Eight weeks after 19-year-old former University of Maine student Chance Lauer went missing on Jan. 20, the Orono Police Department (OPD) announced that he was found deceased in a retention pond about 0.3 miles from his apartment at Orchard Trails, a housing complex less than a mile from the university. In the days since, the Maine Campus spoke with family members and friends, who reflected on his life and shared memorial information, including how to donate to the ‘Chance Lauer Travel Scholarship Fund,’ recently established to support international travel opportunities for students in his honor.
In a March 18 press release, OPD said that a citizen walking by the small pond called into the department and responding officers observed a deceased individual, which the Maine Warden Service helped recover from the water. Director of Operations at the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Lindsey Chasteen, confirmed in a written statement that an autopsy was then performed and an official cause of death has not yet been ruled.
“The Maine Office of Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified Chance Lauer, and conducted an autopsy. The cause of death is currently pending further studies while ancillary testing is conducted. These tests are standard in autopsies, and results can take six to eight weeks to come back,” wrote Chasteen.
OPD said that “at this point there is nothing suspicious about the death” and that they and the town of Orono “want to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lauer.” The department thanked UMaine and the many volunteers who assisted in efforts to locate Lauer. OPD requested that anyone with questions related to their press release contact Chief Daniel Merrill at 207-889-6927 or dmerrill@orono.org.
In an interview following OPD’s announcement, Chance’s father Jody Lauer offered his family’s perspective on the search coming to a close.
“It has been an excruciatingly painful two months and obviously we were hoping Chance would turn up safe and sound somehow,” said Jody. “But we are grateful we have finally brought him home and can put him to rest properly.”
Jody requested that Chance’s obituary be shared with the UMaine community, which can be read in full here. Elaborating on what occurred, it shares that Chance went for a walk on Jan. 20 and “never returned after falling through the ice.” The obituary states that he was “a lover of nature” and would spend his time “walking in the woods and reading in his hammock, hanging out with his friends, watching movies and traveling the world with and without his parents.”
Jody noted that, in lieu of flowers, his family is requesting donations to the ‘Chance Lauer Travel Scholarship Fund,’ which will help support international travel opportunities for students. In a prior interview, Jody said his son double-majored in international affairs and journalism in hopes of continuing to travel the world. More information about how to donate can be found in the obituary.
A childhood friend and former classmate at Kennebunk High School, Ambrose Maynes, shared more about his connection to Chance in an interview. He noted Chance’s appreciation for travel, rooted in a passion for learning.
“I’ve been close friends with Chance since freshman year of high school, and only grew closer throughout,” said Maynes. “Chance was always into exploring the world. He was super well read and cared a lot about the humanities, especially history. He travelled a bunch in middle and high school, and said a few times to me that he could never imagine himself settling down in one place. He was very passionate about journalism.” Maynes added that his “thoughts are with the UMaine community as a whole.”
In a school-wide email sent on March 18, Dean of Students Andrea Gifford also expressed concern for individuals impacted by the loss and extended condolences to the Lauer family, adding the university is “grateful to the local, state and community partners who assisted in the search.”
Gifford recognized that “this news may be especially distressing for those who knew Chance or have been following the search” and those feeling overwhelmed could access confidential support by visiting the Counseling Center’s website or by calling their office at 207-581-1392. She also said that faculty and staff can utilize the University of Maine System’s Employee Assistance Program online for support.
A memorial service will be held in the Lauers’ hometown of Kennebunk on March 28, and Jody specified UMaine community members are welcome to attend, with open visiting hours from 12 to 3 p.m. at the Bibber Memorial Chapel on 67 Summer St. A service will follow at 3 p.m. and a reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Kennebunk Masonic Hall, York Lodge #22 on 159 Alfred Rd.
Jody also said anyone who is interested is welcome to share a memory or leave a message of condolence by posting to Chance’s digital Book of Memories, which can be accessed on the same funeral home website where his obituary was posted.
