IU Police Department Sgt. Rebecca Schmuhl released new details regarding the death of IU student Joseph Smedley.
Smedley’s body was found Oct. 2 at Griffy Lake. His death was recently determined a suicide by drowning by Monroe County Coroner Nicole Meyer.
Smedley’s two roommates, both brothers of Sigma Pi fraternity, were the last to see him alive, Lt. Craig Munroe of IUPD said.
Smedley's roommates told police the three went to bed in their separate rooms between 11 p.m. and midnight, Schmuhl said in an interview. Schmuhl said statements from brothers at Sigma Pi were consistent throughout their interviews in the initial missing persons case.
Smedley’s sister, Vivianne Brown, said she believes Smedley hung out with more friends that evening.
Schmuhl said Smedley’s phone was recovered at some point in the investigation; however, she said she did not know where it was found.
Smedley’s phone was active during the evening of his disappearance between 11 p.m., around which time Smedley’s roommates said they last saw him at their apartment, until around 4 a.m., when Smedley’s sister received a text from his phone saying he intended to leave the country.
Brown earlier said she believed there were no outgoing texts or phone calls during this time.
In IUPD’s initial missing persons case, Schmuhl pulled bank statements and phone records. Schmuhl said a purchase was made at Noodles and Company the night Smedley went missing, but she said she did not know at what time.
Brown, who said she viewed bank statements and phone records with IUPD detectives, said she believed this was Smedley’s last purchase.
Brown also said according to the phone records, Smedley was making plans with a friend for the weekend after he was reported missing.
Schmuhl said she could confirm Smedley was texting about parties in the future but could not say along what time frame plans were being made.
A note found on Smedley’s bed that expressed a desire to leave the country was found by his roommates, Schmuhl said.
Schmuhl said she and other detectives compared the note to handwriting in some of Smedley’s schoolwork. She said “some of the unique features of his handwriting appeared in the note.”
No formal comparisons were made between samples of Smedley’s handwriting and the note. Schmuhl said the detectives’ findings were not “authoritative findings.”
Schmuhl was able to interview some of Smedley’s professors and they believed Smedley was not coming to class. However, Schmuhl did not talk to all of Smedley’s professors before his body was found, which is when the Bloomington Police Department took over the case.
BPD has declined to comment on the case.
Carley Lanich
