Latest news with #Viterbo
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Many College Students Went Missing in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Is There a Serial Killer?
It's a story all too familiar to people in La Crosse and Wisconsin: A young college student going missing after a night in a bar with friends. The latest college student to go missing was a 22-year-old Viterbo graduate student named Eliotte Heinz. A massive search ignited to find Heinz, who disappeared while walking home from a bar in La Crosse on July 20, 2025. Tragically, she was found dead in the Mississippi River on July 23, according to Viterbo. The cause of death is not yet clear; her body was located in the river in Brownsville, MN. For years, dating back to 1997, a string of missing college students turned up dead in the Mississippi River, the victims of apparent drownings. Those students were all males. The full list can be found at the bottom of this article. In La Crosse, authorities have repeatedly attributed the previous deaths to alcohol, not a serial killer. They have not released any details about how Heinz died, though. However, the serial killer theory got a boost by two former New York cops who advanced the belief several years ago that a gang of "smiley face" killers was at work. "Between 1997 and 2006, La Crosse experienced tragedy after tragedy as eight separate college students were found to have drowned in the Mississippi River," the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's website says. "The deaths, contrary to some 'serial killer' theories put forth, were determined to be the results of excessive drinking combined with a close physical proximity to Riverside Park, bordering the Mississippi River." Another drowning death occurred in 2010. Separate theories have also emerged about a young woman from Platteville, WI, named Emma Jacob, also 22. A Reddit thread asked whether there could be a connection between the two cases. Some people on social media are also bringing up the murder of Kelly Nolan in Madison, WI, from 2007. The College Students Found in the Mississippi River The earlier deaths of young men in the Mississippi River, which date back to 1997, sparked years of persistent theories that a serial killer could be operating in the area. The former New York police officer, Kevin Gannon, went on television to push the "smiley face serial killer theory" - that a gang of killers was murdering young male college students throughout the Midwest and leaving smiley faces at the scenes. He was assisted in the research by another officer named Anthony Duarte and a professor, Lee Gilbertson. The "smiley face" serial killer theory got new life in an Oxygen series, which explored it. Some of the drowning deaths extended to the East Coast. Authorities in local jurisdictions have pushed back at those theories, which have never been proven. A gang called the "Dealers of Death" was allegedly linked to some of the deaths, a theory that traces to a mysterious river death in Minneapolis that was later reclassified by police as a homicide, according to Milwaukee magazine. Whether that gang really existed is in dispute, however. The story says there were more than 40 river deaths throughout the Midwest. The Minneapolis case was the death of Wisconsinite Chris Jenkins, found in the Mississippi after a night out. No one has ever been charged in it. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, investigators spoke of two "possible male suspects: one a possible eyewitness who was already incarcerated and another suspect police were looking to talk to at the time." "After three months of research into the case, Milwaukee Magazine has learned a gang called the 'Dealers of Death' claims involvement in the deaths of some of these men," the magazine wrote in 2008, noting that a convicted murderer "who is also a suspect in a river death that police now believe is a homicide, (allegedly) told the FBI last year that the gang had murdered 40 of the men." "In a letter obtained by Milwaukee Magazine, the FBI said there's no evidence the gang exists, but admits" that the inmate "discussed the gang," the magazine found, noting that "both the FBI and the New York cops" talked to the man. "Milwaukee Magazine also has discovered documents from the New Brighton, Minn., police department in which two men associated with (the inmate)...admit belonging to the Dealers of Death," that report says. A professor named Douglas Swanson wrote a detailed report on the previous disappearances, exploring the theories that a "River Killer" was at work. The report documented the prevalence of taverns and alcohol in the rust-belt city of about 51,000 people that lines the Mississippi River. His article argues that two frames have emerged around missing college students in La Crosse: Frame A holds that alcohol is to blame and that the deaths were tragic accidents, and Frame B argues that a serial killer might be at work. "All the evidence, applied logically, points to the perspective identified here as Frame A," he concluded. The Disappearance of Eliotte Heinz Heinz, who was born on June 8, 2003, "was last seen walking southbound on the 500 Block of Front Street South at approximately 3:22 a.m. on July 20th, 2025. Her family, friends and police have made several attempts to locate her with no success," La Crosse police wrote in a statement. Heinz was at Bronco's Bar in downtown La Crosse with friends "less than an hour before she disappeared," Fox News reported. After closing time, she set off on the .4 mile walk to her home, but she never arrived. Heinz's cellphone "was later recovered by her friends close to the hotel," a source told the Daily Mail. "Sunday morning, we tried to reach her, and we were unable to get a hold of her," Amber Heinz, Eliotte's 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," she told Fox. The La Crosse serial killer theories centered around the disappearances and then deaths of young college-age men, whereas Heinz is female. The FBI eventually deemed that the deaths were accidents in a report. But the theories tore up the town. Police "were heckled when they held a community meeting to assure the public the drownings were accidents," the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. "People accused them of ignoring obvious connections between the deaths—all men, all white, all disappeared downtown." Authorities have taken a number of measures to improve safety along the Mississippi River and the city's famed bar district. Among other things, they "have enacted a public intoxication ordinance and spent about $60,000 on fencing in Riverside Park," the Pioneer Press reported. The Emma Jacob Case The details about Emma Jacob derive almost entirely from a post by a woman named Sydney Wiltsie, who wrote on Facebook on July 22, "My little sister Emma Jacob has been missing since around 9:30 this morning. Her last pinged location was near the mound, or the 'big M' in Platteville, WI. Her car, phone, keys, and purse were all found there. Police are involved and we ask that everyone in the Platteville area keeps an eye out for her and that she is found safe." Platteville police said the Jacob case is being handled by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville police, who told Men's Journal on July 23 to contact the university's public relations spokesperson for details about Jacob. Men's Journal is awaiting a response from the spokesperson. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department confirmed to Men's Journal that Jacob died, but could not provide additional details on any cause of death, other than saying she was found in "rural Platteville" and that investigators "don't think it's related" to the disappearance of Heinz. The cause of death is not clear; nor is there any publicly known indication of foul play at this point. In an update, Wiltsie wrote of Emma Jacob, "She has been found. At this time we ask you please respect our families privacy as we grieve the loss of our daughter, sister, and auntie. Thank you." Although La Crosse and Platteville are both college towns, they are not very close together, being located about 2.5 hours and 101 miles apart. Some people online have also mentioned the unsolved murder of Nolan, also 22, who disappeared after a night out on State Street in Madison, WI; her body was later discovered in the woods. However, Madison is also not very close to La Crosse or Platteville, and Nolan's death occurred in 2007. Once Missing La Crosse, WI, College Students Here are the other cases of once-missing La Crosse, WI, college students: Richard Hlavaty Hlavaty, 19, drowned "after a street brawl in July 1997," according to Swanson's report. Jared Dion According to the paper by Swanson, on April 15, 2004, "the body of college student Jared Dion, 21, was pulled from the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The discovery of the body ended a five-day search for the student, who had disappeared from a crowd of his University of Wisconsin-La Crosse peers while waiting for a bus outside a local tavern." Dion "was the sixth young man and the fourth college student to have drowned in this stretch of the Mississippi River since 1997, and the 23rd such victim since 1974," Swanson wrote. Luke Homan According to the La Crosse Tribune, Homan, a basketball player at UW-La Crosse, disappeared on Sept. 30, 2006, after a night at downtown bars. His body was discovered in the Mississippi River on Oct. 2 of that year. Patrick Runingen Runingen, 23, of West Salem, was seen walking outside Nutbush City Limits (an establishment) on March 1 or 2, 2001, and his body was found in the Black River on March 8, the Tribune reported. Jeffrey F. Geesey The 23-year-old was seen in a bar in downtown La Crosse on April 11, 1999, and found in the river a month later, the Tribune reported. Nathan Kapfer Like Heinz, the 20-year-old Kapfer was a Viterbo student. He disappeared on Feb. 18, 1998, and his body was found in April by a fisherman, the Tribune reported. Anthony D. Skifton Anthony Skifton, 19, was "found drowned after leaving a house party two days after (Charles) Blatz's death," in 1997, Swanson's report says. Charles Blatz According to Swanson's report, Blatz, 28, was "an out-of-town college student found drowned during the city's Oktoberfest celebration" in 1997. Craig Meyers Meyers, 21, drowned in the Mississippi River in La Crosse in 2010. His blood-alcohol concentration was three times the legal limit, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. That story says his father did not believe there was foul play.. Many College Students Went Missing in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Is There a Serial Killer? first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 23, 2025
USA Today
7 days ago
- USA Today
Grad student, 22, disappears after leaving Wisconsin bar
Authorities in Wisconsin are searching for a missing graduate student who has not been seen or heard from since leaving a bar early Sunday, July 20. La Crosse police are asking the public to help find Eliotte Heinz, 22, after she was seen around 2:30 a.m. local time on July 20 at Bronco's Bar, according to Viterbo University, where she studied mental health counseling. Police said Heinz was last spotted walking south on the 500 block of Front Street South at about 3:22 a.m. Authorities, along with Heinz's family and friends, have made several attempts to locate her with no success, according to police. Heinz is 5 feet 4 inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, police said, adding that she was wearing a white T-shirt and jean shorts at the time of her disappearance. Where is Bronco's Bar? Viterbo said Heinz was last seen soon after leaving Bronco's Bar in La Crosse, a city near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, about 150 miles southeast of Minneapolis. Viterbo University coordinates search efforts for Eliotte Heinz Viterbo University is assisting authorities in the search for Heinz, with the school announcing in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, July 22, that it needs volunteers to help find the missing student. In the social media post, the private university in La Crosse said the public can help by joining the search and sharing posts on social media. "Every share, every prayer, and every helping hand matters," the school's post reads. Family calls for any related video: 'Anything at all' Amber Heinz, Eliotte Heinz's mother, spoke during a news conference on Monday, July 21, where she asked the public to please share all footage they have of her daughter from the night of her disappearance. "We ask if you have seen anything, even if it's small, anything at all, you please call La Crosse Police Department," Amber Heinz said. "If you have Ring cameras and you think you might have captured an image of Eliotte, please call, let them take an image of your footage." Any related footage could end up being a "really big deal" for the search, Amber Heinz said. In response to the support in the ongoing search for Heinz, Viterbo University shared a statement from her family on its Facebook page. 'On behalf of our entire family, thank you," the statement reads. "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." The family added that the best thing the public can do to help is share Heinz's information on social media, hand over any helpful security camera footage to police, and donate to support the volunteers or the missing graduate student's parents. Contributing: Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Sun
13-07-2025
- The Sun
Meredith Kercher's killer Rudy Guede to stand new trial over ‘sexual assault' of ex-girlfriend in Italy
THE man convicted of murdering British university student Meredith Kercher has been charged with sexual assault against his former girlfriend. Rudy Guede, 38, is once again set to stand trial in November after being accused of mistreatment, personal injury and sexual violence. 6 6 6 6 Guede served just 13 years of his 16-year jail sentence after he was convicted of killing Ms Kercher in 2007. He was released early from prison in 2021 for good behaviour. During his time in prison, Guede started dating a 25-year-old woman, who later ended their relationship in 2023 and pressed charges against him, according to local Italian media. Guede has been placed under a "special surveillance" regime since last year, when police began their investigation into the alleged sexual assault, Sky News reports. According to a Rome court ruling, Guede must inform the police anytime he leaves Viterbo, his city of residence. He has been fitted with an electronic ankle tag and was banned from having any contact with the woman behind the sexual assault allegations. Carlo Mezzetti, his lawyer, told CNN that Guede was innocent and feared he would not get a fair trial given his previous conviction. Some 100,000 photos, thousands of chats and audio messages between Guede and the unnamed victim are among the evidence set to be presented in the trial, according to the media outlet. Ms Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found half-naked with her throat slit in Perugia, Italy, in September 2007. The exchange student from the University of Leeds had been stabbed 47 times. Ms Kercher shared her flat with her American roommate, Amanda Knox. Ms Knox was convicted alongside her then-boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito - but they both were fully acquitted by Italy's Supreme Court in 2015 following a sensational legal battle. Though Ms Knox remains convicted of slander for accusing her former nightclub boss Patrick Lumumba of Ms Kercher's murder in 2007. At the time of Guede's release, Ms Knox said that Guede has been "able to cause harm to more young women" since his release. She wrote in a post on X: "Guede was never held fully accountable for murdering Meredith, as he was only convicted of rape and of 'participating in the murder.' "Essentially he was charged with being an accomplice for a crime he committed alone. He was sentenced to 30 years. 6 6 "On appeal, that was reduced to 16. He was released on 'good behavior' after serving 13 years..." Knox has since gone on to become an author and journalist and has spoken openly about her treatment during the ordeal. In 2020, Knox told Good Morning America how she felt she was carrying the burden of Guede's crime. "I continue to this day to be shocked that he is the forgotten killer," Knox said. "The one who was quietly tucked away, convicted of a lesser crime, and does not have to live with the burden of forever being associated with Meredith's death. "I do know that many, many people have suffered a great deal because of what he did.' Timeline of Meredith Kercher saga November 1, 2007 – The murder of Meredith Kercher: British exchange student Meredith Kercher, 21, is found dead in the apartment she shares with Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy. Her throat is slashed, and signs suggest she may have been sexually assaulted. November 6, 2007 – Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito arrested: Amanda Knox, her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, and Patrick Lumumba, Knox's boss at a local bar, are arrested in connection with Kercher's murder. Knox accuses Lumumba of the killing during a police interrogation. November 20, 2007 – Patrick Lumumba released: Lumumba is released after police find no forensic evidence linking him to the murder. He was falsely implicated by Knox during a contentious interrogation. December 6, 2007 – Rudy Guede arrested in Germany: Rudy Guede, a 20-year-old Ivorian man, is arrested in Germany and extradited to Italy. His DNA is found on Kercher's body and at the crime scene. October 28, 2008 – Guede convicted of murder: Guede opts for a fast-track trial and is convicted of Kercher's murder. He is sentenced to 30 years in prison, later reduced to 16 on appeal. January 16, 2009 – Knox and Sollecito trial begins: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito stand trial for the murder of Kercher. Prosecutors allege a sex game gone wrong, while the defence argues that Guede acted alone. December 4, 2009 – Knox and Sollecito convicted: Knox and Sollecito are found guilty. Knox is sentenced to 26 years in prison; Sollecito receives 25 years. November 24, 2010 – Appeals process begins: Knox and Sollecito appeal their convictions. A key focus is the forensic evidence, including DNA found on a knife and a bra clasp. October 3, 2011 – Knox and Sollecito acquitted: An appeals court overturns their convictions, citing errors in the forensic investigation. Knox is freed and returns to Seattle. March 26, 2013 – Italy's Supreme Court orders retrial: Italy's Court of Cassation annuls the acquittals, ordering a retrial for Knox and Sollecito. January 30, 2014 – Knox and Sollecito reconvicted: Knox and Sollecito are reconvicted in their retrial. Knox, now in the U.S., is sentenced to 28.5 years in prison. March 25, 2015 – Final acquittal: Italy's Supreme Court definitively acquits Knox and Sollecito of Kercher's murder, citing lack of evidence and glaring errors in the investigation. November 2021 – Rudy Guede released: Rudy Guede, the sole person definitively convicted in connection with Kercher's death, is released from prison after serving 13 years. 2023 - present – Knox's slander conviction: Despite her acquittal, Knox is convicted of slander for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba. 2023: The European Court of Human Rights rules that Knox's rights were violated during her 2007 interrogation. June 2024: An Italian court upholds her slander conviction, a decision confirmed by Italy's high court in January 2025.
Sky News
13-07-2025
- Sky News
Meredith Kercher's killer faces new trial over sexual assault allegations
The man convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher has been charged with sexual assault against an ex-girlfriend. Rudy Guede, 38, was the only person who was definitively convicted of the murder of 21-year-old Ms Kercher in Perugia, Italy, back in 2007. He will be standing trial again in November after an ex-girlfriend filed a police report in the summer of 2023 accusing Guede of mistreatment, personal injury and sexual violence. Guede, from the Ivory Coast, was released from prison for the murder of Leeds University student Ms Kercher in 2021, after having served about 13 years of a 16-year sentence. Since last year - when this investigation was still ongoing - Guede has been under a "special surveillance" regime, Sky News understands, meaning he was banned from having any contact with the woman behind the sexual assault allegations, including via social media, and had to inform police any time he left his city of residence, Viterbo, as ruled by a Rome court. Guede has been serving a restraining order and fitted with an electronic ankle tag. The Kercher murder case, in the university city of Perugia, was the subject of international attention. Ms Kercher, a 21-year-old British exchange student, was found murdered in the flat she shared with her American roommate, Amanda Knox. The Briton's throat had been cut and she had been stabbed 47 times. Ms Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were placed under suspicion. Both were initially convicted of murder, but Italy's highest court overturned their convictions, acquitting them in 2015.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
Man convicted of Meredith Kercher's murder facing trial for sexual assault
Rudy Guede, the only person definitively convicted of the brutal 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, will be back in court this fall facing charges of sexual assault and violence against a former girlfriend. Guede, a 38-year-old Ivory Coast native who has lived in Italy since the age of five, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Kercher's murder in October 2008. His sentence was reduced on appeal before he was released early for good behavior in 2021. The case sparked a media frenzy, spawning more than two dozen books and three films. More than 100,000 photos, thousands of chats and audio messages between Guede and the unnamed victim are among the evidence to be considered in the trial, according to the investigating magistrate Rita Cialoni, who ordered Guede to stand trial in a preliminary hearing in Viterbo on Friday. The two began dating while Guede was still in prison and ended their relationship in 2023 when the woman pressed charges against him, according to Italian media. American student Amanda Knox, who was Kercher's roommate at the time she was killed, and Knox's then-boyfriend Italian Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted in tandem for their alleged role in Kercher's murder in 2009, but were fully exonerated by Italy's Supreme Court in 2015 following a topsy-turvy legal battle. Knox, remains convicted of slander for accusing her former nightclub boss Patrick Lumumba of Kercher's murder in 2007. Guede's new indictment and trial stems from 2023 accusations of sexual assault, mistreatment and stalking, by a 25-year-old woman Guede dated from Viterbo, where Guede worked first on work release from prison and then after his release. His first hearing will be held November 4 in Viterbo. His lawyer Carlo Mezzetti told CNN his client was innocent and feared he would not get a fair trial given his previous conviction.
