Three years ago, Lauren Spierer, a 20-year-old apparel merchandising major from New York, vanished without a trace from downtown Bloomington.
Spierer’s disappearance garnered national media coverage.
Search parties scoured Bloomington hoping to find her, and investigators worked tirelessly to unpack the puzzling details surrounding her disappearance.
Three years after the fact, the Bloomington Police Department says investigators remain staunchly dedicated to Spierer’s case.
“BPD investigators continue to follow up on information that comes in, and our commitment to the case is unwavering,” Captain Joe Qualters said in a statement Monday.
“While the number of tips received may not be at the level they were just after Lauren’s disappearance, it is important to note that tips are still coming in,” Qualters said.
BPD has received 282 tips throughout the past year, with the most recent information coming this past week.
Spierer was last seen at about 4:30 a.m. June 3, 2011, at the intersection of 11th Street and College Avenue as she headed to her Smallwood Plaza apartment.
Earlier in the night, Spierer visited Kilroy’s Spots Bar. She was seen leaving the bar at 2:27 a.m. with acquaintance Corey Rossman, a fellow IU student.
The two left Spierer’s cell phone and footwear at the bar.
Rossman accompanied Spierer to her apartment, where he was reportedly involved in a physical altercation that resulted in him being punched in the face.
Video footage revealed that Spierer never entered her room while at the apartment.
The two then departed for Rossman’s townhouse.
En route, at 2:51 a.m., Spierer is captured on video for the final time walking out of an alley near her apartment complex into an empty lot.
The details then become murky.
Carl Salzmann, Rossman’s lawyer, alleges his client has no memory of the night because of the blow he sustained during the physical altercation.
Mike Beth, Rossman’s roommate, reportedly saw Spierer at about 4:30 a.m. walking home on the corner of 11th Street and College Avenue. He was the last person to see her.
Jesse Wolff, IU student and Spierer’s boyfriend, filed the missing person report.
After Spierer’s disappearance, Bloomington and IU community members came out in droves to search for her.
However, the aforementioned search parties, coupled with the efforts of law enforcement agencies and K-9 units, found nothing.
Spierer’s face was plastered on posters, signs and billboards. It could be seen on every corner in Bloomington.
The ubiquitous Spierer MISSING posters were taken down in October.
“For the many people who have felt the signs should have been taken down long ago, it’s long overdue,” Mayor Mark Kruzan’s office said in a statement in October. “For those who believe they should remain in place, no time was right to remove them.”
Despite being three years removed from Spierer’s disappearance, BPD remains optimistic about her case and the cooperation of Bloomington residents.
“We remain hopeful that someone with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Lauren’s disappearance will do the right thing by stepping up and contacting our agency,” Qualters said.
Last year, Charlene and Robert Spierer, Laurens’ parents, filed federal civil negligence lawsuits against Rossman, Jason Rosenbaum, a friend of Rossman, and Beth, who was reportedly at their apartment complex the night Lauren disappeared.
The lawsuit against Beth has been dismissed, while the ones against Rossman and Rosenbaum are still pending.
Lauren Spierer is described as being 4-foot-11 and 90 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the Bloomington Police Department at 812-339-4477 or by email at policetips@bloomington.in.gov.
