Missing Student Eliotte Heinz Found Dead in River Was ‘Amazing,’ Family Says

A grieving family is reportedly speaking out after a missing 22-year-old graduate student was found dead days after she left a bar on the way home in her college town of La Crosse, Wisc.

Police said on Wednesday, July 23, that the body of Eliotte Heinz had been found in the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minn., which is just downstream from La Crosse.

“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,” her family said in a statement, according to ABC affiliate WISN.

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

Heinz, who attended Viterbo University, was remembered as beautiful, caring, funny, smart — “and loved fiercely.”

“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,” her loved ones said. “We are devastated that she is no longer with us. Our family will forever have a missing piece.”

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In a statement shared by officials along with confirmation of her death, Heinz’s family said anyone interested could consider donating to her parents through a family friend.

The La Crosse Police Department previously said that Heinz was last seen walking southbound on the 500 Block of Front Street South — which is close to the Mississippi River — at approximately 3:22 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 20.

“Her family, friends and police have made several attempts to locate her with no success,” police said.

According to Viterbo University, she was at Bronco’s Bar in La Crosse around 2:30 a.m. local time that day.

Family members have said that she was heading home when she disappeared, according to CBS affiliate WKBT.

“La Crosse Police are continuing to investigate and will await the results of an autopsy for an official cause of death,” law enforcement said in their statement on Wednesday. “The entire department sends their condolences.”

The police chief, Shawn Kudron, shared his own condolences.

“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,” he said in the statement. “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.”