College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight
**INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
"This book is the heartbreaking story that every parent dreads... Cohen sheds light on what really happened the night Lauren was never seen again." --David Crow, author of The Pale-Faced Lie
She visited friends. She walked to a bar. She was right there... until she was gone.
College student Lauren Spierer was pursuing her dreams, joining her boyfriend at a party school eight hundred miles from home. Social and gregarious, studying fashion and rooming with friends, Lauren embraced her new adventure with the zeal of a young woman who suddenly had everything she desired.
But there was a dark side that she and her inner circle kept secret. And one warm June evening, after heading out with friends, she seemingly vanished. When investigators retraced Lauren's last steps using eyewitness accounts and security camera footage, the evidence ended at the doorstep of a group of wealthy, well-connected male students.
With original reporting including new testimony witnesses never shared with police, College Girl, Missing takes readers back to that fateful night and dives into the disappearance that captured front-page headlines around the world. Investigative journalist Shawn Cohen breaks more than a decade of silence as he pursues the truth: what really happened to Lauren Spierer?
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Community Reviews
College Girl, Missing by Shawn Cohen tells the story of Lauren Spierer, who on June 3, 2011 disappeared after a night out with friends.
This case is a true mystery. Lauren Spierer was a college student at the University of Indiana when her and her friends set out to go to Kilroy’s Sports Bar in Bloomington, Indiana. Lauren and Corey Rossman leave the bar and walk to Laurens apartment. They then leave Laurens and walk down an alley way, where Lauren’s purse and keys were later found. When they get to Rossman’s apartment Rossman’s roommate, Michael Beth, greets them. Rossman vomits and Beth takes him upstairs to go to bed. Lauren then leaves and goes to the apartment of Jason “Jay” Rosenbaum. Jay notices a bruise forming under one of Laurens eyes. She tells him that she is not sure how it happened. Lauren makes to calls that are unanswered and then leaves Jay’s apartment to walk home. Lauren is not seen again.
She had been drinking along with all of her other friends that night. Is it possible she left the apartment and was abducted by a stranger? It is possible she had an overdose or a medical emergency and the boys panicked and hid her body. Then there is the possibility that she made it home and her boyfriend Jesse Wolff was her demise?
This is definitely for all of the true crime junkies who love a good cold case. I really enjoyed this book. I personally did not hear much about this story when it was current, so this book was a surprise for me.
This case is a true mystery. Lauren Spierer was a college student at the University of Indiana when her and her friends set out to go to Kilroy’s Sports Bar in Bloomington, Indiana. Lauren and Corey Rossman leave the bar and walk to Laurens apartment. They then leave Laurens and walk down an alley way, where Lauren’s purse and keys were later found. When they get to Rossman’s apartment Rossman’s roommate, Michael Beth, greets them. Rossman vomits and Beth takes him upstairs to go to bed. Lauren then leaves and goes to the apartment of Jason “Jay” Rosenbaum. Jay notices a bruise forming under one of Laurens eyes. She tells him that she is not sure how it happened. Lauren makes to calls that are unanswered and then leaves Jay’s apartment to walk home. Lauren is not seen again.
She had been drinking along with all of her other friends that night. Is it possible she left the apartment and was abducted by a stranger? It is possible she had an overdose or a medical emergency and the boys panicked and hid her body. Then there is the possibility that she made it home and her boyfriend Jesse Wolff was her demise?
This is definitely for all of the true crime junkies who love a good cold case. I really enjoyed this book. I personally did not hear much about this story when it was current, so this book was a surprise for me.
I am a born and raised Hoosier from Columbus, Indiana which is just under 49 miles away from Bloomington. I know the area very well, have frequented the same locations as Lauren as I partied with friends and visited on several occasions including “Little 5” or Little 500 and other events up until 2009. I remember exactly when Lauren disappeared and feeling such heartache for her friends and family, thinking, I’ve been in those exact same locations drinking with friends and getting cold chills thinking about how many times I had walked with several girls throughout Bloomington well into the early morning, and finding ourselves at the Taco Bell or Steak N Shake they reference in the book. It’s a harrowing story that made me so thankful and grateful that my friends and I ALWAYS left the bar together and went home together, accounting for every girl that went out, and ensuring we all made it back home. It always felt as though Lauren’s case was never thoroughly investigated, albeit widely advertised in Indiana, and beyond, the author’s account confirms this and illustrates how the investigation of her disappearance provides more questions than answers. It was haunting seeing all of the billboards and missing persons signs of not only Lauren, but also of Jill Behrman who vanished as well from Bloomington while riding her bike, when both instances occurred. Stories like Lauren’s and Jill’s that literally happened in my own backyard, truly put things into perspective.
All of this to say, I was incredibly impressed with the author’s meticulous account of interviews with the police, college students, family, etc connected to Lauren. I could personally feel the frustrations coming off the page of everyone, including the author, as they tirelessly attempted to research and gain insights to what really happened that night. I hope by bringing her story back to light and providing information that wasn’t publicly available in the past, it impels those involved to provide answers for her family. This book was passionate, depressing and heartbreaking, and exactly what the entirety of Lauren’s case was as we all followed along. Certainly a must read for those intrigued with true crime and witnessing the injustices most of these cases elicit, baffled by the actions or inactions of people involved. Well worth a read.
All of this to say, I was incredibly impressed with the author’s meticulous account of interviews with the police, college students, family, etc connected to Lauren. I could personally feel the frustrations coming off the page of everyone, including the author, as they tirelessly attempted to research and gain insights to what really happened that night. I hope by bringing her story back to light and providing information that wasn’t publicly available in the past, it impels those involved to provide answers for her family. This book was passionate, depressing and heartbreaking, and exactly what the entirety of Lauren’s case was as we all followed along. Certainly a must read for those intrigued with true crime and witnessing the injustices most of these cases elicit, baffled by the actions or inactions of people involved. Well worth a read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!
I think the case was taken on in an approachable way that highlights the difficulty of cold cases as well as the frustration of not knowing what happened to a love one. The strongest moments are the interviews from the parents, friends, and associates of Lauren. It’s clear she was a troubled girl but plenty of troubled girls wind up okay in the end. For her it’s not the case.
I understand why the author adds context from his own life since a reporter is not independent of their own controversy (at least not when it becomes public knowledge), but I didn’t think it added much to the tone and I wish it was more of a footnote.
I do hope some of the profits of this book wind up back to the family somehow and that they’re able to find justice. 3.5/5 rounded to 4.
I think the case was taken on in an approachable way that highlights the difficulty of cold cases as well as the frustration of not knowing what happened to a love one. The strongest moments are the interviews from the parents, friends, and associates of Lauren. It’s clear she was a troubled girl but plenty of troubled girls wind up okay in the end. For her it’s not the case.
I understand why the author adds context from his own life since a reporter is not independent of their own controversy (at least not when it becomes public knowledge), but I didn’t think it added much to the tone and I wish it was more of a footnote.
I do hope some of the profits of this book wind up back to the family somehow and that they’re able to find justice. 3.5/5 rounded to 4.
“College Girl, Missing” is a thrilling and thought-provoking true crime story about a missing girl from Indiana University, where Spierer studied. Cohen does a brilliant job of relating what happened when Lauren Spierer vanished, painting a detailed picture of the case that kept the nation on its toes.
This book differs from other true crime stories in terms of how it addresses the events that followed the disappearance of Lauren. Subsequently, the author sheds light on innocent people abandoned by such cases. Using new evidence, testimonies, and interviews, the author makes the reader doubt the initial finding and suspect a cover-up.
The story moves at a good pace such that the readers never feel bored. Cohen has accumulated a large amount of facts, detailing every step leading to Lauren’s disappearance and the police investigation that followed. As they watch witness accounts and clips from security cameras, the audience wonders how a high-profile case can run to a dead end.
Cohen’s writing style is simple and precise, rendering the complex details of the case understandable to the readers. The book amiably lies between telling the truth and letting the readers conclude. Thus, Cohen does not engage in sensationalism but presents a complete picture of the events, which the reader can interpret.
The one area that could have been investigated further was an analysis of the possible motives and role of the wealthy, well-connected male students who were in the presence of Lauren on the night she disappeared. While the book suggests a conspiracy, it fails to provide hard evidence or rival hypotheses. Yet, the general effect of the story remains.
In conclusion, in “College Girl, Missing,” Cohen demonstrates careful research and gives us a comprehensive picture of the investigation that leaves us with many unanswered questions about the Spierer case. This book is an eye-opener and a must-read for true crime fans and people interested in the intricacies of criminal investigations.
I want to thank SOURCEBOOKS (non-fiction), and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
This book differs from other true crime stories in terms of how it addresses the events that followed the disappearance of Lauren. Subsequently, the author sheds light on innocent people abandoned by such cases. Using new evidence, testimonies, and interviews, the author makes the reader doubt the initial finding and suspect a cover-up.
The story moves at a good pace such that the readers never feel bored. Cohen has accumulated a large amount of facts, detailing every step leading to Lauren’s disappearance and the police investigation that followed. As they watch witness accounts and clips from security cameras, the audience wonders how a high-profile case can run to a dead end.
Cohen’s writing style is simple and precise, rendering the complex details of the case understandable to the readers. The book amiably lies between telling the truth and letting the readers conclude. Thus, Cohen does not engage in sensationalism but presents a complete picture of the events, which the reader can interpret.
The one area that could have been investigated further was an analysis of the possible motives and role of the wealthy, well-connected male students who were in the presence of Lauren on the night she disappeared. While the book suggests a conspiracy, it fails to provide hard evidence or rival hypotheses. Yet, the general effect of the story remains.
In conclusion, in “College Girl, Missing,” Cohen demonstrates careful research and gives us a comprehensive picture of the investigation that leaves us with many unanswered questions about the Spierer case. This book is an eye-opener and a must-read for true crime fans and people interested in the intricacies of criminal investigations.
I want to thank SOURCEBOOKS (non-fiction), and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.