Missing in America: A Savive Report

Indiana University sophomore, Lauren Spierer, has been missing back on 3 June 2011. Lauren’s story has received national attention—on CNN, America’s Most Wanted TV Show, etc—while others, such as the May 18 disappearance of 27-year-old Plainfield, Indiana resident, Morgan Johnson, go virtually unnoticed by the national media. Like Johnson, Spierer has a life-threatening heart condition that requires medication, but the pretty blonde woman’s case has attracted far more attention than that of the young African-American man.

An astonishing 2,300 Americans are reported missing every day, a number which includes both adults and children. According to the FBI, 692,944 people were reported missing last year, and fewer than 20,000 of those were cited as “involuntary.” That is still a big jump up from the approximately 150,000 people who were reported missing in 1980. Social scientists and criminologist say that of this dramatic increase in the past 25 years is due in part to the growing population. Yet, a big part of this increase is attributed to law enforcement and the fact that they take these cases more seriously now, particularly those of marginalized citizens.

Of those who went missing last year, 50,000 were above the age of eighteen—40 percent of missing adults were white, 30 percent were black, 20 percent were Latino, and the remaining 10 percent were of other races. While these numbers seem staggering, a large portion of missing persons are suspected runaways and another large percentage are family abductions. There are, however, a percentage of those who are abducted by complete strangers. Only a fraction (.3%) of those are considered to be stereotypical abductions or kidnappings by a stranger. Approximately 10 percent of missing persons in the United States never return. According to a Justice Department study, nearly 90 percent of the abductors are men, and they sexually assault their victims in half of the cases.


In 2007, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) developed the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Initiative (NamUs), which provides national access to clearinghouse capabilities for reporting, locating, and matching missing person’s records to unidentified remains records. NamUs is made up of two databases: one contains records on unidentified human remains; the other contains missing person’s reports.

Before NamUs, the problem with keeping records of unidentified human remains was abysmal, referred to by some as the Nation’s Silent Mass Disaster. According to the first survey of the nation’s medical examiners (ME) and coroners—conducted by The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)—there were 13,486 unidentified human remains on record at the end of 2004. That same report also revealed that only half of the ME and coroner offices surveyed had a policy for retaining records on unidentified human remains

The true scope of the problem is also hampered by the fact that many law enforcement agencies consider an adult missing person to be a low priority, because adults can have many reasons to disappear; and although all cases of missing children 18 and under must be reported to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC), only a handful of states require law enforcement agencies to submit adult missing-person reports to NCIC. The result of this is inconsistent reporting.

College campuses are some of the safest places in the country. A recent government report—compiled by the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Education and the FBI— says that 17 million students attend 4,200 colleges and universities in the United States. Between 2005 and 2008, there were 174 murders on campuses and 46 negligent homicides. Yet, despite these encouraging numbers, losing one person is one too many.

Anyone with information about Morgan Johnson should call the Plainfield Police Department at 1-317-838-3562. He drives a 1995 white Grand Am.

Anyone with information about Lauren Spierer should call the Bloomington Police Department of 1-812-339-4477 or 1-800-CRIME-TV. You can also email your tip to policetips@bloomington.in.gov.

Driver of White Truck Ruled Out as Suspect in Lauren Spierer Case

Last Wednesday Bloomington police released a picture and description of a white four-door Chevrolet short-bed truck seen running a red light and circling around the area where (and at the time) Indiana University sophomore, Lauren Spierer went missing on 3 June.

Since that time, police have received a flurry of more than 500 tips, many pertaining to the vehicle, and investigators located the driver of the vehicle—who, after being closely scrutinized, was eventually eliminated from consideration as a suspect, police say. "That individual was extremely cooperative with law enforcement efforts, provided information as to why he was up in that area and as it turns out it was simply to pick up an employee," Bloomington police Captain Joseph Qualters said.


“The bottom line is at this point we still have a missing person,” said Qualters. “Our effort will not stop, and we will continue.”

This past Thursday night, more than 100 people attended a Take A Stand to Find Lauren fundraiser at Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, N.Y., where Spierer graduated in 2009. They donated to the Find Lauren fund and were taught yoga moves to send positive energy to bring Spierer home.

Yesterday, a tip of a suspicious odor led police, search crews, an evidence tech, and a helicopter to a wooded area south of Martinsville just off State Road 37—but proved to be another dead end.

Captain Qualters also says a bag of clothing removed from Smallwood Plaza on Friday had nothing to do with the case. However he says investigators continue to hold out hope and follow every lead.

Police Release “Two New Photos” in Ongoing Search for Lauren Spierer

Bloomington police released two photos today hoping to get tips from the public into the disappearance of Indiana University sophomore, Lauren Spierer, who went missing June 3.


The first image is of a white four-door Chevrolet Silverado or Colorado short-bed truck. The truck was first recorded by a surveillance camera at 4:14 a.m., on June 3, traveling westbound on 10th Avenue toward Morton Street, where it ran a stop sign and headed north on Morton, toward the building where Spierer last visited (Jay Rosenbaum’s apartment). At 4:24 a.m., the vehicle is seen again on video traveling west on 10th toward Morton.


“We’re talking a very close proximity to the location Lauren was last seen [at 11th and College],” said Bloomington Police Captain Joseph Qualters during today’s media briefing.


Police also released a photo of Lauren as she headed out for the evening on June 2, which was captured by Smallwood Plaza surveillance. She was wearing a white V-neck shirt with butterfly sleeves to the elbows and black leggings with zippers near the ankles.

Police have received nearly 1,000 tips in the case, more than 350 of which came from an episode of "America's Most Wanted" that aired Saturday.

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Police Acknowledge “Rumors” That Missing IU Student May Have OD’d

For the first time since Indiana University Sophomore, Lauren Spierer [20], went missing, police have acknowledged that they have received information that Spierer may have overdosed on cocaine and that the student or students who were with her panicked and disposed of her body.

Bloomington Police Captain Joseph Qualters was asked by a reporter about these “rumors” this morning at a media conference. “Have we heard information along those lines? Absolutely,” Qualters responded. Qualters did say, however, that detectives have not ruled that, or any other possibility, out in their investigation into the Spierers’ disappearance.


Shortly after midnight on the morning of June 3rd Lauren Spierer was looking for someone to accompany her to the bar. Investigators believe fellow student, Corey Rossman (who lives at 5 North Townhomes), accompanied Spierer to Kilroy’s Sports Bar where she left behind her shoes and cell phone.

Spierer and Rossman left the bar that morning and returned to her off-campus apartment building, where a group of friends of Spierer’s boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, confronted him—and were apparently angry seeing him and Spierer together at her apartment. Rossman says it was at that time that he was punched in the face during a confrontation in the 5th floor elevator lobby of Spierer’s apartment building at approximately 2:45 a.m. Rossman’s attorney told Fox59 News that his client has no memory of the fight but was told that Spierer walked him home and turned him over to his roommate Mike Beth.

Salzmann said Beth claims that he put Rossman to bed while Spierer asked him if he wanted to party. Salzmann said when Beth balked, Spierer left Rossman’s apartment to visit Jay Rosenbaum, a mutual friend and fellow student, two doors down.

Rosenbaum reportedly told police Spierer left at approximately 4:30 a.m. to walk home and he last saw her near 11th Street and College Avenue, rounding a corner toward her building. Police said they have no video evidence of that.

“Obviously there are a lot of friends and associates of Lauren who will be able to provide us with information,” said Qualters. “We have an indication that the individuals who are not available will make themselves available to us (in the coming week) and we're encouraged by that."


Rossman, Beth, Rosenbaum, and Spierer’s boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, are all believed to be persons of interest, even though Wolff is reported to have spent the evening watching basketball and unsuccessfully attempting to reach Spierer.

Rosenbaum is represented by noted Indianapolis defense attorney James Voyles, and Wolff is being represented by Bloomington attorney Larry Lozano. Rossman and Beth have both provided DNA samples to Bloomington police.

Confronted outside their apartment Sunday, Corey Rossman and Mike Beth denied their identities to Fox59 News, and then complained that media coverage of the investigation was ruining their life. Rossman complained that while his vehicle was parked in a public parking that Fox59 News was violating his privacy and Beth threatened to call Bloomington police. Rossman then drove away.

Qualters also said today that they have video of one or two cars in the vicinity that they are interested in tracking down. They are seeking to enhance the video and may release photos to the public, hoping to speak with the driver or drivers in case they have information that can aid the investigation. The street, which he did not identify, is “not heavily traveled,” Qualters said. Police are not describing the car or cars in question at this time, saying they do not want be inundated with false leads.

Meanwhile, Lauren’s father, Robert Spierer, reiterated a $100,000 reward for information leading to the location of his daughter. Investigators also indicated they had received upwards of 40 tips Saturday night after Lauren's case was profiled on the Fox program “America’s Most Wanted.”

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The Search Intensifies for Missing IU Student

Indiana University Sophomore, Lauren Spierer [20], went to Kilroy’s Sports Bar in Bloomington, IN, last Thursday night/early Friday morning (6/3/11) and has been missing ever since. Surveillance video at the bar shows Lauren drinking with a bunch of friends, and then leaving the bar with no shoes and without her cell phone at about 2:30a.m. Lauren then returned to her apartment building about a block away.

A search warrant was served to the Smallwood Plaza Apartments—where Lauren lives—at around 8:00p.m., Monday night. Oddly enough, even though the police had a search warrant handy, no one in charge at the apartment complex was willing to open the security room for them. So, police used a battering ram to brake down the security room door, where they removed three computers used to record and store information from the security cameras that record the surveillance video outside the complex.


Police say that they do have surveillance video from Lauren’s apartment showing her entering and leaving her apartment around 2:40a.m., on the morning of her disappearance. Police are searching the remainder of the surveillance footage to see if there is any other video of Lauren after that 2:40a.m., departure time. Lauren was with a friend at the time. After leaving Lauren’s apartment, Lauren and her friend headed 3 blocks north to another friends apartment. Lauren left there at 4:30a.m., and hasn’t been seen since. She was wearing black leggings, a white shirt, and no shoes.

Her purse was found in the dirt-riddled alley way that connects her apartment to her friends place. It is not known whether the purse was left there before she went to the friend’s place or after she left, according to Lt. Bill Parker, who supervises the investigation division in the Bloomington Police Department. “We believe the chance that there was foul play is very great because if not Lauren would have made contact by now,” Parker also said. Police have spoken to all of the friends that Lauren was with that night, they even searched the cars of her friends, and they have found nothing. Some credit cards were also missing from Lauren’s purse; a check has been made and none of the cards have been used as of yet. Her keys were also found on a railing near her apartment in downtown Bloomington.


Lauren’s parents, Charlene and Robert Spierer, held a press conference yesterday asking for people to continue praying for Lauren’s safe return and calling for anyone who has any information to come forward. “If anyone saw Lauren on Thursday night with anyone, please share that information with Bloomington police,” her father Robert said. “It doesn’t matter how casual the sighting was; we need to know when you saw her; where you saw her; every little piece of information we get is important.”

Hundreds of people have since converged on Bloomington to help in the search. Police, and volunteers, have canvassed the entire downtown area and they are sending more squads out a bit further, but as of now there is no specific area that police are asking people to search. Police also announced that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have assigned a field officer to assist with the volunteer searches.

Social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook, are being used by many to help locate Lauren. The hashtag (#FindLauren) has been a top trending topic in recent days on Twitter.

Meanwhile, today on Twitter Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay pledged a $10,000 reward for “serious info that SOLVES Lauren’s Missing Persons…Contact Bloomy Police!!!!!”

Lauren Spierer is a white female who is 4-feet-11-inches tall, a slender build, with blue eyes and blond hair. She was last wearing a white tank top with a light-colored shirt over it and black stretch pants. Police are asking those who have any information on Lauren’s whereabouts to call or send an anonymous email or letter:

Bloomington Police
220 E Third St
Bloomington IN 47404
812-339-4477
police@bloomington.in.gov

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