Authorities in Vermont have initiated an extensive search for a missing senior student, 21-year-old Lia Purcell Smith, at the renowned Middlebury College, as confirmed by officials.
Middlebury Vice President for Student Affairs, Smita Ruzicka, and Associate Vice President of Safety, Demitria Kirby, expressed in a Facebook update on Sunday that they are in contact with Smith’s family and friends. They are providing support while gathering information about her recent activities and where she might have been.
Originally from California, Smith is in her senior year, pursuing a double major in computer science and statistics. Beyond her academic pursuits, she is also a former athlete, having been part of Middlebury’s women’s swimming and diving team.
Lia Smith was reported missing on Sunday, with the last sighting of her on campus occurring on Friday evening around 9 p.m., according to the Middlebury Police Department.
Sgt. Nathan Hayes from the Middlebury Police Department urged students to come forward with any information regarding Smith’s last known whereabouts. He emphasized that even seemingly insignificant details can be vital. “If anyone has any information, even if it seems trivial, please share it with the police,” he advised the student newspaper on Monday.
“If anybody knows anything, even if it’s a friend that’s just afraid that maybe the information they may have might not be useful, please share it with the police,” he told the student newspaper Monday.
The Middlebury Police Department said that the college senior is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
Old Chapel on the campus of Middlebury College in Vermont. (John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The investigation is ongoing, with police using drones to identify possible search areas to find the 21-year-old. Police said that she was last seen in a building on campus at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday.
The department is asking anyone with information on Smith’s whereabouts to call 802-388-3191 or submit a tip online through the department’s website.
Sign of Middlebury College in Vermont. (Toby Talbot / AP)
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.
