Latest news with #ViterboUniversity
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Eliotte Heinz case: Foul play involved in Wisconsin woman's death? Police reveal details
The La Crosse Police Department has shared an update about the death of Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old student who was found dead in the Mississippi River after she went missing in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Heinz, a Viterbo University graduate, went missing while walking home after a night out at bars with friends. Her body was found by a fisherman four days later, in the Mississippi River near Brownsville. Eliotte Heinz case: Foul play involved in Wisconsin woman's death? Police reveal details (City of La Crosse Police Department) Is foul play suspected in Eliotte Heinz's death? The La Crosse Police Department announced in a recent press release that they do not believe foul play was involved in Heinz's death. "The La Crosse Police Department continues to follow-up on information surrounding the death of Eliotte Heinz," the press release reads. "Based on the preliminary autopsy results, we do not believe there was any criminal conduct related to Eliotte's death. Final autopsy results will not be completed for several months." '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 said. The Viterbo University community shared a statement on social media, saying, 'Viterbo University 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. 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.' 'Very sweet, quiet girl' Meanwhile, Heinz's neighbor praised the deceased woman as a kind person. Jonathan Strike, who lives in Heinz's apartment building, told Fox News that she had moved in just a few months ago. "Very sweet, quiet girl," Strike said. "[She] always said 'Hi' every time she walked by. Ever since she moved in, [she] always made an attempt to be as friendly as she can be, even with my dog jumping all over everybody. It's just heartbreaking." "She made the neighborhood better," Strike added, noting that Heinz would regularly run through the neighborhood. "If she ever had a bad day, we wouldn't know. She never gave off those vibes. She was always happy, always sweet, even on days when it was hot and humid like today." Strike said he found out about Heinz's disappearance on social media. "I found out on Facebook before anything," he said. "I'm like, 'No, that can't be her.' Then I saw her parents across the street, and I just broke down. They were trying very hard to hold out hope, and it was a rough few days. I'm just glad she's in a better place now." It remains unclear how Heinz ended up in the river. The investigation will remain open until final autopsy results are revealed.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Fox News
Wisconsin student Eliotte Heinz's Mississippi River death reignites safety concerns in college town
LA CROSSE, Wisc. – The tragic discovery of Viterbo University graduate student Eliotte Heinz's body in the Mississippi River this week left the La Crosse, Wisconsin, community in shock, remembering the 22-year-old for her sweet demeanor and reigniting calls for increased vigilance in the bustling college town. Heinz disappeared early Sunday while walking home after a night out at bars with friends. Four days later, a fisherman found her body in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. Jonathan Strike, who lives in Heinz's apartment building, told Fox News that Heinz had only moved in a few months ago, but her kindness radiated in the community. "Very sweet, quiet girl," Strike said. "[She] always said 'Hi' every time she walked by. Ever since she moved in, [she] always made an attempt to be as friendly as she can be, even with my dog jumping all over everybody. It's just heartbreaking." "She made the neighborhood better," Strike said, adding that Heinz had regularly run through the neighborhood. "If she ever had a bad day, we wouldn't know. She never gave off those vibes. She was always happy, always sweet, even on days when it was hot and humid like today." While Strike hadn't ever seen Heinz walking or running in the early morning hours, he noted it wouldn't have been unusual. "This is a college town. I go to work at 2 a.m. and I still see them walking … for the most part, everybody does it. There are bars every two blocks," he said. "I've taken my dog for a walk at 2 a.m., and it's never been really an issue." Even though Strike lived in the same building as Heinz, the news of her disappearance spread so quickly, he found out about it on social media. "I found out on Facebook before anything," he said. "I'm like, 'No, that can't be her.' Then I saw her parents across the street, and I just broke down. They were trying very hard to hold out hope, and it was a rough few days. I'm just glad she's in a better place now." While it is unclear how Heinz ended up in the river, local authorities on Friday said they do not suspect any foul play. The investigation remains open pending final autopsy results. Strike urged the community to check in on friends and family, emphasizing tht "it could happen to anybody." "Don't ever, especially [during] twilight, walk home," he said. "[It doesn't] matter how big or small you are. If you don't feel safe … call somebody, because this could have been prevented 100%." Allison Forst, who was in the mental health counseling program with Heinz, described her as someone who was always "really smiley," adding that "it was hard to be sad around her." "I did [feel safe walking around downtown] until this happened," Forst said about Heinz's disappearance. "I'm a lot more stressed just walking around on my own and being on my own. I always thought La Crosse was pretty safe, and I didn't really have any worries about it. Now, I'm a little more apprehensive." Another young woman in downtown La Crosse, who wished to remain anonymous, stressed the importance of remaining in a group while drinking. "I'd say, however many friends you come with, make sure that entire group is with you when you're bar hopping, when you are leaving to go home," said the woman, who grew up in the city. "Use your community, use your friends, and don't let anyone get home on their own, no matter how close their apartment is, because the river is real close." "I would love for friends to look out for friends," she added. "If there are any extra safety precautions we can take by the river during those bar times, that would be awesome. I truly don't have all the answers. I just want our students and downtown residents to be safe." WATCH: Women address La Crosse safety after Wisconsin grad student death While local officials have remained fairly quiet about the safety concerns near the river in the days following Heinz's death, City Council Member Lisa Weston, who represents District 12, told Fox News Digital that potential changes in downtown are not "out of the question." "I think it's always worth having conversations about adequate public safety," Weston said. "I don't think it also takes the death of a young person to require a review of our safety protocols. Unfortunately, La Crosse has had a history of losing young folks in the river over the last 30 years. So, unfortunately, it's not new, and it doesn't make it any less tragic." The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a program started in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, reported that eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of excessive drinking between 1997 and 2006. Weston added that going forward, she thinks there will be an ongoing conversation about river safety in the downtown area. "It won't just be city police, it won't just be the city council, it will also be leaders within the community that will weigh in," she said.
Fox News
4 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.
USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
No 'criminal conduct' in death of Wisconsin graduate student, police say
Local authorities say there was likely no foul play in the death of a Wisconsin graduate student who was found dead in the Mississippi River after leaving a bar. Eliotte Heinz, 22, was last seen on July 20 after she left a bar in downtown La Crosse, near the Minnesota border about 150 miles southeast of Minneapolis. Her body was found three days later in the Mississippi River. 'Based on the preliminary autopsy results, we do not believe there was any criminal conduct related to Eliotte's death,' La Crosse police said in a news release July 25. 'Final autopsy results will not be completed for several months.' The investigation is ongoing, police said, adding that they're grateful for the assistance of authorities who helped with the search, as well as Viterbo University staff, students and families. When police confirmed that Heinz had been found deceased, La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron said in a news release that this was 'not the outcome' the department hoped for. When USA TODAY asked about Heinz's cause of death on Thursday, July 24, the La Crosse County Medical Examiner said they could not release information. Eliotte Heinz last seen walking from bar Heinz was last seen walking in downtown La Crosse around 3:22 a.m. on July 20, police said. According to Viterbo University, where she attended graduate school, she had just left a bar called Bronco's. As authorities searched for her, they asked downtown businesses and residents to check their properties and cameras; authorities suspected someone may have captured her on footage between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. on July 20. Three days after she was last seen, the Houston County Sheriff's Department in Caledonia, Minnesota, contacted La Crosse police about a body in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota. The body was eventually identified as Heinz's. Death of Eliotte Heinz has been 'heavy' for Viterbo University community Viterbo University said it plans to hold a memorial for her this fall. Heinz was part of the university's graduate mental health counseling program, her mother, Amber Heinz, told Fox News. She said her daughter was kind with "big blue eyes." She was the oldest of three children, her mother said. Viterbo University said the past few days have been "heavy for our campus and our hearts." 'As we begin to gently return to the rhythms of campus life, we do so with a deepened sense of connection and care for one another,' the university wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 24. 'May this place continue to be one where kindness, faith, and hope guide us forward.' Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Fox News
5 days ago
- Fox News
Fisherman found Wisconsin grad student face down in Mississippi River days after mysterious disappearance
New details are emerging about the fateful morning when Wisconsin graduate student Eliotte Heinz was discovered lifeless in the Mississippi River, as locals vividly recount the chilling moment a fisherman found her body floating face down in the water. The 22-year-old Viterbo University student vanished Sunday morning after a night out at the bars with friends, Fox News Digital previously reported. She was last seen walking along the Mississippi River waterfront at about 3:30 a.m., and later spotted on surveillance footage heading toward her apartment, which was less than a mile away. Her body was found by a fisherman 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, according to authorities. The owner of a marina bar near the spot where Heinz's body was found told Fox News Digital the young fisherman found the body face down and wrapped in duckweed. The body could be seen from the shore. The bar owner said the fisherman was spooked, having initially thought the body was a log. Police were called and those nearby kept their distance to preserve the scene. It remains unclear how Heinz ended up in the river. Her cause of death is pending autopsy results. However, intoxicated drownings near La Crosse's downtown area are not uncommon. The University of Wisconsin River Watch, a campus program launched in 2006 to prevent alcohol-related accidental drownings, noted that between 1997 and 2006 eight college students drowned in the Mississippi River. Other media reports speculate the number of drownings could be closer to a dozen, as of 2017. Contrary to the "Smiley Face" murder theory that circulated around the city, River Watch confirmed the deaths between 1997 and 2006 were determined to be the result of excessive drinking, combined with close physical proximity to Riverside Park, bordering the Mississippi River. The "Smiley Face" theory suggests the drownings of multiple young men in Midwestern states were murders marked by smiley face graffiti near discovery locations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly discounted the theory, instead attributing the deaths to alcohol. Some of those found in the river included UW-La Crosse students Jeffrey F. Geesey, 20, whose body was found May 22, 1999, with a .42 blood alcohol content; Jared Dion, 21, whose body was found April 15, 2004, with a .27 blood alcohol content; and Luke Homan, 21, whose body was found Oct. 2, 2006, with a .32 blood alcohol content, according to a report from The Minnesota Star Tribune. A business owner, located just steps from the last bar Heinz visited before the tragic discovery on the Mississippi River, insisted that despite the area's history of fatal drownings, locals still view downtown as a safe and vibrant community. "It's definitely a college town, specifically the downtown area on Third Street," Muy Caliente Taco Broz owner Eric Mora told Fox News Digital. "It's pretty relaxed, being the younger crowd drinking. It's never anything too concerning, in my opinion. We get the late-night crowd going into Taco Broz, and we've rarely ever had any issues. For the most part, it's just a bunch of drunk college students, just having fun." Mora said it is more common for young barhoppers to call a rideshare service after a night out. However, he noted many college students do choose to walk home. "Just in general, I don't know if it would be a wise idea to be walking alone late at night in any city or in town, but since it's a college town, we do see a lot of college students tend to walk, even after a night out," he said. "At least from my time in college, it was rare that anybody would ever want to go down there toward the river… This is, at least for me, the first time of hearing something like this. It definitely came to us as a shock." Taco Broz, which opened its downtown location in December, was closed on the night Heinz went missing. Had it been open, Mora said he would have offered help. "I wish we would have stayed open," he said. "[Maybe] we would have seen something if she would have came in." Heinz's family said they are embarking on a path to healing."Eliotte is a beautiful person," the family wrote in a statement to Fox News. "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 were unable to keep her. She's amazing and would have continued to amaze us. Eliotte's walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our families walk down this new hard path is just beginning."
