The search for missing Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz came to a heartbreaking end on Wednesday when her body was discovered in the Mississippi River—over 10 miles from where she was last seen walking home.
Heinz, 22, vanished in the early hours of Sunday morning after a night out with friends in downtown La Crosse. She had left Bronco Bar around 2:30 a.m., and security footage later captured her at 3:22 a.m. walking along the waterfront near the Courtyard Marriott hotel.
Authorities say her walk home should have taken only about 30 minutes—but she never made it.
At approximately 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, a fisherman spotted a body in the river near Brownsville, Minnesota, roughly seven miles downriver and more than a 10-mile drive from where Heinz was last seen. Within 15 minutes, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office contacted La Crosse Police, confirming the tragic discovery.
“This was not the outcome we had hoped for,” said La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. “Our thoughts are with Eliotte’s family, friends, and everyone who knew her. We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from the community and across the country.”
Heinz was a graduate student at Viterbo University, pursuing a degree in mental health counseling. Her family reported her missing on Sunday after repeated calls and texts went unanswered—something her mother said was completely out of character.
“We talk all the time,” her mother, Amber Heinz, told Fox News Digital. “When we couldn’t reach her Sunday morning, we knew something was wrong.”
During the search, friends discovered Heinz’s phone, and footage showed her appearing to be on it as she walked near the river. In surveillance images, she was wearing a white shirt and jean shorts, walking alone in the early morning hours.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results as they continue their investigation.
The La Crosse Police Department released a formal statement confirming the body’s recovery and extended condolences to Heinz’s loved ones.
Heinz’s family has not yet issued a public statement following the news of her death.
