EDITOR’S NOTE:
The following timeline was created based on facts that have been verified by the parents of Lauren Spierer, Bloomington Police Department and on-site reporting of the daily search parties.
Friday, June 3
Early morning: Lauren hangs out with friends at Kilroy’s Sports Bar.
2:30-2:40 a.m.: Lauren leaves Kilroy’s Sports with a friend. She leaves her shoes and cell phone at the bar.
About 2:40 a.m.: Lauren and her friend walk to Lauren’s apartment complex, Smallwood Plaza. However, videos show Lauren does not enter her room. Police say she likely stays in the lobby. Lauren and her friend decide to walk to another friend’s apartment on the corner of 11th and Morton streets. Police say they have found Lauren’s small purse and set of keys near Morton Street and that she likely lost them along the way to this apartment complex. The two went into one apartment, then to another apartment a few doors down to hang out with other friends.
About 4:30 a.m.: Lauren tells her friends she feels like going back home to Smallwood . A male friend watched Lauren leave the apartment to go back to her apartment. He last saw her on the corner of 11th Street and College Avenue. Police said this male friend is the last person who saw Lauren and he was just watching her to make sure that she made it home safely. Video footage at the entrance of Smallwood that night shows she never made it home.
Saturday, June 4
Morning: Lauren’s parents fly into Indianapolis from New York after hearing their daughter is missing . They rent a car, drive to Bloomington, file a police report and begin combing the areas around Lauren’s apartment and Kilroy’s Sports. The Bloomington Police Department also starts searching nearby areas with dogs. Police conduct searches throughout the city.
Sunday, June 5
10 a.m.: Volunteers gather outside Smallwood Plaza to create a search plan. Local residents, students, friends and family map a route to explore Bloomington and Lakes Lemon, Griffy and Monroe. The Spierers said they didn’t have evidence she was around those areas, but they wanted to do something. Charlene Spierer tells the IDS Lauren has Long QT syndrome. She urges whoever knows about her daughter’s location to take her to a hospital.
3 p.m.: After spotty rain, the search volunteers and family stop the search for the day . They have covered many of the roads around nearby lakes.
4 p.m.: The Spierers meet with police to discuss the next steps.
Monday, June 6
10 a.m.: Searches continue with about 20 volunteers, including IU Hillel’s Rabbi Sue Silberberg.
11 a.m.: Police confi rm they are still investigating the case and haven’t found Lauren. They provide no further details.
11:52 a.m.: IU Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith sends out a message alerting students and faculty that workers would search the IU campus and buildings for any trace of Lauren.
5:30 p.m.: About 400 people attend a search for Lauren, including IU women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack and basketball players, as well as members of the volleyball team.
Tuesday, June 7
10 a.m.: The first search of the day begins.
11 a.m.: BPD Lt. Bill Parker speaks during a press conference and releases some new details about the case. Lauren’s parents are present during the press conference. Both police and Lauren’s father say they plan to continue to search for Lauren. At the same time, searches are being held at Bloomington’s Cascade Park.
11:46 a.m.: IU Provost Karen Hanson sends a statement to the IU community expressing her concern for Lauren. Hanson directs the IU community to the University’s public safety website www.protect.iu.edu, which has a page devoted to Lauren. A banner advertising the page also appeared at the top of OneStart, an online IU student resource.
2 p.m.: The second search of the day is held along the Bloomington Rail Trail.
About 5 P.M.: Lauren’s parents attend a meeting with IU Provost Karen Hanson and Dean of Students, Harold “Pete” Goldsmith to discuss ways the University can help in the search effort.
5:30 p.m.: 431 people attend a search around the Bloomington city limits.
8:30 p.m.: Police execute a search warrant in Smallwood Plaza, Lauren’s apartment complex. The police break into two rooms adjacent to the lobby with battering rams. The two rooms were a mail room and a security room. They take several computer towers and CD cases.
Wednesday, June 8
11 a.m.: Police discuss the search warrant from the night before, saying they used the warrant to gain access to surveillance footage from Smallwood Plaza. According to the police, Smallwood employees refused to grant the police entry to the rooms. Smallwood released a statement saying no one was in the building who had a key to the two rooms of interest. At the same time, the first search of the day begins.
2:30 p.m.: About 75 people show up to help search for Lauren.
5:30 p.m.: About 250 people show up to help search for Lauren, significantly less than the nights before.
