Update No. 3: Vermont State Police provides update on search for Middlebury College student Lia Smith

STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

Vermont State Police provides update on search for Middlebury College student Lia Smith

MIDDLEBURY, Vermont (Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025) — During the ongoing search for Middlebury College student Lia Smith, members of the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team located a body in a field west of campus at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. The location is in the town of Cornwall near The Knoll, the college’s organic farm.

Police secured the area, and the Vermont State Police began a death investigation. The body will be brought 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 expected to be performed Friday, Oct. 24.

Initial investigation does not indicate that the death is suspicious.

State police investigators are leading the death investigation with assistance from the Middlebury Police Department and in coordination with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. VSP will withhold the identity of the deceased individual until after the autopsy.

The Vermont State Police and Middlebury police thank the numerous local, state, federal and civilian agencies, Middlebury College personnel, and volunteers for their considerable assistance in this week’s search efforts.

No further details are currently available, and a media availability is not anticipated.

***Update No. 2, 2:40 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025***

The media availability regarding missing Middlebury College student Lia Smith originally scheduled for 3 p.m. today is postponed. The state police will provide an update when a rescheduled time is available.

No further information is available at this time.

***Update No. 1, 1:05 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025***

Search efforts continue Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, for missing Middlebury College student Lia Smith.

Thursday morning, a comprehensive search began of multiple locations in and around Middlebury. Participating agencies in the search include the Middlebury Police Department, the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team, game wardens with the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife, representatives from various Addison County law-enforcement agencies, North Country Search Dogs, New Hope Search and Rescue, and members of the public including the Middlebury College community.

Lia, a 21-year-old from Woodside, California, has not been located. She is last known to have been seen on campus Friday night, Oct 17, and was reported missing Sunday, Oct. 19.

Members of the Middlebury Police Department, Vermont State Police and Middlebury College will be available to speak about the ongoing search efforts with members of the media at 3 p.m. today at the Middlebury Police Department, 1 Lucius Shaw Lane.

Investigators continue to ask that anyone with information that could assist in this case call the police or leave an anonymous tip online.

***Initial news release, 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025***

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.

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 her whereabouts is asked to contact the Middlebury Police Department at 802-388-3191or 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.

No additional details are available at this time. The Vermont State Police and Middlebury Police Department will continue to provide updates as the investigation continues.

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