check things. Those videos may have captured a piece of something, a shadow, a reflection, stuff that might not mean anything until you fill more pieces of the puzzle in. For example, if the Waffle house has the people that were in the white truck on cam, you wouldn't know it yet, because we don't know who was in the white truck.
But I think it wouldn't take much of an out of focus cam on N. College to show that someone or no one was walking over there between 4:15 and 4:45. Or that a white truck drove south on N. College...

And consider this... What if the white truck turned into the Gravel lot after the first 4:14 pass onto Morton, Was there long enough to load a body(5 to 8 minutes), and then exited back out onto Morton turning right, and then turning again on 11th, then south on N. College and back to Morton via 10th at 4:24.... I figure it would take 2 or 3 minutes to go around the block blowing stop signs. So for example, if someone put LS into about 4 or 5 heavy duty garbage bags at around 100 lbs it should hold. Then bringing it down to the gravel lot, if anyone should see it would just look like someone taking out the trash. Maybe even placed near the dumpster(not sure where that is on the map) Then the truck comes, grabs the bag, tosses it in the back and goes first the wrong way on 11th and so has to go around the block to get out of there in the right direction. When someone has a lot on their mind they sometimes miss a turn or turn the wrong way.

The 10 minutes to go around the block has not been explained. There has been no ATM or gas station evidence to explain this missing time interval for that truck. i'm thinking an ATM transaction is normally faster, but possible in 10 mins. Getting gas I would think would take longer... because it would take 2 or 3 minutes to go around the block, this only left 5 to 7 minutes

I assumed the 10 minute interval was the time it took to get her into the truck. Then, the person circled the block again on the way out of town. So they drove by once after having seen her, doubled back and got her, and then continued on out of town.