by VDC staff

At the request of the Middlebury Police Department, the Vermont State Police will activate its Search and Rescue Team and other resources to join the ongoing search for missing Middlebury College student Lia Smith, 21, of California.

Smith was last seen on campus on October 17, around 9 PM. The computer science student has not been seen or heard from since. Family, friends, and classmates are deeply concerned for the California resident’s well-being.

The first full-scale search involving the VSP team will take place Thursday, Oct. 23. In addition, the state police’s Victim Services Unit is working closely with Lia’s family. Meanwhile, efforts led by the Middlebury Police Department to locate Lia are continuing.

To date, MPD has conducted numerous aerial searches using unmanned aircraft systems, also known as drones, coupled with focused ground searches. A larger-scale search was conducted Wednesday, Oct. 22, of wooded areas on and adjacent to the Middlebury College campus. At the request of MPD, college staff continue to search all campus facilities.

Wednesday’s ground search was conducted by members of the Middlebury Police Department, Middlebury Fire Department, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from the Swanton Sector. 

The investigation into Lia’s disappearance is active and ongoing. The Middlebury Police Department is receiving assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including VSP, the New York State Police, and the FBI.

Anyone with information about Lia or the student’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Middlebury Police Department at 802-388-3191 or submit an online tip at www.middleburypolice.org. People also can call the Vermont State Police barracks in New Haven at 802-388-4919 or send an anonymous tip at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.