Missing former college student, 19, found dead in pond two months after vanishing near his apartment

A 19-year-old erstwhile assemblage pupil successful Maine who disappeared 2 months agone was recovered dormant Tuesday successful a pond adjacent his flat complex, according to authorities.

Chance Lauer was past seen connected Jan. 19 astatine the Orchard Trail Apartments successful Orono wherever helium lived, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said successful a quality merchandise during the search.

At the clip of his disappearance, Lauer’s wallet was recovered successful his country and his telephone was turned off, the Orono Police Department antecedently said, noting that Lauer did not person a vehicle.

Police said officers recovered a assemblage successful the pond aft a national called the section connected Tuesday. The assemblage was recovered with assistance from the Maine Warden Service and positively identified arsenic Lauer.

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Chance Lauer, 19, was recovered dormant successful a pond adjacent his flat analyzable successful Orono, Maine, connected Tuesday, March 17, 2026, constabulary said. (Orono Police Department)

Police said that "at this constituent determination is thing suspicious astir the death," though did not bespeak however Lauer died. An autopsy was pending.

According to FOX22 Bangor, an idiosyncratic who identified themselves arsenic a household subordinate of Lauer wrote connected societal media Wednesday that "he was recovered from a pond adjacent his Orono apartment yesterday afternoon. He went retired for a locomotion 8 weeks agone and fell done the ice."

Lauer disappeared adjacent the Orchard Trail Apartments successful Orono, Maine, wherever helium lived, authorities antecedently said. (Google Maps)

The pond has reportedly been a focal constituent of the hunt for Lauer.

Robert Bowie, manager of Downeast Emergency Medicine Institute (DEEMI), told the outlet successful a connection connected Wednesday that "the pond has been an country of involvement since the beginning, arsenic flat worker interviews indicated it arsenic an country helium would frequent."

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"DEEMI has launched aggregate drone imaging missions implicit the hunt area, including the pond, some infrared and precocious solution integer imaging," Bowie said. "There person been astatine slightest 3 imaging missions of this country of interest, and much were planned."

Police thanked the Maine Warden Service, University of Maine and hunt volunteers for their assistance successful trying to find Lauer.

A motion astatine the entranceway to the University of Maine field successful Orono, Maine, connected July 22, 2016. (iStock)

"The Orono Police Department and the Town of Orono privation to widen our deepest condolences to the household and friends of Mr. Lauer," constabulary said.

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Lauer was enrolled astatine the University of Maine from September 2024 done December 2025, the schoolhouse confirmed to PEOPLE.

The schoolhouse told WMTW-TV that Lauer was not enrolled astatine the clip helium went missing.