Episode 2: The Disappearance of Lauren Spierer
Now Streaming
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode, we examine the disappearance of Lauren Spierer, a 20-year-old Indiana University student who vanished in the early morning hours of June 3, 2011, in Bloomington, Indiana.
Lauren has never been found.
There has been no body recovered, no publicly named suspect through a criminal charging process, and no criminal charges filed. Although the case remains classified as an open missing-person investigation, law enforcement has not publicly released the investigative file or underlying evidentiary materials.
Rather than speculating, this episode focuses on the only detailed, publicly available narrative of Lauren’s final hours: the timeline as it appears in federal civil court records and later appellate review.
After years passed without criminal resolution, Lauren’s parents turned to civil court, not to accuse anyone of murder or assign criminal guilt, but to ask whether the law allowed them to compel answers through discovery. That litigation produced federal court filings, judicial opinions, and appellate rulings that summarize the alleged events of Lauren’s final night and explain why the legal process ultimately stopped.
This episode does not attempt to solve Lauren Spierer’s disappearance.
It examines what happens when every legal path to answers is exhausted, and the system stops responding.
HOW THIS EPISODE IS DIFFERENT
Lauren Spierer’s disappearance is still classified as an open missing-person investigation. As a result:
There is no criminal court proceeding
No publicly filed probable cause affidavit
No trial testimony
No criminal discovery record
No formal public explanation of what happened after Lauren was last seen
The timeline presented in this episode is not a court finding and not tested evidence.
It is a reconstruction drawn from allegations summarized in federal civil court filings and later recapped by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Throughout the episode, you will hear language such as:
“According to the Entry on Motions to Dismiss…”
“As stated in the Plaintiffs’ Consolidated Response…”
“The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled…”
That language matters. Courts apply precise legal standards, and allegations are sometimes assumed true only for the limited purpose of deciding whether the law allows a case to proceed.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
Lauren Spierer’s last documented movements on the night of June 2–3, 2011
The limitations of publicly available evidence in open investigations
The role of federal civil court in seeking answers when criminal proceedings stall
Alleged events as summarized in civil court filings
The motion-to-dismiss standard and why courts sometimes assume allegations without testing them
Discovery limits and why full evidentiary development never occurred
The Seventh Circuit’s appellate ruling and legal reasoning
The distinction between criminal investigation, civil litigation, and public access
How open cases can remain legally unreachable for families
Casewalker analysis of procedural silence and systemic limits
THE CASEWALKER EVIDENCE BOOK
For this episode, we built what we call a Casewalker Evidence Book.
An Evidence Book is not speculation.
It is not theory.
And it is not hindsight.
It is a structured walk through:
What exists in the public record
What does not
And where the legal process reached its limits
Every name, location, timeline entry, and legal decision discussed in this episode is tied directly to a source.
Allegations are clearly identified as such, and no facts are presented as established unless supported by the record.
IMPORTANT CONTEXT FOR LISTENERS
The individuals named in this episode were not charged with crimes.
Allegations discussed were assumed true only for limited legal purposes and were never tested at trial.
No findings of criminal wrongdoing were made by any court.
All persons mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This episode discusses procedural outcomes, not conclusions about guilt.
MISSING PERSON SPOTLIGHT
🕊️LAUREN SPIERER
Age at Disappearance: 20
Height: Approximately 4’11”
Weight: Approximately 90 lbs
Hair / Eyes: Blonde/Blue
Lauren Spierer was last seen in the early morning hours of June 3, 2011, walking south near 11th Street and College Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana.
She was not wearing shoes and did not have her cell phone.
She has never been found.
HOW TO SHARE INFORMATION
If you have information related to Lauren Spierer’s disappearance, you are encouraged to contact:
Bloomington Police Department: 812-339-4477
Email: policetips@bloomington.in.gov
Indiana State Police: 812-332-4411
Crime Stoppers (Anonymous):
800-222-TIPS (8477)
Online or via the P3 Tips mobile app
Emergency: Call 911
Even information that feels insignificant could matter.
SOURCES & DOCUMENTATION
This episode is based on publicly available records and verified sources, including:
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Entry on Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss
Order on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Protective Order
Plaintiffs’ Consolidated Response in Opposition to Defendants’ Motions
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2015)
Opinion affirming dismissal and summary judgment
Indiana State Police Missing Person Bulletin
Bloomington Police Department public materials (as referenced in filings)
FindLauren.com (family-maintained public awareness site)
The Doe Network — Missing Person Case ID: 4096DFIN
A full Evidence Book and one-page source index for this episode are available on our website.
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
This episode discusses missing persons, legal proceedings, and unresolved investigations.
Listener discretion is advised.
All information presented is sourced from publicly available documents, verified law-enforcement publications, court filings, or is clearly identified as allegation when applicable.
The Casewalker Chronicles does not speculate on guilt and does not accuse any individual or group of criminal conduct unless legally established by court judgment.
FOLLOW & CONNECT
Instagram: @TheCasewalkerChronicles
Facebook: The Casewalker Chronicles
Website: www.thecasewalkerchronicles.com
Email: casewalkerchronicles@gmail.comnicles