Lauren Spierer was only 20 years old when she disappeared. Lauren was from Westchester, New York, but upon graduating from Edgemont High School in 2009, she attended Indiana University in Bloomington. Lauren had a large friend group there and went to school with her boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, whom she met years before at summer camp.
The night of her disappearance, June 3rd, 2011, was spent the same as any other Friday night– out at the bars. Although her boyfriend wasn’t with her, he later reported that from the texts she was sending, he could tell that she was very intoxicated. It’s assumed that, by piecing together video footage, Lauren’s night began at around 12:30 am when she left her apartment with her friend David, leaving to meet their friends Jay and Cory at their apartment. Later, at 1:46, she was seen entering Kilroy’s Sports Bar, a local spot, exiting at 2:27 with Cory, who later walked her back to her apartment (It’s noted that Lauren left her shoes at the bar’s patio). While she entered her apartment, a passerby stopped to make sure Lauren was okay, as he noted she seemed too drunk to be left alone. At 2:48, she was seen leaving her apartment with Cory, entering an alley, exiting 3 minutes later, and walking towards an empty lot, where her keys and purse would later be found. Shortly after, the two made it to Cory’s apartment. Cory’s roommate, Michael, was present at the time, and upon seeing Cory’s intoxicated state, escorted him upstairs to his bedroom, and although he attempted to convince Lauren to spend the night, he says she insisted on going back to her apartment. Upon hearing this, Michael called his neighbor, Jay, asking him to take care of her for the night at his apartment, where she went. Jay noted that at this time, Lauren had a large bruise under her eye that she had no explanation for. At 4:30 am, Lauren left Jay’s apartment, wearing a pair of black leggings, a white shirt, and no shoes or socks. The next morning, when Lauren’s boyfriend, Jesse, could not get in contact with her, he reported her missing.
As of May 2013, over 3000 tips have been reported to the police, with none leading to an arrest. In 2016, the police raided a home about 20 miles north of Bloomington, but as of now, nothing major has come of it. Lauren’s parents have their own theories as to what happened to their daughter, believing she has passed. They also speculate that she may have been drugged at the bar, and remain suspicious of Lauren’s friends and boyfriend, as they have all refused to take a polygraph test to this day (although they claim they have taken private tests).
A major possibility that the police have investigated is that Lauren suffered an overdose and the men she was with hid her body. Jay reports that Lauren drank, used cocaine, and snorted crushed Klonopin tablets, which all may have interacted with her heart condition. Police have also not ruled out an abduction by a stranger. Lauren’s parents filed a civil suit against the men she was with that night for negligence, but in 2013 and 2014, the trials against the men were all separately dismissed.
What happened to Lauren was absolutely devastating for her family, friends, and the entire IU community. The investigation into her death is still active and investigators are still hoping for a critical lead that may finally tie her case together.