Cops seek truck seen near missing student's apartment

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.  A white Chevrolet short-bed truck circled the block around the time college student Lauren Spierer was last reportedly seen, police said, as they released two photographs of the vehicle in hopes the public will help them track down the driver.

The four-door Chevrolet Silverado or Colorado pickup was caught on video at 4:14 June 3, traveling west on 10th Avenue toward Morton Street, where it ran a stop sign and headed north on Morton, toward the building where the 20-year-old Edgemont High School graduate last visited. At 4:24 a.m., the vehicle is again seen traveling west on 10th toward Morton, Bloomington Police Capt. Joe Qualters said.

"We're talking a very close proximity to the location Lauren was last seen," Qualters said at today's media briefing. "We are treating it as, hopefully, someone that can provide information to us."

Police said they have no evidence the vehicle was involved in her disappearance but are eager to question the driver and any passengers who may have been riding in it. They said the route is not well traveled at that time.

They noted the time might not be exact because authorities are relying on timestamps from the video footage.

Police also released a photo of Spierer, wearing a white shirt and black leggings, walking from her off-campus apartment building, Smallwood Plaza, earlier that morning.

"She's a happy, smiling, beautiful young lady on her way out for the evening to meet with friends," said her father, Robert Spierer, holding up the photo. "That's the Lauren we're looking for."

She spent the night of June 2 and early June 3 hanging out with friends in her apartment, at Kilroy's Sports Bar and then with at least three male friends at an apartment building at West 11th Street and North Morton Street. One of those friends, Jay Rosenbaum, told police he saw her leaving the building and turning the corner of North College Avenue on her way home about 4:15 a.m. Police have no video confirming that and no other video sightings of her that late in the morning.