Remains discovered in Ill. not related to missing student Lauren Spierer

The remains found March 10 in Newton, Ill., are not related to the case of missing IU student Lauren Spierer.

Jasper County, Ill., Coroner Jason Meyer confirmed Wednesday that forensic anthropologists identified the remains as male, although they are still looking at further tests for identification of the body.

Meyer said he has been in contact with the Bloomington Police Department.

BPD Cpt. Joe Qualters said Tuesday the department was waiting for these results, as it does with any others in case they had any relevance to the city’s active missing persons case.

“We, like many other agencies with an active missing persons case, are waiting for the results from their investigation to see if it has any relevance to our case,” he said.

Awaiting information about found remains has become standard practice for Bloomington police since Spierer went missing June 3, 2011.

Just one month after the disappearance, a body was found in Indianapolis that turned out to be unrelated to the case.

A similar incident occurred in October 2011 after a body was found in a field near
Bloomington, Ill.

— Claire Aronson, Michael Auslen and Mary Kenney