IU marks anniversary of Lauren Spierer disappearance

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) - This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Indiana Univeristy student Lauren Spierer. On Friday, students, faculty and staff held a vigil for Lauren and those who have tirelessly helped in the search.

"So here we are one year later, weary but not tired, discouraged but not daunted," said IU Dean Harold “Pete” Goldsmith.

• SPECIAL SECTION | Track the ins and outs of the case

It was an intimate crowd Friday, but one with a purpose: honoring a life that simply vanished.

"I promised that I wouldn't give up until she is found,” said volunteer Kristina Sparks. “I go to a doctor's appointment and on my way home, I see a rural road I have never been on before and I take the road and I start searching for her."

For the volunteers like Sparks spending countless hours searching for Lauren, Friday's vigil marked a milestone on an emotional roller coaster.

"You can't stop. You can't take the poster down. And it makes me sad to see people take the poster down," Sparks said of the “Missing” posters plastered around the city and the state, pleading for information in the case.

Many have marked the nearing anniversary on social media. On Friday, the hashtag #1YearLater was being used by many to remember the anniversary. The Twitter account that has offered news and updates from the Spierer family also marked the day.

For the family, volunteers, & those that woke up each day wishing she would come home, a year only means we fight harder. #1YearLater

— MISSINGLaurenSpierer (@NewsOnLaurenS) June 1, 2012

Many of the speakers Friday voiced their frustrations with those who saw Spierer last.

Police say the IU student, then 20 years old, left Kilroy's bar and went to a friend’s apartment, but has not been seen since she left there in the early morning hours of June 3, 2011.

“There are so many if onlys and so many ways that night could have gone different, but it wasn't, and we can't change what is," said Rabbi Sue Silberberg of the Hillel Center, where the vigil was held. "I can't believe a year later we're still here, because there are people out there who know. There's somebody out there who knows exactly what happened to Lauren."

As the search continues, Lauren's parents have said they don't believe she's alive, but are doing everything in their power to find her and bring her home.

And those who have worked tirelessly by their sides want the same.

"It doesn't matter if it's Day 3, Day 100 or Day 365. The fact is they have been through what really no one should ever have to go through," Sparks said.

Bloomington Police said on Thursday the Spierer case remains a priority and the department still receives a couple credible tips every week. Overall, Bloomington Police have received more than 2,600 tips in the past year.