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UMaine

Emergency notification for missing-person search near campus

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On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. EST, the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) issued an Emergency Notification under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, alerting the UMaine community that UMPD was assisting the Orono Police Department in an active search for missing UMaine student Chance Lauer, last seen Monday, January 19, 2026 in the Orono area. Lauer's wallet had been recovered in his room, he did not have a vehicle, and his cell phone was turned off.

Alerts
1
Response
7200 min
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
University of Maine
Public R1 · ME
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UMaine Emergency Notification
Official alert policy
Read when and how UMaine says it will use umaine.alerts: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim2767 chars
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION Incident Date: January 24, 2026 Orono near the Location: campus Incident Description: Time of Incident: Affected Campus: 8:30 AM University of Maine - Orono On Saturday, January 24, 2026, the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) is issuing this Emergency Notification in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. UMPD is assisting the Orono Police Department in an active search for a missing person last seen in the Orono area near the University of Maine campus. Missing Person: Chance Lauer Last Seen: Monday, January 19, 2026, in the Orono area Key Information Provided by Law Enforcement: • The individual does not have a vehicle • His wallet was recovered in his room • His cell phone is currently turned off At this time, no information has been received indicating that this individual poses a threat to members of the UMaine community or the public. This Emergency Notification is required under the Jeanne Clery Act and is being issued to raise awareness and assist law enforcement in locating the missing person. Community members may notice an increased law enforcement presence on and around campus during search efforts. As part of the ongoing search, walking trails on and near campus will be temporarily closed. Community members are asked to stay clear of active search areas and to follow all posted signage and instructions from law enforcement. UMPD reminds our Black Bear community of the following safety guidance: • Continue normal activities while remaining aware of your surroundings • Avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas • If you believe you have information about this person’s whereabouts, do not approach • If you are afraid for your safety or the safety of others, call 911 immediately • Do not hesitate to contact UMPD to report any information related to this search Contact Us: You may contact UMPD at any of the following means 24 hours a day: • Non-Emergency Phone: 207.581.4040 • Email: um.policedepartment@maine.edu • Black Bear Safe App: Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can file a report, activate a panic button (mobile blue light), use the Social Escape feature, or text with a dispatcher plus more. Additional Resources: University of Maine Counseling Center provides individual counseling services for students. You may contact the Counseling Center at https://umaine.edu/counseling/ or by calling 207.581.1392. UMPD’s Black Bear Safe App provides a free service to students and staff as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. You may also view the Maine Warden Service Facebook post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17QRWrx6s6/ ASSOCIATED PHOTOS (if any):
Verify this quote
UMaine Police Emergency Notification PDF (01.24.26)umaine.edufind archived copies
Issued at 8:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, January 24, 2026, five days after Lauer was last seen on Monday, January 19, 2026 in the Orono area
The five-day gap between last sighting and emergency notification reflects the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act's missing-student notification framework: UMaine first ran exigent-circumstance investigation procedures before activating community-wide notice
The 'wallet recovered in his room' + 'cell phone turned off' detail set is exactly the kind of inversion-of-routine-behavior evidence that triggers a missing-student notice under HEOA 2008 § 488
Verbatim full Emergency Notification PDF text from umaine.edu/police; Clery EN for missing-person search near Orono campus.
Incident time on the PDF is 8:30 AM; timezone EST (January).
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION Incident Date: January 24, 2026 Orono near the Location: campus Incident Description: Time of Incident: Affected Campus: 8:30 AM University of Maine - Orono On Saturday, January 24, 2026, the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) is issuing this Emergency Notification in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. UMPD is assisting the Orono Police Department in an active search for a missing person last seen in the Orono area near the University of Maine campus. Missing Person: Chance Lauer Last Seen: Monday, January 19, 2026, in the Orono area Key Information Provided by Law Enforcement: • The individual does not have a vehicle • His wallet was recovered in his room • His cell phone is currently turned off At this time, no information has been received indicating that this individual poses a threat to members of the UMaine community or the public. This Emergency Notification is required under the Jeanne Clery Act and is being issued to raise awareness and assist law enforcement in locating the missing person. Community members may notice an increased law enforcement presence on and around campus during search efforts. As part of the ongoing search, walking trails on and near campus will be temporarily closed. Community members are asked to stay clear of active search areas and to follow all posted signage and instructions from law enforcement. UMPD reminds our Black Bear community of the following safety guidance: • Continue normal activities while remaining aware of your surroundings • Avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas • If you believe you have information about this person’s whereabouts, do not approach • If you are afraid for your safety or the safety of others, call 911 immediately • Do not hesitate to contact UMPD to report any information related to this search Contact Us: You may contact UMPD at any of the following means 24 hours a day: • Non-Emergency Phone: 207.581.4040 • Email: um.policedepartment@maine.edu • Black Bear Safe App: Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can file a report, activate a panic button (mobile blue light), use the Social Escape feature, or text with a dispatcher plus more. Additional Resources: University of Maine Counseling Center provides individual counseling services for students. You may contact the Counseling Center at https://umaine.edu/counseling/ or by calling 207.581.1392. UMPD’s Black Bear Safe App provides a free service to students and staff as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. You may also view the Maine Warden Service Facebook post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17QRWrx6s6/ ASSOCIATED PHOTOS (if any):

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All reads agree the notification is issued by the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD), clearly identifying the sender.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    2. present: Issued by the "University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)".
    3. present: Identifies 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)' as issuer.
    4. present: University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) issuing the notification.
    5. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    6. present: University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) issuing notification.
    7. present: Issued by 'the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    8. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    9. present: "University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) is issuing this Emergency Notification".
    10. present: Issued by 'the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    11. present: Issued by "University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)".
    12. present: Issued by University of Maine Police Department, UMPD.
    13. present: Issued by University of Maine Police Department (UMPD).
    14. present: "University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) is issuing this Emergency Notification".
    15. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    16. present: 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)' issuing this notification
    17. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    18. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    19. present: Identifies 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    20. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    21. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    22. present: 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) is issuing this Emergency Notification'.
    23. present: Issued by 'University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)'.
    24. present: Issued by University of Maine Police Department UMPD.
    25. present: Issued by "University of Maine Police Department (UMPD)".
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that the situation is specifically described as an active search for a missing person.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Describes 'active search for a missing person'.
    2. present: Describes an "active search for a missing person".
    3. present: States an 'active search for a missing person', naming the situation.
    4. present: Names 'active search for a missing person'.
    5. present: Describes an 'active search for a missing person'.
    6. present: Missing person search described.
    7. present: Describes an 'active search for a missing person', a named hazard/situation type.
    8. present: Describes 'active search for a missing person'.
    9. present: "active search for a missing person" specifies the situation.
    10. present: Describes 'an active search for a missing person', a specific situation.
    11. present: States it's an "active search for a missing person".
    12. present: Active search for a missing person.
    13. present: Describes an active search for a missing person, Chance Lauer.
    14. present: Describes "active search for a missing person".
    15. present: Describes an 'active search for a missing person'.
    16. present: 'active search for a missing person'
    17. present: Names 'active search for a missing person'.
    18. present: Describes an 'active search for a missing person'.
    19. present: States a 'missing person' search.
    20. present: Describes an 'active search for a missing person'.
    21. present: Describes 'active search for a missing person'.
    22. present: 'active search for a missing person'.
    23. present: Describes an 'active search for a missing person'.
    24. present: Active search for a missing person.
    25. present: Describes an "active search for a missing person".
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All reads confirm the Orono area near the University of Maine campus, plus closed walking trails, is named.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: States 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    2. present: States the search is "in the Orono area near the University of Maine campus".
    3. present: States 'last seen in the Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    4. present: Orono area near the University of Maine campus.
    5. present: Names 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    6. present: Orono area near campus.
    7. present: States 'Orono near the campus' and 'University of Maine - Orono'.
    8. present: States 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    9. present: "in the Orono area near the University of Maine campus".
    10. present: States 'Orono near the campus' and 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    11. present: Names "Orono area near the University of Maine campus".
    12. present: Orono area near the University of Maine campus.
    13. present: Names Orono area near campus.
    14. present: "Orono area near the University of Maine campus".
    15. present: 'Orono near the campus' and 'University of Maine - Orono'.
    16. present: 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'
    17. present: Notes 'Orono near the campus'.
    18. present: Names 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    19. present: States 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    20. present: Orono area near University of Maine campus.
    21. present: States 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    22. present: 'Orono area near the University of Maine campus'.
    23. present: States 'Orono near the campus' and closed 'walking trails'.
    24. present: Orono area near University of Maine campus.
    25. present: States "Orono near the campus" and trail closures.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All reads agree the message instructs avoiding closed trails, not approaching the person, and calling 911 if afraid.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Instructs 'avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas'.
    2. present: Instructs to "stay clear of active search areas" and "call 911 immediately" if afraid.
    3. present: Instructs to 'Avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas' and call 911 if afraid.
    4. present: Instructs to avoid closed trails, stay clear of search areas, call 911 if afraid.
    5. present: Instructs to 'avoid closed trails' and 'do not approach' if info known.
    6. present: Instructs avoiding closed trails, staying clear of search areas, calling 911 if afraid.
    7. present: Tells the community to avoid closed trails, not approach, and call 911 if afraid.
    8. present: Instructs to 'stay clear of active search areas' and 'call 911 immediately' if afraid.
    9. present: "Avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas", "call 911 immediately".
    10. present: Instructs to 'avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas' and 'do not approach'.
    11. present: Advises "Avoid closed trails" and to call 911 if afraid for safety.
    12. present: Avoid closed trails, stay clear of search areas, call 911 if afraid.
    13. present: Instructs avoid closed trails, do not approach, call 911 if afraid.
    14. present: Instructs to "Avoid closed trails", "do not approach", "call 911".
    15. present: Advises to 'Avoid closed trails' and 'do not approach' the missing person.
    16. present: 'Avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas'
    17. present: Instructs to 'avoid closed trails', 'do not approach', 'call 911'.
    18. present: Instructs to 'avoid closed trails' and 'do not approach' the person.
    19. present: Advises 'Avoid closed trails', 'do not approach', 'call 911 immediately'.
    20. present: Instructs to avoid closed trails, do not approach, call 911 if afraid.
    21. present: Instructs to 'Avoid closed trails' and 'call 911 immediately' if afraid.
    22. present: 'Avoid closed trails and stay clear of designated search areas'.
    23. present: Instructs to 'avoid closed trails' and 'do not approach' if info known.
    24. present: Stay clear of active search areas, follow posted signage, call 911 if afraid.
    25. present: Instructs to "Avoid closed trails" and "do not approach".
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement that a specific incident time (8:30 AM) and date (January 24, 2026) are given.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' on January 24, 2026.
    2. present: Gives "Time of Incident: 8:30 AM" and the date "January 24, 2026".
    3. present: States 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' on 'January 24, 2026'.
    4. present: Gives incident date January 24, 2026 and 8:30 AM time.
    5. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and dates.
    6. present: Time of Incident 8:30 AM, dated January 24, 2026.
    7. present: Gives 'January 24, 2026' and 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM'.
    8. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and dates.
    9. present: "Time of Incident: 8:30 AM", "January 24, 2026".
    10. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and date 'January 24, 2026'.
    11. present: Gives "Time of Incident: 8:30 AM" and dates.
    12. present: Time of Incident 8:30 AM, January 24, 2026.
    13. present: Gives Time of Incident 8:30 AM and dates.
    14. present: "Monday, January 19, 2026" and "8:30 AM" given.
    15. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and date January 24, 2026.
    16. present: 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and date given
    17. present: States 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and 'Saturday, January 24, 2026'.
    18. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and dates.
    19. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and dates.
    20. present: Incident date/time 'January 24, 2026' and '8:30 AM' given.
    21. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' and dates.
    22. present: '8:30 AM' and 'January 24, 2026'.
    23. present: Gives 'Time of Incident: 8:30 AM' on January 24, 2026.
    24. present: Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 8:30 AM.
    25. present: Gives "Time of Incident: 8:30 AM" on January 24, 2026.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    All reads agree the message explicitly states there is no information indicating the individual poses a threat, so no harm or consequence is conveyed.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: States 'no information...that this individual poses a threat', no stated harm.
    2. absent: States explicitly "no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat", so no severity is conveyed.
    3. absent: States 'no information...indicating that this individual poses a threat', no stated consequence.
    4. absent: States 'no information...indicating that this individual poses a threat', no stated harm.
    5. absent: States 'no information ... indicating that this individual poses a threat', explicitly no impact conveyed.
    6. absent: Explicitly states no info indicates individual poses a threat, no consequence conveyed.
    7. absent: Explicitly states 'no information ... indicating that this individual poses a threat'.
    8. absent: States no threat is currently indicated, so no stated harm.
    9. absent: States "no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat", no stated harm/severity.
    10. absent: States explicitly 'no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat', conveying no impact.
    11. absent: States explicitly "no information ... indicating that this individual poses a threat".
    12. absent: Explicitly states no information indicates a threat to community, no stated harm.
    13. absent: States no information indicates a threat to the community, no stated harm.
    14. absent: States no information indicates a threat, so no consequence conveyed.
    15. absent: States no threat is posed, explicitly negating impact/severity.
    16. absent: States 'no information...indicating that this individual poses a threat', no stated harm
    17. absent: States 'no information ... indicating that this individual poses a threat', no stated harm.
    18. absent: States 'no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat', so no stated harm.
    19. absent: States no indication the person 'poses a threat', no other stated harm.
    20. absent: States 'no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat', no stated harm.
    21. absent: States 'no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat', no harm conveyed.
    22. absent: States 'no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat', no harm/severity conveyed.
    23. absent: States 'no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat', so no stated harm/consequence.
    24. absent: States individual poses no known threat, no harm described.
    25. absent: States "no information... indicating that this individual poses a threat", no harm conveyed.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

The University of Maine is the flagship public R1 land/sea/space-grant university in Orono, Maine. Its athletic program is a member of the America East Conference (and Hockey East for ice hockey). On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. EST, the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) issued an Emergency Notification regarding missing UMaine student Chance Lauer, last seen Monday, January 19, 2026 in the Orono area. The notification was issued in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the missing-student-notification framework of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act. Distinctive inversion-of-routine details (Lauer's wallet recovered in his room, no vehicle, cell phone turned off) moved the case from a routine welfare check to a coordinated UMPD-Orono PD search and an Emergency Notification to the UMaine community. The search continued through the rest of January and into early February 2026 before being paused until spring due to winter conditions. The case is significant for the campus alert archive because (1) it documents a missing-student emergency notification, a less common Clery category than emergency-notification or timely-warning, (2) it shows the 5-day gap between disappearance and public notification that is characteristic of the HEOA missing-student-notice framework, and (3) it captures the operational pattern of campus PD assisting municipal PD in a winter-conditions search.
Analysis

Key Findings

UMaine Police issued an Emergency Notification on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. EST for missing student Chance Lauer
Lauer was last seen Monday, January 19, 2026 in the Orono area, a 5-day gap between disappearance and community-wide notification reflects HEOA missing-student notice procedures
Inversion-of-routine evidence (wallet recovered in his room, no vehicle, cell phone turned off) drove the escalation from welfare check to coordinated UMPD-Orono PD search
Search continued through January and into early February before being paused until spring due to winter conditions in the Orono area
Documents a missing-student-notification (Clery category 'missing-student'), a rarer category than emergency-notification or timely-warning, governed by HEOA 2008 § 488 rather than Clery Act § 668.46
Outcome
Active search continued through January and into early February 2026. The search was paused in mid-February until spring due to winter conditions in the Orono area. No confirmed sighting after January 19, 2026.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    UMaine Police Emergency Notification - January 24, 2026
    umaine.edu
    archived copy
  2. Student Paper
    Search for missing UMaine student Chance Lauer paused until spring - The Maine Campus
    mainecampus.com
    archived copy
  3. Official
    Emergency Information - University of Maine
    umaine.edu
    archived copy
  4. Official
    UMaine Police Department
    umaine.edu
    archived copy
  5. Source
    University of Maine - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of Maine: Emergency notification for missing-person search near campus." Incident of January 24, 2026. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-maine-missing-student-chance-lauer-2026-01-24/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
missing-studentmissing-personclery-missing-student-notificationheoa-2008oronoamerica-east-conferenceumainewinter-searchpublic-r1umpdUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion