Man with Spierer on night she disappeared submits DNA sample

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) - One of the people with IU student Lauren Spierer the night she disappeared has submitted to police requests for a DNA sample.

24-Hour News 8's Jay Hermacinski confirmed Friday that Corey Rossman voluntarily supplied a DNA sample. We've also learned other "persons of interest" have been asked to give samples as well. Bloomington Police have said there are 10 persons of interest, but no one they'd call a suspect at this time.

24-Hour News 8 contacted Bloomington police department about the DNA sample collections. We have not heard back.

Rossman's lawyer, Carl Salzmann, said his client was punched in the face  after he and Spierer returned to Smallwood Plaza that night, where Spierer lived. Police has searched Rossman's car and apartment and checked his phone and credit card records, Salzmann said, but he noted Rossman doesn't remember anything after he left Kilroy's bar that night.

"I was not the last person with her," Rossman said. "That’s all I can say. Sorry. I hope they find her as soon as possible. I’m praying for her family."

Police have said they believe Spierer went to another apartment after leaving Rossman.

Salzmann said his client would continue to cooperate with investigators. He said police are only doing "good police work" by being proactive and asking for the DNA samples. There is no indication at this point that police have anything to match the samples against.

The fight Rossman was involved with at Spierer's apartment building, Smallwood Plaza, the night Spierer disappeared was apparently over her plans. Her friends didn’t want her to leave her apartment building with Rossman. And the fight wasn't the first trouble he'd been in at Smallwood.

A spokesperson for the apartments, Ernie Reno, said Rossman was on a no-trespassing list of people who were banned from the property. He was put on the list after an incident last Halloween, when he was arrested on charges of public intoxication. He was thrown off the property again earlier this month, though, after Reno said he was caught urinating in the parking garage there. 

"We are not a lock-down facility," Reno said. "In terms of coming and going, if (Rossman) were to come in escorted by a resident and they were to come in quickly past personnel, well, we're not monitoring every person that comes and goes."  

But the apartment does monitor which residents come and go when, by way of electronic key fobs. Friday, Smallwood management handed over to police all data collected through residents' electronic key fobs in the 48 hours before Spierer's disappearance.

Spierer's parents and police are still seeking any information. If you have something to pass along, you can call a national tipline, 1-800-274-6388, or call Bloomington Police Department at 812-339-4477, or email policetips@bloomington.in.gov.

Several people have pledged rewards for information that leads to Spierer being found - the reward money stands at $145.000