Family pleads for information 10 years after Lauren Spierer's disappearance
GREENBURGH, Westchester County (WABC) -- Thursday marks 10 years since the disappearance of Indiana University student and Westchester County native Lauren Spierer, as authorities continue to investigate the case.
The 20-year-old then-sophomore was last seen on the morning of June 3, 2011, as she was leaving an acquaintance's apartment in Bloomington.
She was on her way home, but she never arrived.
Lauren's story:
The FBI and local police have spent the last decade searching for her, in what they say is still an active investigation.
Officials say they've gotten more than 800 tips in recent years.
Spierer's family released an emotional statement, again urging anyone who might have information to come forward.
The statement, from her mother Charlene Spierer, is as follows:
"Ten years ago today in the early hours of June 3, 2011, Lauren became a missing person. What started as an evening with friends ended tragically for Lauren and for our family. There is no video evidence proving Lauren ever turned the corner at 11th and College Avenue around 4:30AM. There has never been any suspect named. My heart goes out to anyone searching for a missing loved one. When you are 'in it' you can't see beyond it. You try everything humanly possible to get answers. You are willing to work from first light until you collapse exhausted at the end of the day. You read everything written, every blog, every Facebook post, every tweet, every comment at the end of every article you have access to, just hoping someone will post something to move your case forward. You open your door to the worst of humanity, desperate to believe their convincing lies, but I think the worst offense comes from those who hold the answers and refuse to share them. You are gullible. You are exposed to things you've never known about and wish you had never learned about. I empathize with you. I walk in your shoes; I carry the same burden. I wish we never had to experience this.
"If you are fortunate, you will find that there are just as many compassionate people. They work beside you just as tirelessly. They step in when you cannot. They take risks. They put their lives on hold. They use every avenue at their disposal to help you. They keep in touch on those most difficult days. They remind you that you are not alone in this nightmare. They ask for nothing in return.
"This is what I know. What happened to Lauren was shocking. It is inconceivable to have spoken to Lauren hours before discovering it would be for the last time. Shocking that someone so loved could vanish without a trace but entirely possible. It did happen and ten years later I still struggle. The space that once held hopes and dreams for Lauren will never heal. It is replaced by an ache fueled by the not knowing. I have learned to manage my days, months and years, but in an instant, something will happen which sends me reeling back to the day it all happened. I try my best, I will survive, I will never forget. I do not need a day like today to remember because every day is a day of remembrance.
"I am especially grateful to Rob and Rebecca, my husband, my daughter, who share in this tragic loss and without whom I could not have survived. I end as always, hoping today is the day and reminding the reader that anything small could be big. Lauren, lost but never forgotten, forever in our hearts."
The website FindLauren.com is a resource with more details, photos and contact information.
RELATED | ABC News coverage 5 years after Spierer's disappearance
Four years ago, police in Indiana executed a warrant at the home of a registered sex offender, one of thousands of tips to police that never panned out.
After conducting hundreds of interviews, investigators insist Spierer's disappearance is not being treated as a cold case
The Bloomington Police Department released the following statement urging anyone with information to speak up.
"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."
Bloomington Crime Stoppers can be reached at (317) 262-TIPS | (317) 262-8477.
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