WBIW.com News - local

Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana

Police Investigating Possible Link Between Wilson Murder And Lauren Spierer Case

Last updated on Monday, April 27, 2015

(BLOOMINGTON) - Bloomington Police say the arrest of a man for the murder of an Indiana University student Hannah Wilson has prompted media inquiries and speculation from the general public about his possible involvement in the Lauren Spierer case being investigated by the Bloomington Police Department.

Capt. Joe Qualters said in an email that "investigation has already begun."

Messel's arrest has provided BPD detectives with an avenue of investigation into Lauren Spierer's disappearance that will be "diligently pursued."

Messel was formally charged Monday in the murder of IU senior Hannah Wilson.

"Detectives provided assistance in the death investigation of Hannah Wilson, but an effort will be made to confer in more detail with Indiana State Police detectives to determine what, if any, similarities might exist in the two cases that may have not been released to the public," Qualters said in the press release.

The captain says there is "no pre-determined timeline" on how long the investigation may take and "it is unknown at this time when it might be completed".

Lauren Spierer has been missing almost four years. She disappeared on June 3, 2011. Wilson's body was found Friday morning in a wooded area of Brown County.

The Timeline:

Friday, June 3, 2011

12:30 a.m. - Witnesses report that Lauren left her apartment with a friend named David Rohn. The pair went to Jay Rosenbaum's apartment and she met up with Cory Rossman, Rosenbaum's neighbor.

1:46 a.m. - Spierer is seen entering Kilroy's Sports bar with Cory Rossman.

2:27 a.m. - She is seen exiting the bar with Rossman. Lauren left her cell phone and shoes at the bar. She had taken off her shoes when she walked out onto the sand-covered patio. Rossman walked with Spierer to her apartment complex.

2:30 a.m. - She is then seen entering Smallwood Plaza apartments, where her residence is located. A passerby named Zach Oakes noticed her level of inebriation and asked if she was okay. Rossman reportedly replied: "She's OK, I got it." Oakes stated that he told Rossman to take her back to her room. Rossman cursed at Oakes, which led to an altercation in which Oakes punched him, knocking him to the floor. Rossman claimed that this blow caused him to lose his memory of the evening.

2:42 a.m. - Exits apartment complex. Police reported that Spierer did not go to her fifth-floor apartment during this short visit. Surveillance video shows Spierer stumbling and Rossman helping her to her feet and walk out of the building. A few minutes later, she is witnessed by a bystander sitting down on a staircase and falling backwards, hitting her head on the concrete step. The noise of the impact was loud enough for the bystander to hear it and ask whether she was all right. According to the woman, Rossman replied, "She's OK, I'll take care of it." After they continued up the street, she is witnessed falling again. Because of her intoxication level, she didn't raise her hands to cushion the blow and her face hit the ground unguarded. A few steps later, she fell a third time. At this point, Rossman began carrying Spierer.

2:48 a.m. - After she left the apartments, she entered an alley that runs between College Avenue and Morton Street. Security cameras mounted on nearby apartments show her exit the alley at 2:51 a.m. and walk toward an empty lot. Spierer's keys and purse were found along this route through the alley. Spierer and Rossman arrived at Rossman's apartment shortly after. Michael Beth, his neighbor, was in his own apartment studying. Rossman himself was very intoxicated and stumbling. He vomited on the carpet on the way upstairs. Beth stated that he escorted Rossman to bed. He then tried to persuade Spierer to sleep over for her own safety. He claimed Spierer said she wanted to return to her own apartment.

3:30 a.m. - Beth said he then phoned his neighbor, Rosenbaum, wanting him to take care of her. Beth said that Spierer was attempting to get Beth to drink with her at her own apartment. She eventually went to Rosenbaum's apartment, where he observed bruise under her eye, presumably sustained in the falls earlier in the evening. She told him she didn't know how she got the bruise. Two calls were placed from Rosenbaum's phone shortly before she is reported to have left. Rosenbaum said Spierer placed both calls, one to Rohn and one to another male friend. Neither picked up and no messages were left.

4:30 a.m. - Rosenbaum reports that she left the apartment. This is the last reported sighting of Lauren Spierer. He reported last seeing Spierer at the intersection of 11th Street and College Avenue, headed south on College. She was last seen wearing black leggins, a white shirt, and no shoes. Several hours later that morning, Jesse Wolff sends Lauren a text. He gets a reply back from an employee at the bar. He reports her missing.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Click here to go back to previous page