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A graduate student has been missing for over 72 hours, last seen on surveillance footage walking alone by a river—just moments before disappearing without a trace and leaving her cellphone behind.
Eliotte Heinz has not been heard from since the early hours of Sunday. The 22-year-old vanished while strolling along the Mississippi River after departing from a bar in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
A snapshot from the surveillance video released by local authorities shows Heinz clad in a white t-shirt, cut-off denim shorts, and white sneakers, walking near the waterfront on the 500 block of Front Street South around 3:22 am.
In the image, Heinz appears to be alone and holding something in her hand, possibly a cellphone. The footage was captured by a camera outside the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.
Heinz’s cellphone was later recovered by her friends close to the hotel, her family has confirmed. No further details have been shared.
Less than an hour before her last sighting, Heinz had been enjoying an evening out with friends at Bronco’s Bar in the city’s downtown area, but left around 2.30am when the bar closed.
Where she spent the 50 minutes between leaving the bar and being captured on the hotel’s security feed is not clear. The bar and the hotel are just 0.4 miles apart.
A spokesperson for Bronco’s told the Daily Mail they’ve been in communication with law enforcement and have handed over surveillance footage from Saturday night and Sunday morning to aid with the search for Heinz.
A photo from the surveillance footage shared by local police shows Heinz walking along the 500 Block of Front St. South at 3:22am on Sunday
Heinz had been with a group of friends at Bronco’s Bar in the city’s downtown area, but left around 2.30am Sunday
‘To ensure all information is accurate and properly handled, we have forwarded all relevant details, including surveillance footage from that evening, to the authorities,’ said the spokesperson.
‘As the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide specific comments about Ms. Heinz…while she was at our establishment.
‘[We] are committed to assisting in any way we can to help with the investigation.’
Search efforts to locate Heinz continued on Wednesday morning.
For the last few days, local law enforcement has been searching near the Mississippi River, using drones and dive units to scour along shorelines close to where the last-known image of Heinz was captured.
Heinz’s mother, Amber Heinz, said her daughter was on her way to her apartment when she disappeared.
The journey should’ve taken Heinz around 30 minutes – but she never made it back.
Heinz’s family realized something was wrong when they couldn’t reach her by phone later Sunday morning.
‘We talk all the time. We talked to her that week. We were texting back and forth, but on Sunday morning, when we couldn’t get a hold of her, we knew that something was going on,’ Amber told Fox News.
‘We’re all just trying to stay positive and get her home. That’s our focus. We are praying for the best possible outcome, which is Eliotte to come back to us and continue on her journey as she grows and becomes the amazing person that she is.’
For the last two days, local law enforcement has been searching near the Mississippi River, using drones and dive units to scour along shorelines close to where the last-known image of Heinz was captured
In an emotional press conference, her mom, Amber Heinz, described her daughter as a smart and responsible person
Amber added that she’s unsure if her daughter was trying to call a ride-share taxi at the time of her disappearance, or whether she was following directions on her phone.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Uber and Lyft for comment but did not immediately hear back.
The La Crosse Police Department launched an appeal Wednesday to all local businesses in the city’s downtown to check their properties and cameras for potential leads.
‘[P]lease check your properties along with reviewing camera/video footage between the hours of 2am-9am on Sunday July 20th, 2025, for anyone matching the description of Eliotte,’ an alert from the department read.
The family issued a similar plea Tuesday, urging locals to keep an eye out for even the smallest of details and comb back through any doorbell camera footage they might have.
‘Even the smallest detail could make a difference,’ the family wrote.
‘If you see anything that may help, please contact the La Crosse Police Department… Please continue to keep Eliotte and our family in your prayers.’
Heinz is working on her doctorate in psychology at Viterbo College
During an emotional press conference on Monday, Heinz’s brother, Brett Heinz, said her disappearance is ‘tearing our family apart’
Heinz is described as being five-foot-four, weighing around 120 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes
Heinz is a graduate student at Viterbo College, where she is enrolled in the school’s mental health counseling program.
The school’s campus is serving as a home base for volunteer searchers, who’ve helped her family canvas the surrounding area and hand out fliers over the last 48 hours.
Tips continue to pour in regarding her disappearance, La Crosse PD shared.
Heinz’s family described her as ‘responsible, kind, and deeply loved.’
‘Her sudden disappearance is completely out of character,’ the family shared. ‘We just want Eliotte home. This nightmare has shaken us to the core.’
During an emotional press conference on Monday, Heinz’s brother, Brett Heinz, said her disappearance is ‘tearing our family apart.’
‘Everyone is just really messed up right now,’ he said. ‘We don’t know where Eliotte is. We need to find her.’
Heinz is described as being five-foot-four, weighing around 120 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information about Heinz’s whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 608-782-7575.
Information can also be sent anonymously to La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at 608-784-TIPS or submitted online at https://www.p3tips.com/459.
