A Wisconsin graduate student whose disappearance prompted a days-long search in July died by accidental drowning in the Mississippi River, according to findings released Wednesday by the La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office, as reported by The New York Post.
The student, 22-year-old Eliotte Heinz, went missing on July 20 after a night out with friends in La Crosse. Her case drew significant attention as police, volunteers, and her family searched for answers in the days following her disappearance.
Heinz was a mental health counseling student at Viterbo College.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of death.
Eliotte Heinz, 22, a graduate student from Hortonville, Wisconsin, was found deceased in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota, on Wednesday morning, July 23. Eliotte was reported missing on Sunday, July… pic.twitter.com/DXX7JBQcz8
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) July 23, 2025
According to the report, there was “no gross evidence of trauma” on her body. The medical examiner’s office also stated that she had alcohol in her system but no sign of drugs, People Magazine reported.
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Her blood-alcohol level was recorded at 0.193, more than twice Wisconsin’s legal driving limit, according to WEAU.
Heinz was last seen on surveillance footage at 3:20 a.m. near the waterfront, about 50 minutes after leaving Bronco’s Bar in downtown La Crosse.
The video marked the final known sighting before she vanished, leaving investigators with limited clues as the search began.
Her disappearance distressed both investigators and her parents, who publicly shared that they were “trying to stay positive” as days passed with no new information.
Heinz’s body was later located in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota, with authorities reporting no evidence of foul play.
Authorities recovered the body of Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old graduate student from Viterbo University, from the Mississippi River after she vanished while walking home from a La Crosse bar. pic.twitter.com/ygkZkBBs4V
— Michelle Budinger M (@Michelle__Skye) July 26, 2025
The medical examiner’s conclusion of accidental drowning put an end to months of uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of her death.
In a statement released by her family in July, they wrote, “Eliotte’s walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family’s walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you, Eliotte.”
Authorities have not indicated any ongoing criminal investigation, and the case is now formally classified as an accidental death.
The body of Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old graduate student from Viterbo University, was discovered in the Mississippi River after she disappeared while walking home from a La Crosse bar. Authorities found her body on July 23, 2025, roughly 10 miles from her last known location.… pic.twitter.com/nGUSngH23M
— 0HOUR1 (@0hour1) July 30, 2025
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