The body of a 22-year-old woman who went missing in La Crosse early Sunday morning was found Wednesday in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. The announcement follows a four-day search for the second-year Viterbo University graduate student.
A statement issued by the La Crosse Police Department just before 1:00 p.m. said Eliotte Heinz’s body was recovered at around 10:28 a.m. by the Houston County Sheriff’s Department near Brownsville, which is down river from La Crosse. Heinz was first reported missing July 20.
“This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search,” said a statement from La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. “Our thoughts are with Eliotte’s family, friends and all those who knew Eliotte. We are grateful for the outpouring of support from so many within the La Crosse community, the State of Wisconsin and nationally to locate Eliotte.”
Heinz had last been spotted by a security camera as she walked alone from a downtown La Crosse bar near the Mississippi River at around 3:22 a.m. Sunday morning.
In an interview posted earlier on Wednesday, Eliotte’s mother, Amber Heinz, told Fox News someone had found Eliotte’s phone afterward and the family immediately called police. The police department had also been requesting any public tips and security footage from downtown businesses.
Amber Heinz described Eliotte as “incredibly” smart and told the outlet she had just started her second year of graduate school at Viterbo University in La Crosse.
La Crosse Police said they are continuing to investigate and will await the results of an autopsy for an official cause of death.
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