During the search for a missing Vermont college student, a body has been discovered, casting a somber shadow over the community. The student, Lia Smith, 21, was last seen roughly a week ago on the campus of Middlebury College.
Lia, a senior originally from California, was reported missing after she was last spotted on the college grounds on the evening of October 17. A dedicated student, she was pursuing a double major in computer science and statistics and had previously competed as an athlete on the Middlebury women’s swimming and diving team. The college confirmed her disappearance on Sunday.
On Thursday afternoon at approximately 1:30 p.m., Vermont State Police announced the discovery of an unidentified body in a field west of the Middlebury College campus. This field, located in the nearby town of Cornwall, is adjacent to The Knoll, the college’s organic farm, marking a significant location in the search efforts.
Upon discovering the body, the police promptly secured the scene and launched a death investigation. Authorities are now awaiting the results of an autopsy, which is scheduled for Friday in Burlington, Vermont, to confirm the identity of the deceased and ascertain the cause and manner of death.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Vermont Department of Health for further comments on the situation. As the investigation unfolds, the Middlebury College community and those who knew Lia await answers with heavy hearts.
That autopsy is scheduled to take place on Friday in Burlington, Vermont. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Vermont Department of Health for comment.
At this time, investigators said they do not believe the death is suspicious.
Sign of Middlebury College in Vermont. (Toby Talbot / AP)
Police initially said they would hold a live press update on Thursday afternoon, but canceled it shortly before it was set to begin. The Middlebury Police Department called in additional agencies, including the Vermont State Police, New York State Police and the FBI, to help after trying to find Smith using ground searches and drones for several days.
Middlebury College President Ian Baucom said in a statement on Instagram Thursday that the college is “doing all we can to support our community right now.”
“I know that this is extraordinarily difficult news to receive as we continue to hold Lia and all her family and friends tight in our hearts,” he wrote. “As ever, please care for yourselves and one another.”
Old Chapel on the campus of Middlebury College in Vermont. Middlebury College is considered a “Little Ivy”, a term for small, elite liberal arts colleges with academic reputations comparable to the Ivy League. (John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Middlebury College is a prestigious private liberal arts college, known as a “Little Ivy,” in Addison County, Vermont, located in the state’s Champlain Valley. According to the college, the campus population is about 2,800 undergraduate students.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Middlebury Police Department and Middlebury College for comment.
