The body of Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old graduate student who disappeared early Sunday morning, July 20, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, was recovered from the Mississippi River on Wednesday morning, ending a four-day search that mobilized community members and law enforcement across the region.
Heinz’s body was found near Brownsville, Minnesota, at approximately 10:28 a.m. on July 23, 2025, by the Houston County Sheriff’s Department. The location was more than a dozen miles downstream from where she was last seen in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The Hortonville, Wisconsin, native was last spotted on surveillance footage at 3:22 a.m. on July 20, walking south on the 500 block of Front Street South in La Crosse. She had been at Bronco’s Bar at 105 Third Street South around 2:30 a.m. before beginning her walk home. The surveillance video showed her walking alone near the Mississippi River waterfront, approximately three-quarters of a mile from her apartment.
Heinz was a second-year graduate student at Viterbo University in La Crosse, studying mental health counseling. The private Catholic university, which has just under 2,100 students, served as a headquarters for volunteers during the search effort.
La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron expressed the department’s disappointment with the outcome. “This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search,” Kudron stated. He indicated that the entire department sends condolences to Heinz’s family and expressed gratitude for community support during the search.
The search effort involved multiple agencies and hundreds of community members. Friends, family, and police conducted searches by air, land, and water throughout Monday and Tuesday. The La Crosse Fire Department deployed boats on the Mississippi River, while officers used drones to assist in the search. Community members distributed flyers and checked security camera footage in response to police requests.
During the search, Heinz’s cellphone was located by friends, according to her mother, Amber Heinz. The family had immediately contacted police when they were unable to reach their daughter on Sunday morning. Amber Heinz had described her daughter as having the biggest heart and unending kindness for everyone, noting that Eliotte was the oldest of three children.
Viterbo University held a prayer service on Monday afternoon at San Damiano Chapel, welcoming people of all faith backgrounds. University President Dr. Rick Trietley acknowledged the profound impact of the loss, indicating there are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young with so much life ahead of her. The university announced plans to hold a memorial service for Heinz this fall when students return to campus, coordinating with her family.
The La Crosse Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Heinz’s death. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the official cause of death. The investigation remains active as officials work to understand how Heinz ended up in the river approximately 13 miles from her last known location.
The case highlights ongoing safety concerns in the La Crosse area, where the Mississippi River runs adjacent to the downtown district. The university and local law enforcement had requested that residents check their security cameras and Ring doorbell footage for any information that might assist the investigation.
The university community expressed profound grief over the loss. Viterbo officials noted their gratitude to the La Crosse Police Department for their efforts and to community members who provided support through searching, sharing information, offering prayers, and providing food and water during the search period.
Local authorities had utilized social media and traditional media outlets to spread awareness about Heinz’s disappearance, requesting public assistance in locating her. The La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers had offered anonymous reporting options for anyone with information about her whereabouts.
The investigation continues as authorities work to provide answers to her family and the broader community that rallied to find her.