Police: No connection between Louisiana case and Lauren Spierer

Bloomington Police Chief Joe Qualters announced Tuesday that nothing of significance came from contact with police in Lafayette, La., regarding similarities between a missing persons case there and the Lauren Spierer investigation.

Media reports have been swirling about apparent similarities between the two cases but Qualters said his department did not learn anything from Louisiana authorities that may have useful bearing on the Spierer case.

In the Louisiana case, 22-year-old Anthropology student Michaela Schunick was last seen after leaving a home near the University of Louisiana around 2 a.m. on May 19. Police found her bicycle on May 27, but Schunick remains missing.

Sunday will mark one year since I.U. student Lauren Spierer was last seen after leaving Kilroy's Sports Bar in Bloomington. Local and national media outlets have pointed out the two cases involve petite blond college students apparenlty vanishing after a late night out with friends.

In an email to Fox59, Captain Qualters downplayed such similarities, saying:
"I indicated that we'd made an "inquiry" of officials in Louisiana, which would seem to be the responsible thing to do and what we have done on other occasions with other cases."

He went on to write:
"Did we make contact?  Yes. Did anything of significance come from that contact?  No."

Lafayette, Louisiana Police also told a news station there that they do not believe there are any connections between the two cases.