When Does Existence End?

On September 5, 1988 at three in the morning, it was about 57 degrees. The quiet early morning hours in Washington, Indiana were interrupted by a house set a blaze. Oak Grove Road runs through the town and into the rural area around the town.

The house that was on fire was rented by 22 year old Steven Hendricks. Steven had moved his girlfriend into the home approximately two weeks prior to the morning in question. His girlfriend was Rebecca Harvey who was 18 at the time. 

Upon responding the fire, authorities found that the house was burning at such a high temperature that it scorched and caused the paint on the vehicles in the driveway to crack and pop. Steven's vehicles were all accounted for in the driveway.

The presence of the vehicles and the lack of anyone being outside the home led authorities to looking for individuals in the home that was on fire. Once the fire was put out, a single set of remains were found inside the home.

The remains that were found on the bed in the bedroom of the home belonged to Rebecca Harvey. Upon further examination it was determined that she had been doused with gas prior to the fire being set and her death. Ultimately, it was determined that Rebecca was killed due to injuries from the fire.

Investigators were able to determine that the fire that had called them to the home in the early morning hours of September 5 of 1988 was arson. The fire was started under the bed where Rebecca's remains were found.

Steven was not found in the home; meanwhile, all of his personal belongings were found in the home. His wallet, boots, and clothing was in the home at the time of the fire. None of Steven's vehicles were missing. He never showed up to collect his last check from the body shop where he worked or to collect his tools.

Police believe that Steven is a victim of foul play. My first instinct with this case is that the Steven should be looked at as a suspect, but the more research I did (with very few resources) I realized that officers must be keeping a crucial piece of information close to the vest when it comes to determining Steven's involvement or lack thereof.

The more puzzling piece of this case is the lack of articles, television news coverage, and family interviews. I found two interview statements total for the case. Both were about Steven Hendricks.

One of the statements was given by Mr. Hendrick's boss. He said that Steven was a hard worker and never caused problems. Steven's cousin years later gave the only other statement I could find. She begged that anyone with information come forward so that the family could find out what had happened with Steven.

None of Rebecca's family gave statements that appeared in newspapers in the time or even years later. In fact, even using the genealogy information I was able to gather, I couldn't find any relatives. I found one woman who might have been her mother, but she passed away in 2001.

It was like these young people popped up for two weeks in 1988 Washington, Indiana and ceased to exist after the last article ran on September 8, 1988. With most stories, you can find stories from friends that the victims knew from high school or even a sibling that misses them dearly. Instead, it is like everyone has forgotten that these young people existed, let alone murdered.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Indiana State Police. You can reach them at (812) 482-1441.

Rebecca has been laid to rest in the Providence Cemetery located in Francisco, Indiana. Rebecca was born in Princeton, Indiana on June 30, 1970. I lived in Princeton for a short period of time in the late 1990's to early 2000's. The local community is small.

___________________Sources______________________________________

"Fire Killed Teen: boyfriend still sought." Evansville Press. September 7, 1988. local.evpl.org/views/viewarticle.asp?ID=583210

"Queen of Clubs." Indiana State Police Card Deck. www.in.gov/idoc/files/2ndEditionCLUBS.pdf

"Steven W. Hendricks." The Charley Project. June 26, 2011. www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hendricks_steven.html

"Steven Hendricks: Missing from Indiana since 1988." Missing Persons of America. February 1, 2014. www.missingpersonsofamerica.com/2014/02/01/steven-hendricks-missing-from-indiana-since-1988/

"Rebecca Harvey." Indiana State Police Cold Case Database. www.in.gov/isp/2610.htm

"Fire Death Being Investigated." The Indianapolis Star. September 8, 1988. Page 22. www.newspaper.com/newspage/05949833/

'3923 DMIN- Steven W. Hendricks." The Doe Network. March 17, 2017. www.doenetwork.org/cases/3923dmin.html

"Washington, Indiana." American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productive.xhtml?src=bkmk

"Rebecca Sue "Becky" Harvey." Grave location. www.findagrave.com/memorial/173800994/rebecca-sue-harvey

"Hendricks, Steven 9-4-1988 IN." Porchlight International for the Missing and Unidentified. October 12, 2008. z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/ar/t38422.htm

"Weather History For Washington, IN." The Old Farmer's Almanac. September 5, 1988. www.almanac.com/weather/history/IN/Washington/1988-09-05

Daniel Reaves, 4 a.m. Hike

On May 3, 2008, Daniel and his girlfriend Sara were having a quiet night in. After seven years together, they were enjoying a date night watching a movie at Sara's house in Madison, Indiana. Sara dosed off at approximately midnight (May 4).

Daniel had been wearing either a light blue or white t-shirt, long tan shorts, and brown suede tennis shoes. He might have been wearing a black, leather-like jacket.

Sara awoke around 4 am on May 4. She had received a text from Daniel saying that he loved her.
Within five minutes of receiving his text, she tried to call him back, but he did not answer. This was the last contact anyone had with Daniel.

A week later, Daniel's 1999 Gold Chrysler Sebring Convertible was found on Green Hill Drive. Greenhill Drive is located near Clifty Falls State Park. The park is a great place for hiking and many students from the local college hike the area during the early fall and spring months.

Daniel was raised in the area and was believed to know the area well. So he was known to have hiked the area in the past. Why would Daniel go hiking at 4 in the morning? It would have been about 42 degrees at this time in the morning and hiking in shorts would be uncomfortable.

The car was not locked when the car was found. Daniel's wallet, credit cards and Identification were found in the vehicle. Meanwhile, his keys and cellphone were not found in the vehicle. Daniel's parents said that it was out of character for Daniel to leave his car unlocked. Daniel would even lock his car even if it was parked in the driveway of their home.

The car was gone through by Indiana State Police crime scene investigators, but no evidence was found in the car that could lead to figuring out what happened to Daniel Reaves.

A search of Clifty Falls State Park was conducted on May 10 of 2008. The park is filled with caves, railroad tunnels, and waterfalls that make the area treacherous. The park covers approximately two square miles.

Authorities found nothing in the park that was tied to Daniel Reaves. They believe that someone knows what happened to Daniel Reaves. Anyone with information is asked to contact one of the following:

Jefferson County Sheriff's Department

812-265-2648

Indiana State Police

812-689-5000

__________________Sources___________________________

"Daniel Reaves: No Clues in Disappearance." Courier Staff Reporter. May 3, 2012. Madison Courier. https://madisoncourier.com/Content/News/News/Article/Daniel-Reaves-No-clues-into-disappearance/178/961/69420

"Daniel Reaves." Indiana State Police. http://www.in.gov/isp/2882.htm

Daniel Reaves. The Charley Project. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/reaves_daniel.html

"Family Still Hopeful 4 Years After Disappearance." RTV6 The Indy Channel. April 30, 2012. http://www.theindychannel.com/news/family-still-hopeful-4-years-after-disappearance

"S. Indiana Man Missing for Nearly 3 Weeks." Radio. WDRB. http://www.wdrb.com/story/8362484/s-indiana-man-missing-for-nearly-3-weeks?clienttype=printable

Weather. https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/madison/indiana/united-states/usin0386/2008/5

Body in the Barrel

Tuesday, June 6, 1978 was a normal day in rural Clayton, Indiana. Clayton has less than one thousand residents, even today. It was an average June day with the temperatures hovering in the upper 70s. 

Mary Ann Higginbotham was a 22 year old woman lived with her boyfriend of two years, Timothy Lee Willoughby. Tim was 25 in 1978. Mary Ann worked at Laughner's diner in Plainfied. Tim moved between odd jobs at numerous body shops in the area, but didn't have a known job at the time.

 June sixth was the last time Mary Ann was seen alive. No one bothered to report her missing. I find this concerning since she was not seen again until June 5 in 1979.

Nearly a year after Mary Ann was last seen, sixteen miles from where she lived in Clayton, a teen was enjoying a warm June day by White Lick Creek off of Sycamore Lane in Mooresville, Indiana.

The was walking along the creek bank and saw a 55-gallon barrel. This was pretty out of place, but not an immediate cause to call authority. He probably would have just thought that someone had dumped it there. When he approached the barrel, he discovered that it was welded shut. So, he had a hammer and decided to bust the side to see what was inside. Like most teens, he was curious.

After busting through the barrel, he put his eye to it to see what was inside. He was unpleasantly surprised with the contents of the barrel. A skull was the first thing the boy was. He promptly called authorities.

When authorities arrived and secured the barrel, they soon were able to examine the contents. Inside of three layers of carpet, one layer of plastic, and a sleeping bag, a the skeletal remains of a body were found. If the body had been wrapped in so much material, I am unsure how the teen was able to see the skull, but this is what numerous claims have stated.

The body was later confirmed to that of Mary Ann Higginbotham. There was no sign of her boyfriend Tim Willoughby, who hadn't been seen since the same day Mary Ann was last seen. Tim instantly became a suspect. Police thought that it was likely that Tim and Mary Ann had a disagreement which led to him murdering her, then he fled after disposing of the body.

This theory would persists for almost four years. Timothy's criminal history did not help this theory. A local deputy was quoted as saying "Tim was always wanted on a warrant somewhere." He was actually supposed to be serving time for an auto theft, he was given the option of serving a solid 40 days or serving 10 weekends. Serving on the weekends like this was an early version of work-release.

Tim stopped going after a handful of weekends. His last check in for his weekend lock-up was May 8, 1978. This was one month before he and Mary Ann would disappear. A rearrest warrant for Tim would not be issued until September 6 of 1978. Tim was also wanted for various traffic violations and other auto related charges that he had failed to appear for in Hendricks county.

For four years, Police focused on Tim as the only suspect in the case regardless of the fact that he had not been seen in four years. It took an informant coming forward to change the direction of the case in 1982.

The informant, who's name I was unable to find, was a woman who was close to the new suspects. She implicated two individuals in the case, Ronald C. Tomasik and James L. Kellam. She told quite an elaborate story. She stated the men were motivated to commit the murder to make sure that Tim didn't rat the men out to police in relation to a car theft ring. It was hypothesized that Tim was trying to extort money from the men.

She told officers that on that fateful day in 1978, Ronald and James allegedly showed up at Mary Ann and Tim's home on rural route three. Mary Ann would have recognized the men as friends or at least acquaintances of Tim's and invited them inside the home.

The informant alleged that the men created small talk to set her at ease and then when she wasn't expecting it launched their attack against Mary Ann. They hit her and then shot her execution style while she begged for her life. They didn't immediately dispose of her body.

Instead, the informant continued, the men then waited on Tim to return home. They waited outside in the truck and convinced Tim to join them before he was able to enter the house and see Mary Ann's dead body. Tim got in the truck with the two. She said the men then told her that they shot Tim less than a mile from his home. They stuffed his body in a barrel and welded it shut.

As proof to back up her statement, the informant provided Mary Ann Higginbotham's rings. She claimed that she had been forced to wash blood from the men's clothing. Police took both men in to custody relying on this woman's statement. Later, DNA was unable to link either of the men to any of the ten items provided to the state lab for testing in relation to case. 

The prosecutor at the time was forced to release the men in relation to a violation of their constitutional rights. The argument was that the men were denied the right to a speedy trial. The charges were also dropped due to insufficient evidence. Detective Randy Pratt said that he was disappointed with the decision of the prosecutor, but he respected it. He was so emotionally invested in the case that he said, "that family's pain was my pain."

Norma Higginbotham believes that the investigators in the case botched the investigation. She believes both of the men that informant turned in should be in jail.

The prosecutor in 2016 released the following statement:

 

"This case was investigated at the time of the occurrence and reopened at least three times in the past 20 years, and many leads were followed up. The family has been kept apprised of the investigations. Although it is frustrating there is not sufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution."

(On the map above I have highlighted the three towns in question in this case. In some reports the home was actually located in Cartersburg. So I would infer that the house would've been between Cartersburg and Clayton.)

Tim's body still has not been found. No one has been found guilty in the murder of Mary Ann Higginbotham. Anyone with information is asked to call authorities.

Contact Information:

Indiana State Police
District Investigative Commander
8620 E. 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
1-317-899-8577 or 1-800-582-8440

________________Sources______________________________

"Cold Case Leaves Lingering Question: Who Killed Mary Ann Higginbotham and Tim Willoughby?" Bennett Haeberle. WISHTV. December 15, 2016. http://wishtv.com/2016/12/15/cold-case-still-leaves-lingering-question-who-killed-mary-ann-higginbotham-and-tim-willoughby/

"HNGN TRUE CRIME FEATURE: New Hope For Indiana's Most Infamous Cold Case? Crime Contributor Jon Leiberman Reports on Efforts To Solve a 1979 Double Murder." HNGN. 2017. http://www.hngn.com/articles/51762/20141204/hngn-true-crime-feature-new-hope-for-indianas-most-infamous-cold-case-crime-contributor-jon-leiberman-reports-on-efforts-to-solve-a-1979-double-murder.htm

Indiana State Police. IPS: Mary Ann Higginbotham. http://www.in.gov/isp/2869.htm

"Man Seized in Steel Drum Murders." UPI. August 6, 1983. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/08/06/Man-seized-in-steel-drum-murders/1795428990400/

Maps. Maps.google.com

Missing Persons Database. Timothy Lee Willoughby. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/willoughby_timothy.html

"Victim's Boyfriend Still Missing." Patrick T. Morrison. Rob Schneider. Indianapolis Star. July 1, 1979. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/107200094/

Weather History. June 6, 1978. https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KIND/1978/6/6/DailyHistory.html?req_city=&req_state=&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=&reqdb.magic=&reqdb.wmo=

________________Author's Note__________________

As always, if there is a case you would like covered feel free to let me know and I will do my best to cover it. Contact can be made via email at StudyofIndianaColdCases@gmail.com

Friend or Foe? Lauren Spierer

When choosing which college to attend, young adults have so many options. For some, they simply want out of their hometowns. Others want to go to the best schools for their majors. Or if they are like me, they want to go the school that will give them the biggest break on tuition.

Lauren Spierer was a beautiful, vivacious 20 year old who was a sophomore at Indiana University in 2011. I have no idea what made her choose Indiana University when she was an upstate New York native. Lauren was studying textile merchandising, a degree she was hoping to to use in the fast paced world of fashion. Jesse Wolff, Lauren's high school sweet-heart, was also attending I.U. Bloomington.  

As a resident of Indiana, I am very familiar with Indiana University in Bloomington. A big school with big pride. The school was founded in 1820 according to an article published by U.S. News and World Report. Due to the size of the school, it is no surprise that Bloomington is known as a party town.

At 4 foot 11 inches, Lauren was a slender coed and attractive with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. Lauren's parents were proud of her decision to continue her education and supported her in her move to Bloomington. Rob and Charlene have stated in numerous interviews that when they dropped their daughter off on freshman move in day that it seemed like exactly what college should be.

They had no idea that just a year later, their lives would forever change. On June 3, 2011, Lauren Spierer disappeared and has not been seen or heard from since.

THE NIGHT OF LAUREN'S DISAPPEARANCE

(A still taken from footage of the night Lauren Spierer's disappearance. Pictured Lauren Spierer.)

Lauren left her apartment at the Smallwood Apartment building at about 12:30 am. On the evening in question, she was wearing a white blouse and black leggings. She met up with friends to "pregame" before hitting a local bar. Lauren was caught on surveillance cameras leaving her apartment with her friend David Rohn.

After leaving her apartment Lauren and David met up with friends at Jay Rosenbaum's townhouse. Jay lived at the 5 North Townhomes not far from Lauren's apartment. At Jay's, Lauren met up with Corey Rossman and Mike Beth. Mike and Corey were room mates and lived only a couple doors down from Jay.

From my research, I understand that this is the first time Lauren has met Corey and Mike. In a relatively short amount of time, Lauren becomes comfortable with Corey. She and Corey leave Jay Rosenbaum's apartment at 1:30 am in order to walk to Kilroy's sports bar.

Kilroy's is now called Kilroy's Recess. The bar is the only 18 and over night club in Bloomington. The bar is only allowed to serve alcohol to patrons 21 and over. It is important to note that Lauren was only 20 at the time of her disappearance. It was likely that she had a fake I.D. and that the bar got sloppier with checking I.D.s with the later it was.

Corey and Lauren stayed at Kilroy's for approximately 45 minutes after arriving at 1:46 am. Just long enough for Lauren to take off her shoes and lose her phone. Upon leaving the bar, Corey and Lauren walk back to her apartment at Smallwood.

They enter the apartment building at 2:30 and exit the building at 2:42 am. During their time in the building, an altercation is caught on security footage on the fifth floor. The same floor that Lauren lived on. The footage shows Corey and Zach Oaks getting into a dispute. Zach ends up punching Corey. Corey later states that this punch causes him to be unable to remember anything from that night after being at Kilroy's sports bar.

Zach claims that altercation occurred when he voiced his concern over the way Corey was treating Lauren. It is important to note that Zach is one of Jesse Wolff's, Lauren's boyfriend, friends. Jesse did not go out with Lauren that night because he stayed home to watch game two of the NBA play offs.

For some reason, unknown to us Corey and Lauren decide to go back to his place instead of staying at her apartment. Between 2:48 and 2:51am security cameras catch footage of Corey and Lauren walking down an alley to his place. During this walk, it is said that Lauren fell multiple times and eventually Corey picked her up in a fireman's carry.

Upon arriving at his townhouse that he shared with Mike Beth, Corey puked while trying to go up the stairs to his room. According to Beth, Lauren was conscious, but visibly intoxicated. He put Corey to bed and returned to Lauren.

Deciding that he didn't know Lauren well enough to continue to babysit her when she wanted to leave, Mike Beth decided to take her back to Jay Rosenbaum's townhouse since Jay was their mutual friend and had known Lauren from high school.

At 4:30 Jay Rosenbaum states that he watched Lauren walk down the block still barefoot without her phone, her keys, or her I.D.. This was the last time she was ever seen.

(On the map provided above, the Blue Dot is 5 North Townhomes. The red dot is Smallwood Plaza. The purple dot is Kilroy's. The green dot is where Lauren was last seen.) 

THE INVESTIGATION

 Lauren was reported missing upon her boyfriend realizing that her phone had been left at the bar on June 3, 2011. On June 4, Lauren's parents Rob and Charlene arrive in Bloomington in hopes of finding Lauren.

Lauren had a heart condition called long QT Syndrome, without medication it could be fatal. So during the first days of the search for Lauren, her parents were desperate to find her so that she would have her medication that had been left at her apartment.

In the week immediately following Spierer's disappearance rewards are offered for her return. Jim Irsay, the owner of the colts, offered $10,000 for her safe return. Her parent's put up a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the return of their daughter. Since the beginning of the investigation, Bloomington Police have received over 3,500 tips regarding Lauren's disappearance. 

Soon after Lauren's disappearance, all of the men that had close interactions with Lauren obtained attorneys. Lauren's boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, helped search for Lauren for two days, then obtained legal counsel. It is important to keep in mind that getting an attorney is not supposed to be seen as a sign of guilt in the United State's justice system.

Many individuals that were with Lauren the night of her disappearance were uncooperative with the Bloomington Police. None of the men have submitted to polygraph tests by the department and refuse to give statements. All statements have been given via attorneys.

As the investigation into Lauren's disappearance went deeper. Police and Lauren's parents learned about her wild side. When searching Lauren's apartment police found cocaine. Lauren had also been picked up on a public intoxication charge in the past. During this time, Jesse Wolff's mother also claimed that Lauren had been thrown out of summer camp for drug possession. I was unable to find any proof of this allegation.

Bloomington have only released one other clip from the security camera footage from the night Lauren disappeared. Police released this photo of a truck that was seen driving around the block where Lauren was last seen by security cameras. This truck produced numerous leads, but was later written off by police. The owner of the truck came forward and was able to sufficiently explain why he was in the area. 

FORMAL STATEMENTS FROM PERSONS OF INTEREST

Jay Rosenbaum is the self proclaimed last person to see Lauren Spierer. His defense attorney is James Voyles. He has taken a privately administered polygraph that he passed, which has been provided to the Bloomington Police Department. He refuses to speak directly to Lauren's Parents.

Jesse Wolff, Lauren's long term boyfriend, is also considered a person of interest. I was unable to locate an official statement from him. His parents have given numerous statements. They claim that their son has completed a polygraph, but would not comply with Bloomington Police to take one. 

They claim that Bloomington department was not competent. His parents claim that Lauren's parents continue to spread lies about their son and the only reason she is dead is her own drug abuse.

Corey Rossman, the man that Lauren spent the most time with that evening, obtained an attorney shortly after her disappearance. The attorney, Carl Salzmann, issued a statement saying that Corey had no memory of the evening after leaving Kilroy's. In an interview two years after Lauren's disappearance, he claimed that Lauren's parents were harassing him and the other victims of the evening. He claims that he and Lauren's other friends were victims due to the trial in the media that they have faced. He states that he has cooperated to his best ability.

Mike Beth has only been discussed minimally in news following the immediate time surrounding Lauren's disappearance. He obtained an lawyer shortly after the search began.

THEORIES

Over the years many theories have come up and many have been written off.

One popular theory is that Lauren overdosed. Many witnesses have stated that Lauren had been doing illegal drugs that night. Pairing this with her heart condition it would be easy for her to have overdosed. An inmate gave a tip that his cell mate had gone to school with the men who were the last to see Lauren. The tipster claimed that they got scared when she overdosed and decided to dump her body in the Ohio River.

Another theory is that Lauren had been purchasing her illegal drugs from a motorcycle one percent gang called the Sons of Silence. It was believed that she could have been killed for a debt that she owed. I find this theory to be unlikely.

The random abduction theory is not seen as likely, but is still probable. Hannah Wilson's, a girl around Lauren's age who was found dead around the same time as Lauren's disappearance, mother believes there is a possibility that her daughter's killer, Daniel Messel, could be responsible for Lauren's disappearance. This theory has been largely written off due to the critical errors that were made by Daniel Messel in Hannah's murder.

LIFE WITHOUT LAUREN

In 2013, Rob and Charlene Spierer filed a lawsuit against the three men who were the last to see Lauren alive. Their attorney for the case stated that they didn't want to file the case, but were nearing a litigation deadline. The claim was that the men in question were aware that Lauren was intoxicated to a point in which she was unable to care for herself and they didn't practice due diligence in making sure she returned home. The case was moved to federal court since the defendants no longer resided in Indiana. Later, the case was thrown out by the judge.

Her parents don't believe that Lauren was the victim of a random abduction. Instead, they feel as if the last people who saw Lauren are refusing to give the police critical information that would lead to knowing what really happened to Lauren.

The same year that Rob and Charlene filed their lawsuit was the year that Lauren would have graduated from I.U.. Her parents did not attend commencement. Lauren was not left out of the ceremony. During speeches, speakers tried to renew the search for Lauren by reminding those in attendance of the search.

Rob and Charlene no longer believe that Lauren is alive. They have come to terms with the fact that they are searching for remains. Their only hope is that they will be able to give her a proper burial.

Every year on the anniversary of her disappearance Lauren's story gets another push in national news. It has been almost six and a half years since Lauren's disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bloomington Police Department:

o 812-339-4477

__________________________Sources______________________________

Articles:

"Friend: Missing Indiana Student's Parents Harassing Him." Shawn Cohen. USA Today. May 23, 2013. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/23/missing-indiana-student-parents-harassment/2356267/

"Kilroy's Social Media Post Draws Ire." WFBH. http://wfhb.org/news/kilroys-social-media-posts-draw-ire/

"Last Person to Admit Having Seen Lauren Lauren Spierer Passed Polygraph, Attorney Says." Fox News. June 28, 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/28/last-person-to-admit-having-seen-lauren-spierer-passed-polygraph-test-attorney.html

"Lauren Spierer's Parents Sue 3 Men Who Were Last to See Missing 20-Year-Old." The Associated Press. June 28, 2013. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lauren-spierer-parents-sue-3-men-missing-20-year-old-article-1.1384992

"Lauren Spierer: Timeline of her Last Known Hours." Staff Reports. Indy Star. January 29, 2016. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/01/29/lauren-spierer-timeline/79520224/

"Missing Student's Beau's Parents Fume at Cops, Media." Shawn Cohen. USA Today. June 2, 2013. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/02/missing-student-boyfriend-family-fume/2382909/

"Mothers of Hannah Wilson, Lauren Spierer Believe Convicted Killer Could Be Tied to More Cases." Downing, Kendall. Fox 59 News. October 28, 2016. http://fox59.com/2016/10/28/mothers-of-hannah-wilson-lauren-spierer-believe-convicted-killer-could-be-tied-to-more-cases/

"Parents Share What Life Without Lauren Spierer Is Like in National Magazine." Fox 59 News. January 10, 2013. http://fox59.com/2013/01/10/parents-share-what-life-without-lauren-spierer-is-like-in-national-magazine/

"Six Years Later: Family of Missing I.U. Student Lauren Spierer Still Searching for Answers." Cox, Katie. RTV 6 ABC. June 2, 2017. http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/six-years-later-family-of-missing-iu-student-lauren-spierer-still-searching-for-answers

"Timeline: The Search for Lauren Spierer." The Indy Star. January 29, 2016. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2016/01/29/timeline-search-lauren-spierer/79524004/

"5 Years After She Vanished, New Hope in Lauren Spierer Case." Epstein, Brian. Ross, Brian. ABC News. June 24, 2016. abcnews.go.com/US/lauren-spierer-case-years-vanished-hope/story?id=40084230

"6 Years After Lauren Spierer's Disappearance, Family and Bloomington Residents Still Seek Justice." Bondus, Brian. Fox 59 News. June 4, 2017. http://fox59.com/2017/06/03/six-years-after-lauren-spierers-disappearance-family-and-bloomington-residents-still-seek-justice/

Podcasts: 

True Crime Garage. Lauren Spierer Part 1 and 2. truecrimegarage.podbean.com/mobile/e/lauren-spierer-part-1-91/

Tiegrabber. Looking for Lauren: The Haunting Disappearance of College Student Lauren Spierer. tiegrabber.com/index.php/2016/07/04/looking-for-lauren-the-haunting-disappearance-of-college-student-lauren-spierer/

Thinking Sideways Podcast. The Disappearance of Lauren Spierer. thinkingsidewayspodcast.com/the-disappearance-of-lauren-spierer/

Websites:

Family run website: findlauren.com

Eighteen and Gone

As a senior in high school, you have your entire adult life to look forward to. Throw in being beautiful and a talented athlete, then you have a recipe for success by many people's standards. Denise Pflum was 18, athletic and a senior at Connersville High School in Indiana.

Like most high school kids, it was not unusual for her to attend a party. The night prior to her disappearance, Denise had attended a party. When she got up the morning of March 28, 1986, she realized that she had misplaced her purse. She believed that she had left the purse at the house where the party had occurred the night before.

Denise got dressed that morning. She wore a medium red Montley Crue t-shirt. Her pants were size 11 stripped blue jeans, which she paired with white shoes. Instead of glasses, she wore contacts. She also wore her class ring, which was gold with a red stone in the setting.

Denise's family home was located in Everton. Before she left the house that morning, Denise told her parents that she would be going to get her purse from the house the party had been at. This was the last confirmed sighting of Denise.

The next time Denise's car was seen was by a farmer in Glenwood. He saw the car, but did not immediately report it because he thought the vehicle belonged to mushroom hunters. When the vehicle, a cream-colored, 2 door 1981 Buick Regal was still there parked near the edge of the road, the farmer contacted authorities. 

When the vehicle was processed, officers found no evidence of foul play. The car was locked and there was no sign of Denise. An air and K-9 ground search revealed no trace of her either. The vehicle was registered to her parents.

A girl came forward shortly after Denise's disappearance and stated that she had seen her in the Fashion Bug Store at the Connersville Plaza. Denise's mother believes that this witness was mistaken because the description of the clothing that was given did not match what Denise had put on that morning.

DNA and dental records have been submitted to numerous databases. DNA came from a baby tooth that Denise's mother had held on to. The DNA was not submitted until 2007, but upon the submission it produced no leads.

Numerous theorizes are circulating around the internet. Anything from alien abduction to falling victim to a traveling serial killer. Police refuse to release any information including suspects, details on evidence, or leads that are being followed. The case is considered to be very active.

Tips should be called in to the Indiana State Police Detective Scott Jarvis at (765)778-2121.

_______________________Sources___________________________________________________

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2014/03/01/indiana-missing-rumors-abound-but-no-leads-in-connersville-teens-disappearance/5831791/

http://www.rushvillerepublican.com/news/local_news/years-later-pflum-case-still-unsolved/article_d625c060-fa5a-57df-8d27-4814441f5ad9.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/10555

http://www.newsexaminer.com/news/local/decades-old-disappearance-back-in-public-eye/article_1c6f822e-0c4c-5278-9be5-a5ad7120829a.html

www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pflum_denise.html