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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

No new leads found in Spierer case

Local law officials have determined that a 56-year-old man detained by police Aug. 4 did not have any involvement in the disappearance of missing IU student Lauren Spierer.

The man was detained by Bloomington police on the third level of the city parking garage across from Kilroy’s Sports Bar but was not arrested.

The man told officers that he had met Spierer at a shooting range two years ago.

“Two of the investigators (from the Spierer case) interviewed him, and it was determined he didn’t know any new information other than what was already reported by media,” Parker said.

A skull found in White River in Indianapolis on July 8 was determined not to be that of Spierer, according to the Indianapolis Star on Friday.

Lauren’s mother, Charlene Spierer, recently wrote a letter to those who last saw Lauren speculating on the then-unknown identity of the skull.

“It could take as long as eight weeks. That’s 80,640 minutes of agony. We are waiting to find out if a skull found in the White River might be Lauren’s,” Charlene said. “It’s chilling to say the words.”

The man police police questioned had two loaded semi-automatic handguns in his pants pockets as well as a loaded shotgun in the trunk of his car. A digital rangefinder was also found in the man’s position.

Bloomington Police Lt. Bill Parker confirmed the man said the rangefinder was 66 yards from where he was in proximity to the entrance of Kilroy’s Sports.

The man was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for a mental health evaluation.

His name has not been released. The 56-year-old has since been evaluated and released by hospital personnel, Parker said.

— Michael Majchrowicz and Charles Scudder

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