Update On Search For Missing Middlebury College Student

Update on Search For Missing Middlebury College Student Lia Smith

* Correction:  According to a statement released Thursday evening by the Middlebury Police Department, a body was found in the search for missing Middlebury College student Lia Smith around 1:30 p.m. on October 23, 2025 has yet to be identified.

Members of the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team located the body in a field west of campus, near The Knoll, the college’s organic farm in the town of Cornwall.

Police secured the area, and the Vermont State Police began a death investigation.

According to reports, the body has been taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to confirm identity and determine the cause and manner of death.

The autopsy is scheduled for Friday, October 24th.
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Not Suspicious

At this time, investigators say the death does not appear suspicious.
The Vermont State Police, Middlebury Police Department, and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office are handling the investigation.

Officials thanked college staff, students, volunteers, and multiple local, state, and federal agencies for their assistance in the extensive search effort. No additional details are being released until after the autopsy.

21-Year-Old Student Went Missing Over the Weekend

Authorities in two states worked together during the urgent search for 21-year-old Lia Smith, a Middlebury College student who has been missing since the weekend.

According to officials, New York State Police have joined Vermont State Police, the Middlebury Police Department, and the FBI in the coordinated effort to find Smith. Search crews have been combing the area by land and air, using drones, K9 units, and ground teams, with additional support from U.S. Border Patrol agents earlier this week.

Last Seen on Friday

Smith was last seen on the Middlebury College campus on Friday night and was reported missing on Sunday.

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Since then, her disappearance has shaken the small Vermont town and the tight-knit campus community, which is about 120 miles north of Albany.

Smith is described as 5'11”, about 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Authorities used drones in their efforts while they canvassed areas where she could have been.

Full-Scale Search Included the NYSP

More than 600 students joined an online group to share updates and volunteer to help locate their classmates.

“We’re a (tiny) community,” said senior Lucy Schembre. “Even if you don’t know someone personally, you definitely know somebody who knows them.”