A transgender Middlebury College student reported missing on October 19 died by suicide, authorities in Vermont said.
An autopsy conducted by the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington identified the body discovered Thursday during a search for Lia Smith as the 21-year-old transgender former student-athlete, Vermont State Police announced late Friday. The medical examiner on Friday determined that the student died by suicide.
“No additional details are available about this case,” the state police said in a statement.
Smith, who previously lived in Woodside, California, was reported missing on Sunday—two days after she was last seen on campus. Authorities found a body Thursday in a field west of Middlebury in Cornwall near The Knoll, the college’s organic farm, state police said.
Officials at the college of roughly 2,800 undergraduates initially notified students on Sunday about Smith, whose disappearance was reported to Middlebury police earlier that afternoon.
“This is incredibly saddening news, and we are working to support our community in every way we can at this difficult time,” Middlebury College President Ian Baucom said in a statement Thursday after authorities found the unidentified body near the western edge of campus.
“I know that this is extraordinarily difficult news to receive as we continue to hold Lia and all her family and friends tight in our hearts,” Baucom’s statement continued. “As ever, please care for yourselves and one another.”
Counseling services had been available to Middlebury students beginning on Monday, Baucom said.
“We will do everything we can to find Lia,” university officials said in a statement earlier this week. “She is a beloved member of our Middlebury family and there is nothing more important than the health, safety, and wellbeing of our students and of our entire community.”
Smith’s father contacted police after not being able to reach her and connecting with friends, according to The Middlebury Campus, the school’s student newspaper.
Smith, who double majored in statistics and computer science, previously competed on the women’s swimming and diving team. She also participated in chess and women in computer science clubs at Middlebury, the newspaper reported.
In February, Smith spoke at a panel at the college hosted by student group Queers & Allies to discuss the politicization of transgender health care, The Middlebury Campus reported.
Smith cited a strong support network for transgender students on campus during her appearance.
“Know that there are people in your community that are here for you and care about you,” she said.
Searches conducted this week near the campus by Middlebury police, Vermont State Police and other law enforcement agencies included K-9 teams and drones. Staff at the liberal arts college scoured all campus facilities as well, Baucom said.
More than 600 Middlebury students had also joined an online group to share updates of the extensive effort to find Smith, WPTZ reported.
“We’re a really small community,” senior Lucy Schembre told the station. “Even if you don’t know someone personally, you definitely know somebody who knows them, and you’ve definitely seen them around. It’s very jarring for somebody who’s supposed to be here to not be here.”
Middlebury police declined to comment on inquiries by Newsweek on whether Smith’s gender identity played a role in her disappearance.
A study conducted in 2023 revealed that 42 percent of transgender adults in the United States have attempted suicide and 81 percent have thought about ending their own lives.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
