Vermont police search for student who vanished from Middlebury College

Police in Vermont have launched a large-scale search for a missing senior, 21-year-old Lia Purcell Smith, at the prestigious Middlebury College campus, authorities said.

“We have been in touch with the student’s family and friends to offer support and learn all we can about the student’s recent activities and whereabouts,” Middlebury Vice President for Student Affairs Smita Ruzicka and Associate Vice President of Safety Demitria Kirby said in a Facebook post Sunday. 

The California native is a senior double majoring in computer science and statistics. Along with her rigorous coursework, Smith is a former student athlete who competed in Middlebury’s women’s swimming and diving team. 

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Middlebury Police Department Sgt. Nathan Hayes encouraged students to share what they know with authorities about Smith’s last known moments on campus. 

“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.

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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. 

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.