Post by LadyBlue on Jun 5, 2013 8:31:36 GMT -5
Missing student's parents 'appalled' at drug claims
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The parents of the missing Indiana University student said they are appalled that the family of their daughter's boyfriend "defamed" her by leveling accusations of drug abuse ahead of the second anniversary of Lauren Spierer's disappearance, calling the remarks "shameful and hurtful."
"We are appalled that the Wolffs have defamed our daughter knowing that Lauren will never have the opportunity to respond," Robert and Charlene Spierer told The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News on Monday in a written statement, referring to the parents of Jesse Wolff. "Moreover to issue their accusations at the two-year anniversary of Lauren's disappearance is shameful and hurtful in a way we cannot describe."
Nadine and Alan Wolff, in a telephone interview Saturday, lashed out at the Spierers, who continue to press their son and three other young men to step out from behind their lawyers and submit to law enforcement-administered polygraphs to demonstrate they're being honest about their interactions with the student from Edgemont, N.Y., in the hours leading to her June 3, 2011, disappearance.
STORY: Missing student's beau's parents fume at cops, media
STORY: Missing student's parents say they won't give up search
The Wolffs, who live in Port Washington, N.Y., said their son took a private polygraph, which he passed, and they rejected calls for an official one because they don't trust Bloomington, Ind., police. They accused the Spierers of lying about his level of cooperation and unfairly lumping him with the three other men -- Corey Rossman, Jay Rosenbaum and Mike Beth -- who were the last people known to see her. It was the Wolffs' comments about Lauren Spierer that hurt the most.
"This poor little girl is not with us today because of her drug abuse," said Nadine Wolff.
"If Jesse was guilty of anything, he was guilty of taking care of Lauren, who had some serious drug issues," she said. "She would abuse to the point where she would black out. Jesse always threatened to call and tell her parents and she said, 'If you do, I'll break up with you.' "
"The one night she went out without him and did what she did unfortunately cost her her life," she added.
In Monday's statement, the Spierers did not address the specific drug-abuse allegations. They previously have declined to discuss such matters, saying it's irrelevant to the investigation.
Alan Wolff said police have interviewed his son several times, the latest on July 19, 2011, in New York City. He's also met with the Spierers and their private investigators.
He said his son texted with Spierer hours before she vanished and that "she indicated to him that she was home and going to sleep." He said the polygraph confirmed his son's account that he was home sleeping at the time she was last seen.
Spierer, after drinking at Rosenbaum's townhouse, went with Rossman to a bar, then back to her building, where he was punched in the face by someone on her floor. After they left there, a barefoot Spierer fell twice on her head, and Rossman carried her part of the way to his townhouse.
Rosenbaum, a neighbor, has said he let Spierer leave his place, unsteady, intoxicated and with her face bruised, shortly after 4 a.m. She had lost her keys, cellphone and ID.
The Wolffs' comments came a week after Rossman, in an interview with the paper, accused the Spierers of harassing him and his friends Beth and Rosenbaum.
Charlene Spierer scoffed at his assertion, stating that neither they nor their private investigators have spoken to Rossman.
"I don't know how it is we're harassing him other than asking him to talk to the Bloomington Police Department," she said. "All of them."
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/03/missing-ind-student-parents-appalled/2386403/
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The parents of the missing Indiana University student said they are appalled that the family of their daughter's boyfriend "defamed" her by leveling accusations of drug abuse ahead of the second anniversary of Lauren Spierer's disappearance, calling the remarks "shameful and hurtful."
"We are appalled that the Wolffs have defamed our daughter knowing that Lauren will never have the opportunity to respond," Robert and Charlene Spierer told The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News on Monday in a written statement, referring to the parents of Jesse Wolff. "Moreover to issue their accusations at the two-year anniversary of Lauren's disappearance is shameful and hurtful in a way we cannot describe."
Nadine and Alan Wolff, in a telephone interview Saturday, lashed out at the Spierers, who continue to press their son and three other young men to step out from behind their lawyers and submit to law enforcement-administered polygraphs to demonstrate they're being honest about their interactions with the student from Edgemont, N.Y., in the hours leading to her June 3, 2011, disappearance.
STORY: Missing student's beau's parents fume at cops, media
STORY: Missing student's parents say they won't give up search
The Wolffs, who live in Port Washington, N.Y., said their son took a private polygraph, which he passed, and they rejected calls for an official one because they don't trust Bloomington, Ind., police. They accused the Spierers of lying about his level of cooperation and unfairly lumping him with the three other men -- Corey Rossman, Jay Rosenbaum and Mike Beth -- who were the last people known to see her. It was the Wolffs' comments about Lauren Spierer that hurt the most.
"This poor little girl is not with us today because of her drug abuse," said Nadine Wolff.
"If Jesse was guilty of anything, he was guilty of taking care of Lauren, who had some serious drug issues," she said. "She would abuse to the point where she would black out. Jesse always threatened to call and tell her parents and she said, 'If you do, I'll break up with you.' "
"The one night she went out without him and did what she did unfortunately cost her her life," she added.
In Monday's statement, the Spierers did not address the specific drug-abuse allegations. They previously have declined to discuss such matters, saying it's irrelevant to the investigation.
Alan Wolff said police have interviewed his son several times, the latest on July 19, 2011, in New York City. He's also met with the Spierers and their private investigators.
He said his son texted with Spierer hours before she vanished and that "she indicated to him that she was home and going to sleep." He said the polygraph confirmed his son's account that he was home sleeping at the time she was last seen.
Spierer, after drinking at Rosenbaum's townhouse, went with Rossman to a bar, then back to her building, where he was punched in the face by someone on her floor. After they left there, a barefoot Spierer fell twice on her head, and Rossman carried her part of the way to his townhouse.
Rosenbaum, a neighbor, has said he let Spierer leave his place, unsteady, intoxicated and with her face bruised, shortly after 4 a.m. She had lost her keys, cellphone and ID.
The Wolffs' comments came a week after Rossman, in an interview with the paper, accused the Spierers of harassing him and his friends Beth and Rosenbaum.
Charlene Spierer scoffed at his assertion, stating that neither they nor their private investigators have spoken to Rossman.
"I don't know how it is we're harassing him other than asking him to talk to the Bloomington Police Department," she said. "All of them."
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/03/missing-ind-student-parents-appalled/2386403/
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