<p>I don’t know if the young men involved have been forthcoming with information that would be helpful, but like many I suspect they have not. However, I doubt that any of them had the capability of disposing of a body in a way that could not be detected.</p>
<p>I agree with those who say that more should have been done to protect an obviously impaired young woman, but we are looking at this with the proverbial 20:20 hindsight.</p>
<p>I also agree that Lauren has paid the highest price for her behaviour and lifestyle decisions and that there is no point in continuing to assign to her a portion of the blame.</p>
<p>However, her parents have paid a price and are bearing a burden that few, if any, of us can comprehend. Having lost my entire birth family through accidents, disease, and old age over the years, I know that time eases the pain and life goes on, but I also know that there is very little comfort in expressing that knowledge to those whose loss is still overwhelming.</p>
<p>May God give them comfort and courage.</p>
<p>My daughter will start college in one month. She is petite, very bright but naive in many ways. I would say that she has common sense but who can predict what changes and influences will occur in her new situation? We can only hope that her innate common sense and some recall of the lessons and warnings she has received will provide some protection. Doubtless Lauren’s parents felt the same way.</p>
<p>They are young men of above average intelligence and of the age that they could be out there defending our country. If the adrenaline should rise and self interests win over, I have no doubt that any of them could dispose of a body. Having said that, I don’t believe they did, and I don’t think any one should presume they did. There is no proof. Absolutely not one bit of proof. If what they have said is true, I don’t see how any information that they are withholding regarding their activities would help find Lauren, but that information could incriminate them if the police should so desire to press them on it. They did act foolishly and boorishly, and are paying for this dearly in terms of reputation and harassment. I doubt any of them will return to IU. I would recommend they take the year off before going back to school. They have a lot of reflection to do. </p>
<p>I , too, pray for my young ones and for all those who have not yet matured and do foolish things.</p>
<p>Probably not as much. There would be equal concerned that a student disappeared. This has happened with some young men… There would remarks as to why and how someone let a friend go off on his own in bad shape. But our society does put more emphasis on a young man being able to care for himself, and in this case, Lauren Spierer was a particularly vulnerable looking person, given her size, and the fact that she has a heart condition. The parents also were extremely savvy and competent in terms of PR and gaining control of the situation. </p>
<p>As a parent of boys, I would feel equally heartsick, whether Lauren were a male or female. If the story that the last person to admit seeing LS is true, whether LS is a male or female, s/he disappeared in thin air in a very short distance between that apartment and home. That is the crux of the situation. The parents want their child back, and that is all they have wanted.</p>
<p>It seems like a new strategy to keep the pressure on those who she is sure have information. I can’t even imagine what that family is going through. Hopefully keeping the pressure on will help to crack the case.</p>
<p>So much of this discussion first went on just before the media became distracted by the Casey Anthoney trial. In both cases, I feel we all know who was responsible for the victim’s disappearance/demise. And yet, how is it we can let the assailant free? </p>
<p>Jay Rosenbaum, be a man about what happened and pony up.</p>
<p>Most of our kids are naive in some ways and trusting to varying degrees. Sometimes they make better choices that others. Some have friends who are more protective than others. All we as parents can do is our best to guide them up to the point where they go off to college and hope we taught them ENOUGH to be the strong, thoughtful, good and kind people that make mostly good and safe choices, at that any poor choices they make end up not harming them or anyone much.</p>
<p>It is very painful to imagine the pain of those who knew Laura are feeling, especially her relatives. She looks like a lovely young woman, similarly build as my D. It is so sad how badly things can turn out with just a few poor choices.</p>
<p>I don’t believe that Lauren’s friends are innocent. They are at least guilty of knowing what happened to her, and for that they are guilty of being inhumane. I just think about Lauren"s family…her mother…her father…sister and wonder how one survives through this pain.</p>
<p>Hi. I knew Liz at college, too, and I think of her more and more often as I prepare to send my only child off to college in the fall. It’s so hard to let go and have faith…</p>
<p>Watching the headlines today about the three rescued women makes me think of the
Spierer family. I hope that they have a similar outcome some day soon. </p>
<p>I wonder if this news gives them hope for their daughter.</p>
<p>I was thinking the same, Parentofpeople. The young men who were involved with Lauren that night have been the subject of suspicion, knowledge, wrong doing, lying, and doing harm right down to murder in the Spierer case, when it could very well have been the case that she was just picked up by a stranger, someone she knew, anyone really, between the apartments she allegedly left and her home apartment. I hope she is still alive. </p>
<p>There are those that want to string up those young men for murder when there is no evidence at this point as to whether she is even dead. This sort of case really brings out the fact that there are other possibilities in the picture. </p>
<p>Most of all, I hurt for Lauren’s parents. I’m sure their hearts are broken and yet still put through these yo yos every time a body is found, dead or alive that could be her.</p>
<p>Well, this is just the saddest story - reading/hearing about it for the first time as I read this thread. I guess this case is still unsolved?? WTH?? Poor parent’s - I really feel for them :(</p>
<p>Lauren was to have graduated last weekend, and President McRobbie did recognize her at the graduation ceremony. It brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me that IU’s community is still missing a piece</p>