Ten years after the disappearance of IU student Lauren Spierer Bloomington Police are still actively searching.
The following press release was sent to The Bloomingtonian Wednesday:
“On June 3, 2011 at approximately 4:30 am, Lauren Spierer left the apartment of an acquaintance on the 200 block of West 11th Street in Bloomington. She was headed home to her apartment at 9th and College, but she never arrived.
Since Lauren was reported missing to BPD later that afternoon, we’ve worked with the FBI and other law enforcement partners to scrutinize surveillance footage, conduct extensive land searches, and interview hundreds of people. While much time has passed since her disappearance, the search for Lauren is still very active. Over the last three to four years, investigators have received over 800 tips and executed at least 10 search warrants.
Today we are asking the community and our partners in the media to help us find Lauren by sharing her story. Someone, somewhere, knows something. Anything you might know, even if it seems small, could provide the answers to Lauren’s disappearance.
Lauren was last seen at the intersection of 11th and College on June 3, 2011 at approximately 4:30 am. She was wearing a white top and black pants. She is approximately five feet tall with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Lauren Spierer is urged to speak up.
BPD Tips: [email protected]
Crime Stoppers: (317) 262-TIPS | (317) 262-8477
BPD: 812-339-4477
Detective Jeff Rodgers: [email protected]”
Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff has released a video statement:
Here is the transcript:
“Transcript of Press Statement Regarding the 10th Anniversary of the Disappearance of Lauren Spierer
Hello, I’m Mike Diekhoff, Chief of the Bloomington Police Department.
This video is an effort to meet anticipated requests for information regarding the Lauren Spierer investigation as we approach the 10th year of Lauren’s disappearance and the investigation being conducted by our Department. Because we cannot possibly meet the demands of individual media inquiries, this video will serve as the only update being provided and made accessible to everyone.
As many of you already know, Lauren was reportedly last seen near the intersection of 11th Street and College Avenue in the early morning hours of Friday, June 3, 2011. She had been out with friends and acquaintances at a local bar, Kilroy’s Sports Bar, returned to her residence formerly known as Smallwood located near 9th and College Avenue, and eventually made her way to the apartment of an acquaintance who was with her that evening which was located in the 200 block of W. 11th Street.
At approximately 4:30 a.m., it was reported that Lauren decided to walk home alone and the residents of the apartment last saw her at the aforementioned intersection of 11th and College. Lauren has not been seen or heard from since that time and date. Later on Friday afternoon Lauren was reported missing by a male friend and the Bloomington Police Department has been involved in the case of her disappearance since that time. Large scale searches were conducted involving law enforcement, national search organizations and volunteers from the community. Despite most of Monroe County being searched—with areas such as Lake Monroe, Griffey Lake, Morgan-Monroe State Forest and the Hoosier National Forest being the subject of multiple searches simply because of their remote locations—there was no sign of Lauren.
Multiple interviews were conducted with friends and associates and available video surveillance was carefully scrutinized in an effort to develop leads. Daily pressers were conducted for several weeks as BPD attempted to keep the media and public informed of search efforts and some aspects of the case with the intentional objective to not release anything that might compromise the integrity of the investigation. Hotlines, a special email address, and a post office box were set up to receive information.
Over the course of the last 10 years, the Bloomington Police Department has received thousands of tips, interviewed hundreds of people, obtained a multitude of court orders, and executed innumerable search warrants in Bloomington and elsewhere. BPD has been assisted from the very beginning by multiple law enforcement agencies and to this day continues to work most closely with the FBI. Many times we are asked if Lauren’s case is listed as a “cold case”. The answer to that is an unequivocal NO. A “cold case” is one where no leads or information has come in and the case file sits dormant. That has never been the case regarding Lauren and there has always been something to follow up on. In the last three to four years, for example, investigators have executed at least 10 search warrants and received approximately 800 tips. Of those tips, over 100 of them required additional follow-up once they were vetted and it was determined that they were not repeats of information that had been provided in similar form previously.
Overall, since 2011, BPD has received nearly 3,600 tips with approximately 1,100 of those determined to be actionable and assigned for additional follow-up. In short, BPD and its various investigative partners have gone wherever a lead has taken us and that effort will continue.
The Bloomington Police Department remains as committed to seeking answers regarding Lauren’s disappearance as we were on June 3rd, 2011 when she was first reported missing.
Additional information regarding Lauren can be found on the BPD Facebook page including ways to provide information to investigators about this case.
Remember that ANYTHING SMALL COULD BE BIG.”
