Cause of Death Revealed of WI Grad Student Who Vanished, Was Found in River

A medical examiner’s report made public Wednesday revealed that a Wisconsin graduate student who mysteriously vanished accidentally drowned in the Mississippi River.

Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old graduate student, disappeared in July after a night out at a local bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin, which led to a search for her.

She was studying mental health counseling at Viterbo University, a Catholic university in La Crosse.

Heinz was reported missing on July 20, and her body was discovered three days later in the Mississippi River “by a fisherman … near Brownsville, Minnesota — more than a dozen miles from where she was last seen, authorities said,” according to Fox News.

The La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office found that there was “no gross evidence of trauma,” their report, released this week, said.

Camera footage found that she was not far from the waterfront at 3:20 a.m., approximately 50 minutes after leaving Bronco’s Bar downtown. Her sudden disappearance baffled law enforcement and her parents said there were trying to “stay positive.”

The student reportedly had a 0.193 blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which is more than double the state’s legal driving limit.

Her family said this past summer, “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,” they said. “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.”

“Eliotte’s walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family’s walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you, Eliotte.”