IN - Lauren Spierer, 20, Bloomington, 03 June 2011 #25

[Jupiter812]

You raise a good point. College would have been a safer, more lit path, from what I've read. But I've noticed a tendency with some of my daughter's friends to disregard safety when they feel "safe," which I hate. A 95-pound young woman can't defend herself like a 200-pound guy can. But try telling her that. It's hard to say how LS felt that night. Maybe she took the alley path rather automatically ...

There's a third possible route and that is Morton St. It is just steps away from JR's door. The first part of it would be darker than College and with no video cameras, just like the alley and College. She would have to walk next to the gravel lot--a good place for an attendant vehicle to park.

 

[Jupiter812]

Yesterday, the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission approved the permit for Sports to serve alcohol at their new Broad Ripple location. Do you suppose this means Sports is off the hook about Lauren? The vote was 2-1.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/commission-oks-kilroys-in-broad-ripple

 

[phantomthought]

You raise a good point. College would have been a safer, more lit path, from what I've read. But I've noticed a tendency with some of my daughter's friends to disregard safety when they feel "safe," which I hate. A 95-pound young woman can't defend herself like a 200-pound guy can. But try telling her that. It's hard to say how LS felt that night. Maybe she took the alley path rather automatically ...

I posed the question a long time back as to why they would have taken the alley in the first place especially considering LS was barefoot.A local responded that students do that all the time when drunk to avoid the police and a public intoxication ticket.How sad that students will disregard there safety for fear of the police.To bad this case would not make towns and police dept around these colleges rethink what their responsibility's really are.But as I see with the opening of the new Kilroy's it is still all about the money.

 

[imkeylime]

I posed the question a long time back as to why they would have taken the alley in the first place especially considering LS was barefoot.A local responded that students do that all the time when drunk to avoid the police and a public intoxication ticket.How sad that students will disregard there safety for fear of the police.To bad this case would not make towns and police dept around these colleges rethink what their responsibility's really are.But as I see with the opening of the new Kilroy's it is still all about the money.

You make a good point. I known that a lot of universities have "amnesty" programs (like IU just implemented), but if the kids fear walking in safe environments because of ticketing, there's still a problem. I agree that the towns and LE should address this.

I also remember CS saying how LS felt that Bloomington was "safe." I'm not saying Bloomington isn't safe overall ... just that danger can lurk anywhere. I hear the same thing from my daughter ... and while I'm sure our town is relatively safe, that doesn't mean you won't meet a creeper (who could be from wherever). It's a dangerous misconception ...

 

[Jupiter812]

I posed the question a long time back as to why they would have taken the alley in the first place especially considering LS was barefoot.A local responded that students do that all the time when drunk to avoid the police and a public intoxication ticket.How sad that students will disregard there safety for fear of the police.To bad this case would not make towns and police dept around these colleges rethink what their responsibility's really are.But as I see with the opening of the new Kilroy's it is still all about the money.

Oh fer pete's sake. Blaming the police is nothing but an excuse because they want that part of the city to be their personal playground. And it is fast becoming that. They may fear the police, but even without the factor of police they put themselves and others at risk every time they drink and drug to excess. It's not like they make a conscious decision to disregard their safety. They are just too drunk to know otherwise.

Personally I do not believe the city, police, IU, should be acting as extended helicopter parents.

 

[bloom54]

Oh fer pete's sake. Blaming the police is nothing but an excuse because they want that part of the city to be their personal playground. <snip>

Personally I do not believe the city, police, IU, should be acting as extended helicopter parents.

Agreed... if these kids still need parental supervision, they should be at home or at least in dorms!

 

[OldSteve]

Been catching up ... so searching the landfill is no longer being done?
Remember way, way back (June or July) presser when LE mentioned wanting to have some really good image enhancement done on video, and they said they were looking into ways of getting that done ... guess nothing came of that? (Believe it was after the white truck was ruled out. )

 

[bloom54]

the landfill search was completed. no evidence found.

 

[OldSteve]

Thinking about Lauren and her "friends" - I put friends in quotes because they seem not to care about her, letting her walk without shoes. My impression is that they were only interested in their own pleasure that night, or they were disassociated from one another, or maybe just her.
Maybe they didn't "let" her walk without shoes, maybe she didn't care and they didn't care. If so, a strange mix.... How welcome was she in this group? Were they all waiting for an opportunity to get lucky with her? Take advantage of her?
Maybe it was the other way around, she wanting to please them, wanting to do anything she could... get drugs for them...
After all these months I really don't know any of this. I really don't know the dynamics of this group.. (as such I am not accusing anyone, all just thoughts running thru the old noggin...)

 

[wisco23]

Heart-wrenching letter out of CS.

http://newsonlaurens.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-never-expected-to-see-october-without.html

 

[Gabby66]

Re. the shoes.....I don't feel that anyone "let" her walk barefoot, and even though I believe one or more of these boys is likely guilty of her disappearance, I do not blame them for "allowing" her to walk home barefoot. I think that CR/LS, and probably JR were all under the influence and LS herself was probably laughing about not having her shoes. I think that drugs/alcohol probably had them so relaxed that it wasn't an issue. That's not to say that it was OK - I just don't get the feeling that it means they didn't care about her. Now, I doubt they did care all that much since CR didn't even know her long, but it's just my observation that this in isolation means nothing to me.

Re. CS's letter.....I still believe they have a good suspicion that it's one of these boys. She calls the perp a "coward". I guess that I wouldn't necessarily call some random murderer a "coward". I would call him very EVIL. I don't look at a "coward" as necessarily evil. IMO a coward in this situation would be someone who made some sort of bad decision, or mistake, which caused or lead to her death, then he hid her b/c he was too much of a coward to admit the truth. A random murderer wouldn't be referred to as a coward IMO b/c we'd never expect someone to purposefully murder a girl, then admit to it anyway. Perhaps I'm reading too much into her word choice, but based on the use of this word, I do think that she believes it was an accident and I would guess she has a good idea of what happened - just not enough proof.

 

[Jupiter812]

To me, CS's words sound like she believes it was abduction, not an accident. Yet another possible clue for the existence of the Mystery Man who is like man in the account that poster doubtingthomas retold. Basically, a pattern is developing.

"You alone, have the knowledge which can return Lauren to us. While it took cowardice to take Lauren off the streets of Bloomington, June 3, 2011, I offer a coward&#8217;s alternative to providing the truth.

 

[Darcyline]

I get mixed readings on this letter between one of the boys and possible abduction. That actually makes me feel worse. Naively, I have always hoped that they somehow had some sort of evidence that would indicate either way and many of CS's words have been extremely directly focused on her friends that night and not a random stranger grabbing her. I know family is not always the best indication of where a case is and there may even be stuff that LE knows and not the family, but I feel very strongly that they have nothing right now and likely will have nothing unless there is one hell of a lucky break. Like, stumbling across a body that also happens to have some sort of ringer of evidence pointing toward someone.

I also don't get why people are so angry the parents are still there. Seriously? Do posters offend people? I have never once looked at a missing persons poster and though, gee I need to write a NASTY note to their family to tell them to stop littering!!!!! Is there something offensive or horrible about seeing the occasional missing poster?

 

[AbbeyR]

I also don't get why people are so angry the parents are still there. Seriously? Do posters offend people? I have never once looked at a missing persons poster and though, gee I need to write a NASTY note to their family to tell them to stop littering!!!!! Is there something offensive or horrible about seeing the occasional missing poster?

My only guess is that the letter was prompted by (or part of) the Bloomington backlash against the comments made by the PI. Either way, have a little compassion, people! I know the Spierers are strong enough to deal with things like this, but I wish they didn't have to .

Re. the rest of the letter - It is a beautifully written message, but yes, hard to know who it is intended for -- Or if CS herself knows.

 

[imkeylime]

Heart-wrenching letter out of CS.

http://newsonlaurens.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-never-expected-to-see-october-without.html

I can't decide whether it implies random abduction or one of the boys. The "coward" could imply that someone protected himself vs. LS. But the following sentence might imply random abduction:

"I guess you&#8217;ve known all along, we would still be searching for Lauren on this fall day."

I'm trying to figure that statement out ... "known all along" because "you" had no intention of telling or "known all along" because LS isn't that close after all? IDK ... I'm leaning toward CS really not knowing, either.

Heartbreaking indeed.

 

[cluciano63]

I can't decide whether it implies random abduction or one of the boys. The "coward" could imply that someone protected himself vs. LS. But the following sentence might imply random abduction:

"I guess you’ve known all along, we would still be searching for Lauren on this fall day."

I'm trying to figure that statement out ... "known all along" because "you" had no intention of telling or "known all along" because LS isn't that close after all? IDK ... I'm leaning toward CS really not knowing, either.

Heartbreaking indeed.

Who knows, but I read it to mean he would know that they would be searching because they (the perp) knew Lauren and knew she would be well-missed and that her parents would be searching as long as it took. Maybe even that the perp(s) knows Lauren's parents as well.

 

[Jupiter812]

The letter has a decidedly different tone than those of the past. I don't know if resignation is the right word, but something like that.

Two things that she doesn't say stand out to me: It is the first time in a long time, if ever, that she doesn't call out the friends. She doesn't even allude to them. Also, she says she is "thankful" to LE, no mention of confidence.

 

[holly2325]

Gee, this letter is really depressing. I agree with Darcyline that CS words imply that they really have nothing in terms of clues.

......While it took cowardice to take Lauren off the streets of Bloomington, June 3, 2011

who ?????

I thought they doubted JR's story and thought LS never made it to the street.
If they doubt JR's story, this only makes sense if she is talking to CR and blaming him for taking LS to 5 North Townhomes instead of to a hospital.

 

[bloom54]

There has been a small contingent of locals who have been pretty vocal (at least in the Herald Times comments section, which I find myself drawn to like a train wreck!) about their annoyance at all the media coverage LS has gotten... for so many irrational reasons

and, of course, there's the group that claims that all the east coast kids should just go on back home...
and why doesn't Crystal Grubb's murder get this kind of attention??
and on... and on... ad nauseum...

so, it's not surprising that someone was stupid enough to write that letter...

 

[holly2325]

"I guess you&#8217;ve known all along, we would still be searching for Lauren on this fall day."

I interpret this to mean that the You in the story hid LS in a well thought out place; not in some way that her remains would be found later to provide closure for her family.

It seems CS thinks this person might at some point give a hint to where LS is when all forensic opportunity has passed.