IN - Lauren Spierer, 20, Bloomington, 03 June 2011 - #13

[J1981]

Would her parents talk about overlooking possible drug use/partying if information is brought forward or would that have to be BPD? I feel like a press conference is needed to help keep this in the news. It be great to learn of any progress made (add to timeline/release someone as a POI/discuss immunity for lesser offenses but I'm guessing that's reserved for LE and lawyers behind closed doors.

 

[justmethinking]

I speculate that it might be more than just a re-run of the last one, which essentially did that, and said no more presser unless there was news.
Maybe they're going to clear some of the POIs, which would put pressure on some others. (speculation)

Sadly, my guess is that they are going to announce they are going to go home but continue to be in close contact with local LE and continue to plead for help/info from her friends.

 

[elmomom]

This is what I am referring to.

Don't know how big of a deal that service is, after all the entire group of friends, and the family, is jewish and that is a christian service. So my thought is that it is a way for the community to gather and give prayers, not the main players.

 

[sueC]

Would appreciate input from locals re: Bloomington streets in the summer v. the rest of the school year. I've read that College is a busy street, so most likely it wasn't a random abduction. But others have said Bloomington is a ghost town in the summer. This is an interesting article that I don't remember seeing on WS. On a Friday morning, three weeks after Lauren was last seen, H-T reporters spent midnight to 4 a.m. in the main areas frequented during those hours by college students.

http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2011/06/26/news.qp-8191623.sto

3:35 a.m.

As silent as North Walnut is at this time of the early morning, North College Avenue is even more so. There are lights on in Smallwood Plaza, a hub of activity during the school year, but no residents walking around the premises.<snip>

As quiet as it is, North College is also dark. Streetlights are spread out, and several construction projects along the road have taken up space where other lighting would usually go. The only place between Eighth and 11th that is well-lit is the parking lot of the Waffle House, one of Bloomington’s few 24-hour eating establishments. Though it would appear to be the perfect destination for post-bar dining, on this night the 3:30 a.m. crowd is made up of several police officers. Of the four cars in the parking lot, three are marked Bloomington Police Department cars.

4 a.m.

North Walnut Street and Kirkwood Avenue are both deserted. The two most commercial streets in downtown Bloomington are still well lit by streetlights and marquees, but the crowds have gone home for the evening, and even the bar workers seem to have dispersed.

At 4 a.m. on this summer Friday, the streets are empty.

 

[J1981]

It won't be anything from police about investigation, they wouldn't hold anything that long. I think you will see something different from the parents, something more pointed and direct than we've seen so far.

Meaning if they had info they'd have a presser today? I can see that.

 

[elmomom]

It won't be anything from police about investigation, they wouldn't hold anything that long. I think you will see something different from the parents, something more pointed and direct than we've seen so far.

I don't know how much more pointed they could get than they have been..
civil suit?
probably too early though in my mind

 

[Frogzilla]

Just wanted to bring a MSM link for the Friday PC
Missing Student's Parents to Hold Briefing as Exhaustive Search Ends
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...-End-Parents-to-Give-Statement-124721319.html

 

[ally0x]

At 4 a.m. on this summer Friday, the streets are empty.

This doesn't exactly mean that this is how it was the night Lauren disappeared. A lot of students have gone home for the summer since then. When she disappeared I don't think classes were 100% over yet. And also you have to consider the fact that some students may not be going out/staying out/traveling the streets because of what happened to Lauren.

 

[ingra1327]

Don't know how big of a deal that service is, after all the entire group of friends, and the family, is jewish and that is a christian service. So my thought is that it is a way for the community to gather and give prayers, not the main players.

I don't know who will gather at the christian prayer service, but I do remember reading Lauren's assignment "blog" back in a very early thread. In it she wrote that her mother was raised Catholic and had never converted to Judaism.

lspierer.blogspot.com

 

[Berk13]

Would appreciate input from locals re: Bloomington streets in the summer v. the rest of the school year.

It is definitely quieter here in the summers. A lot of locals enjoy this time of year because they never have to wait when going out to a restaurant (reservations aren't necessary either) and traffic is much lighter all over town. It's kind of a nice little 'break' for most of the locals.

These days I'm usually asleep or in my house by the time all of the college kids are going out, but based on my experience spending summers in Bloomington as a student, the bars were pretty dead in the summers. In the early '00s Sports was the only 'happening' bar in the summers, but even then it was much less crowded than it was on a weekend night during the school year. The streets were certainly less crowded in the wee hours of the morning as well.

 

[Berk13]

This doesn't exactly mean that this is how it was the night Lauren disappeared. A lot of students have gone home for the summer since then. When she disappeared I don't think classes were 100% over yet. And also you have to consider the fact that some students may not be going out/staying out/traveling the streets because of what happened to Lauren.

I don't know how many students were in Bloomington at the time of her disappearance vs. now, but I can say that the spring semester ended on May 6, and most students who weren't taking summer classes probably went home around that time. The first summer session began on May 10, and the second (and final) summer session just began on June 17.

 

[Btown]

Would appreciate input from locals re: Bloomington streets in the summer v. the rest of the school year. I've read that College is a busy street, so most likely it wasn't a random abduction. But others have said Bloomington is a ghost town in the summer.

College Ave is busy during the day. Its a Main South bound street thru town.

When the students leave there's very little traffic late at night. Most locals don't stay up that late because they have to get to work the next day. There are no all night shopping, restaurants, or businesses in the downtown area, other than Waffle House, and maybe the adult book store, (I'll not publicly confess to knowing its hours), maybe Taco Bell? There is just not a lot of reason to travel College Ave. late at night.

They pretty much roll up the sidewalks at 9-10 p.m. when the students are gone.

 

[phantomthought]

A few thoughts.When this case first started the police were doing backflips praising the cooperation they were getting from the POI's.Then two weeks in the family started hammering away at the lack of info they were getting from her friends.Since that time have the police been asked or commented about the cooperation from the POI they are now getting.
While I understand the police have to be tight lipped about info it just seams they are going a little overboard.If you were just to go by their account you would not even know CR was with LS that night.Is this to protect these kids or these I/U university students.

Not being vain quoting my own post but since I saw today's journal article sort of answers my question I thought I would provide the link.
http://www.lohud.com/article/201106...called-off?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
"Contacted Tuesday by The Journal News, Qualters, the police captain, would not comment on Voyles' disclosure or on whether Rosenbaum has been cooperative."
What happened to all the POI have been so cooperative.Suddenly this guy has nothing to say

 

[elmomom]

Maybe it's me... but I think all the "pressure" on JR seems strange, and it isn't like I am used to seeing LE behave in other cases. Sometimes I think that it is a red herring. Maybe it is an indirect way to put pressure on the "JR friend" that was visiting?

 

[Arnold Palmer]

I believe the first summer session was in full swing when she went missing, but was over when that article was written.

 

[jabberwocky]

just to clarify, the altercation at Smallwood was after the outing at Kilroys.
Timeline:

LS/DR (HT?)-> 5 North (JRs)
LS/CR -> Kilroys
LS/CR ->Smallwood, altercation
LS/CR -> 5 North (MB)
LS ->5 North (JR)

LS's evening seems to have started and ended at JR's..... why?

 

[cluciano63]

I hope her parents will give a PC every week, even if they have to do it from NY. So many cases just go "silent" with no one speaking out for the victim.

 

[AbbeyR]

If whoever punched CR wasn't a friend of the boyfriend, then it would certainly make sense if the boyfriend wasn't informed of it. When we were discussing the likelihood of the boyfriend being notified that LS was with CR, we assumed that whoever punched CR was in fact a friend of the boyfriend. But if he wasn't, then he certainly wouldn't have been informing the boyfriend.

Reports of the altercation have indicated that there was a 'group' of people involved in the altercation though, right?

Whether or not the alleged puncher was a friend of JW's, there is at least one other close friend of JW who has indicated (on FB) that he may have been present. (Not named by MSM, but he has been discussed here previously, and lived on the 5th floor of Smallwood as well). While we don't have any verifiable sources, all of the accounts and rumors about the altercation seem to be consistent in identifying the people present as JW's friends.

As others have mentioned, I continue to wonder why the altercation was reported to the media and then denied and I've never entirely understood the kerfuffle over obtaining security tapes.

 

[cluciano63]

Reports of the altercation have indicated that there was a 'group' of people involved in the altercation though, right?

Whether or not the alleged puncher was a friend of JW's, there is at least one other close friend of JW who has indicated (on FB) that he may have been present. (Not named by MSM, but he has been discussed here previously, and lived on the 5th floor of Smallwood as well). While we don't have any verifiable sources, all of the accounts and rumors about the altercation seem to be consistent in identifying the people present as JW's friends.

As others have mentioned, I continue to wonder why the altercation was reported to the media and then denied and I've never entirely understood the kerfuffle over obtaining security tapes.

I did find a fox59 video last night from 6/9 that states that these were Jesse's friends, for what it is worth...

 

[bluehippo22]

I believe the first summer session was in full swing when she went missing, but was over when that article was written.

Summer Session I is actually less active compared to Summer Session II. I do not have the numbers, but there are more students around now compared to early June. Also, the university closed some food service options during SSI, but opened them for SSII suggesting a substantial bump in enrollment. I have also been told there are a lot more course offerings for SSII compared to SSI, but haven't bothered to check this.

I have previously stated that Bton is a ghost town over the summer. Ghost town might be a little harsh, but the town is way under capacity. If I would just hazard a guess - more than 60% of the housing is not in use in the summer. The streets around campus are usually full of cars during the semester, but now they are relatively empty.