Latest news with #LaCrossePolice
Fox News
5 days ago
- Fox News
Wisconsin student Eliotte Heinz's autopsy shows no foul play suspected in death: police
LA CROSSE, Wisc. – Authorities believe there was no foul play in the death of 22-year-old graduate student Eliotte Heinz, who was found dead Wednesday in the Mississippi River after vanishing over the weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The La Crosse Police Department said on Friday that, based on the preliminary autopsy results, it does not believe there was any criminal conduct related to Heinz's death. The Viterbo University student disappeared Sunday morning after a night out at bars with friends, Fox News Digital previously reported. Heinz was last seen walking along the Mississippi River waterfront at about 3:30 a.m., and was spotted on surveillance footage heading toward her apartment, which was less than a mile away. Four days into the search, a young fisherman found her body face down, wrapped in duckweed in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. It remains unclear how she ended up in the river. Final autopsy results will not be completed for several months, and investigators will continue to follow up on information, according to a statement from the police department. The investigation remains open. The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a program started in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that between 1997 and 2006, eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of excessive drinking. Heinz's family previously told Fox News Digital they are embarking on a path to healing. "Eliotte is a beautiful person," the Heinz family wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "She was smart, funny, caring, and loved fiercely by us. We don't know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter, or why we are unable to keep her. She is amazing and would have continued to amaze us. We are devastated that she is no longer with us. Our family will forever have a missing piece. "We cannot thank our family, friends, the La Crosse community, Viterbo University, or the La Crosse PD enough for showing up for Eliotte. They were an amazing light in an incredibly dark space. Eliotte's walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family's walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you Eliotte." The La Crosse County Sheriff's Office; Houston County Sheriff's Office; Jackson County Sheriff's Office; Vernon County Sheriff's Office; La Crescent Police Department; Wisconsin Department of Justice; Division of Criminal Investigations; Fort McCoy Fire and Rescue; U.S. Fish and Wildlife; La Crosse Fire Department; La Crosse Dive and Rescue; Wisconsin DNR; Minnesota DNR; La Crosse County Medical Examiner Office; Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner's Office-Mayo Clinic; and Viterbo University assisted in the investigation.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz found dead in Mississippi River after disappearing from waterfront
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. Mom Of Missing Wisconsin Grad Student Pleads For Her Daughter's Return: 'Trying To Stay Positive' Heinz's cellphone was found by her friends during the search, according to her mother. Read On The Fox News App 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. 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. Father Presses For Answers In College Freshman Daughter's Death After Fall From Dorm: 'She Was Our World' 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 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. Two Students Dead In Suspected Murder-suicide At University Of Wisconsin-platteville 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." 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. Mom Of Missing Wisconsin Grad Student Pleads For Her Daughter's Return: 'Trying To Stay Positive' 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. Click Here For The Fox News App 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 The La Crosse Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz found dead in Mississippi River after disappearing from waterfront Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Body of missing student Eliotte Heinz, 22, is found in river over 10 miles from last sighting as she walked home
THE body of a missing Wisconsin grad student has been found 10 miles away from where she was last seen walking home. Elliote Heinz, 22, was found in the Mississippi River on Wednesday, four days after she vanished on a night out with her friends. 7 7 Heinz was last seen on surveillance footage at around 3 am on Sunday while walking home from a downtown bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The walk to her apartment from the Bronco Bar was only supposed to be 30 minutes long, but Heinz never returned home. A fisherman found Heinz's body at around 10:15 am on Wednesday in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota, police said. Less than 15 minutes later, Minnesota cops called the La Crosse Police Department to tell them that a body had been found. 'This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search," La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron said in a press release. "Our thoughts are with Eliotte's family, friends and all those who knew Eliotte." Heinz's cause of death hasn't been made clear and is awaiting an autopsy. LCPD was notified that her body was found by the Houston County Sheriff's Department, which is across the Mississippi River from La Crosse. Her body was found just south of the Lawrence Lake Marina in Brownsville, which is more than a 10-mile drive and seven miles downriver from the hotel where Heinz was last seen. Heinz was a graduate student studying at a mental health counseling program at Viterbo University. Missing student Eliotte Heinz, 22, vanishes on 30-minute walk home as desperate family releases last-known picture The tragic discovery comes after Heinz's mom, Amber Heinz, said her friends found her phone while searching for the student. Heinz appeared to be on her phone when she was caught on camera walking home from the bar that night. The footage was captured by a camera outside the Courtyard Marriott Hotel. A photo shared by police showed Heinz wearing a white-shirt and jean shorts as she walked along the waterfront at 3:22 am on Sunday. La Crosse Police Department's statement The La Crosse Police Department in La Crosse, Wisconsin, shared the following statement after Eliotte Heinz's body was found on Wednesday: It is with sadness that we report, at approximately 10:28am, Wednesday, July 23 rd, 2025, the La Crosse Police Department was notified by the Houston County Sheriff's Department that a body had been located. In what has been an ongoing proactive effort to locate Eliotte Heinz who had been reported missing on July 20 th, 2025, today Eliotte's body was recovered in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, MN. La Crosse Police are continuing to investigate and will await the results of an autopsy for an official cause of death. The entire department sends their condolences. 'This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search. 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,' said La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. Source: LCPD She had left Bronco's Bar at around 2:30 am when the bar closed. It's unclear where she spent the 50 minutes between leaving the bar and being seen on security video at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel. Heinz's family realized something was wrong when they couldn't reach her on Sunday. "Sunday morning, we tried to reach her, and we were unable to get a hold of her," her mom told Fox News Digital. "We talk all the time. We talked to her that week. "We were texting back and forth, but on Sunday morning when we couldn't get a hold of her, we knew that something was going on." Heinz's family has yet to share a statement about her death. 7 7 7 7
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Body of missing Wisconsin grad student found in Mississippi River
The remains of Eliotte Heinz, a missing Wisconsin graduate student, were recently found in the Mississippi River, authorities and city officials confirmed. La Crosse police said they were notified that "a body had been located" on the morning of July 23, three days after anyone had last seen or heard from Heinz. Heinz was recovered in the river near Brownsville, Minnesota, a few miles south of La Crosse, where she was last spotted. According to a news release from the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin, "police are continuing to investigate and will await the results of an autopsy for an official cause of death. The entire department sends their condolences." The 22-year-old who was reported missing on Sunday, July 20, was last seen leaving Bronco's Bar in La Crosse, a city near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, about 150 miles southeast of Minneapolis, at around 2:30 a.m. local time. 'This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search. Our thoughts are with Eliotte's family, friends and all those who knew Eliotte," La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron said in a statement. "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: 'We are heartbroken by this loss' Viterbo University, where Heinz was studying mental health counseling, said in a statement that they, like the Heinz family, the La Crosse community, and all who knew and loved Eliotte, were mourning her "tragic passing." "We are heartbroken by this loss and extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends," the school's statement says. The statement continued: "We are especially grateful to the La Crosse Police Department for their tireless efforts and to the many community members who showed up with compassion by searching, sharing information, offering prayers, and providing food, water, and comfort during the most difficult of days. Your outpouring of love reflects the very best Viterbo, our La Crosse community, and beyond." Viterbo University plans to hold a memorial service for Heinz in the fall, in coordination with her family, once students return to campus for the new school year. 'There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young, with so much life ahead of her," Viterbo University President Dr. Rick Trietley said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to Eliotte's family. We hold them in our prayers and stand with them in their grief." Where was Eliotte Heinz last seen? Heinz was last seen walking south on the 500 block of Front Street South around 3:22 a.m. local time on July 20, La Crosse police said. Authorities, along with Heinz's family and friends, made several attempts to locate her with no success, according to the department. Heinz's family, friends and Viterbo University called on the public to share information or footage that could help locate her. Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY; and David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Body of Eliotte Heinz, missing Wisconsin grad student, found Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Missing Wisconsin grad student found dead in the Mississippi River, police await autopsy results
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WFRV) – The 22-year-old Wisconsin woman has reportedly been found dead. According to the La Crosse Police Department, around 10:30 a.m. on July 23, the department was notified by the Houston County Sheriff's Department (Minnesota) that a body was found. The release said the body that was recovered was Eliotte Heinz. Semi-truck crash on a Wisconsin bridge leads to a diesel fuel spill The body was recovered in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. Police are continuing to investigate and will reportedly await the results of an autopsy for an official cause of death. Hours before sending the update, police asked the . The La Crosse Police Chief said the department was grateful for all of the support from the community. This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search. 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. La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron Heinz is a graduate student at Viterbo University, a private Catholic college in La Crosse, reported Nexstar's NewsNation. Wisconsin woman arrested on 14 counts of animal mistreatment after several dead animals found in home No additional information was provided. Local 5 will update this story as more details are released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
