Overview

• Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old mental health counseling student, disappeared on July 20 after leaving Bronco’s Bar in downtown La Crosse.
• Her body was recovered July 23 in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minnesota, following a multi-agency search involving dozens of volunteers.
• La Crosse police announced on July 25 that preliminary autopsy results show no evidence of foul play, though the investigation remains open.
• Viterbo University described the past days as heavy for its community and will host a memorial when students return in the fall.
• Heinz’s death has renewed calls for improved riverfront and nighttime safety in La Crosse, which has seen multiple alcohol-related drownings over the past decades.