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Authorities found the body of a missing Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz in the Mississippi River on Wednesday following four heartbreaking days of search.
Heinz, 22, vanished while walking home from Broncos Bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the La Crosse Police Department (LCPD).
She was last seen walking along the Mississippi River waterfront at about 3:30 a.m., and later spotted on surveillance footage walking in the direction of her apartment, which was three-quarters of a mile away.
Her body was found in the river just before 10:30 a.m. local time Wednesday near Brownsville, Minnesota—more than a dozen miles from her last known location.
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Heinz’s cellphone was found by her friends during the search, according to her mother.
La Crosse Police are continuing to investigate and are waiting on autopsy results for an official cause of death.
LCPD Chief Shawn Kudron said the “entire department” is sending its condolences.
“This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search,” Kudron wrote in a statement. “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.”
Viterbo University released a statement noting it joins the Heinz family, the La Crosse community, and all who knew and loved Eliotte in mourning her tragic passing.
“We are heartbroken by this loss and extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends,” Viterbo University president Rick Trietley wrote in a statement. “There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young, with so much life ahead of her. Our hearts go out to Eliotte’s family. We hold them in our prayers and stand with them in their grief.”
Viterbo said it plans on holding a memorial service in Heinz’s honor this fall, in coordination with her family, once students return to campus.
Family describes grad student as having the ‘biggest heart’
Heinz’s mother, Amber, told “Fox and Friends” earlier Wednesday her daughter was “beautiful inside and out.”
“She has got the biggest heart and unending kindness for everyone,” her mother said. “I think that is noted by how many people have showed up for her. … She is our oldest. Her brother and sister, and her dad and I want her back.”
Heinz’s parents knew something was wrong when they were unable to reach their daughter on Sunday morning. Her family, friends and local police have made “several attempts to locate her with no success,” authorities said in a statement.
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In a statement posted by Viterbo University, the family thanked the community for its efforts in helping to find their daughter.
“On behalf of our entire family, thank you,” the Heinz family wrote. “The outpouring of support in the search for Eliotte has been overwhelming, and we are deeply grateful for the kindness, prayers, and encouragement from the community and beyond.”
Heinz was a student in Viterbo’s mental health counseling program, her mother told Fox News Digital.
FBI offers insight into similar missing person investigations
FBI Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that in a case like Heinz’s, the first priority is reconstructing the timeline.
“Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage, gathering witness statements, and looking at any phone, social media, or financial activity that could help determine where she went and whether she was alone,” Pack said.
According to Pack, investigators are likely working to determine if Heinz was alone at the time of her disappearance and whether she left voluntarily.
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Rideshare services Uber and Lyft told Fox News Digital they are not involved in the investigation.
“If investigators believe there was an abduction, or if there is evidence the person crossed state lines or was taken across them, federal involvement becomes more likely,” Pack said. “The FBI can be requested by local or state authorities when a case needs additional support or expertise.”
Danger along the riverfront
The area near the Mississippi River where Heinz went missing has peaked local concern in the past.
In 2006, the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse launched “River Watch,” a campus-based initiative in La Crosse that seeks to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings in the Mississippi River.
Sigma Tau Gamma at UW-La Crosse took over coordination of the program in 2007, though student volunteers come from all three campuses in La Crosse.
Volunteers donning reflective vests, flashlights and other gear patrol the walkway every weekend during the academic year on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in shifts of at least two.
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They stop anyone walking into the park after closing time, and guide those who may be potentially intoxicated away from the river, according to the River Watch website.
Partners include the La Crosse City Police Department, Radisson Hotel La Crosse, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University and Western Technical College.
As the school year had not yet started, it is unclear if the program was operating on the night of Heinz’s disappearance.
UW-La Crosse and River Watch declined injuries from Fox News Digital.
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Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 608-782-7575.
Information can also be sent anonymously to La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at 608-784-TIPS or submitted online at https://www.p3tips.com/459.
The La Crosse Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
