Hi! This is my first post. I've been a lurker for a while, drawn in by the disappearances of Kara Kopetsky, the Jamisons, Brittanee Drexel... and now Lauren. So, I've never had closure on any of my "pet" cases.
In my opinion, all signs point to an OD. I don't have any concrete theories on where, who, or how, but I believe Lauren died either of an overdose or from health problems stemming from her drug use that night. I don't believe she was murdered. I just believe an accidental OD is the simplest explanation - Occam's razor. From all I've read, I can't come up with a theory that stands out more than any other regarding what was done with her body. I am most suspicious of JR.
I do believe JW's statements about Lauren and his alleged behavior that night have been interpreted incorrectly by some. I graduated from a large Big 12 school just last year and have a pretty good understanding of the dynamics of the typical undergrad lifestyle and interaction. First off, I know a lot of people were analyzing his statements that Lauren was his everything, whole life, etc. That is a fairly typical thing for a person to say. People were saying that shows possessiveness. I think it just shows that he was trying to get across how much he cared for her - that does not mean she was literally his everything. He loved her, she's gone, it's typical for him to make a huge statement like that without their relationship actually being as intense as that.
Secondly, it is perfectly normal for couples to go out without the other, especially as young college students. The fact that JW chose to watch a game instead of go out with Lauren means nothing to me. That he chose to go to bed when he couldn't get a hold of her means nothing to me. I have been in both of these situations before, and I can guarantee it didn't mean I didn't love or care about my SO and vice versa. These are young people; they are not engaged or married. They have separate lives, which is completely healthy and normal. I just think way too much is being read into him not tracking down Lauren when he couldn't get a hold of her. He knew she was out, likely knew she was probably drinking and/or using drugs. It would be pretty ridiculous if I literally tracked down my SO every time he missed a call or text, especially if I knew he was out partying. Don't get me wrong - this does not exonerate him. I just think that theories concluded exclusively from these alleged facts are misguided.
For the record, I'm currently in law school (just to establish my background). Looking forward to posting more.
