The search for 22-year-old college student Eliotte Heinz ended in tragedy on July 23, when her body was found in the Mississippi River near Brownsville,

Minnesota. She had been missing since the early hours of July 20 after being seen walking near Front Street South in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Surveillance footage showed Eliotte leaving a local bar around 2:30 a.m., presumably heading home.

When she never arrived, her family reported her missing, sparking community-wide searches and public appeals.

Three days later, a fisherman discovered a body in the river. Authorities soon confirmed it was Eliotte.

“This was not the outcome we had hoped for,” said La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. Viterbo University,

where Eliotte studied, issued a statement mourning her loss and announced a memorial service would be held in the fall.

An investigation is still underway, and an autopsy will determine the official cause of death.

Eliotte’s family had previously urged residents to check security cameras for clues, hoping for any lead.

Their appeal reflected the deep concern of a community that came together in hope — and now, in grief — for a young woman gone too soon.