Authorities are looking for a 22-year-old graduate student, Elliot Heinz, who went missing on Sunday morning in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
As reported by the La Crosse Police Department, she was last seen near the waterfront shortly before 3:30 AM. In fact, just an hour earlier, she was at a bar called Bronco with a friend. The bar shut down at 2:30 AM, and it was a brief walk—only about 0.4 miles—back to where she was last seen, taking roughly two minutes.
Attempts by her family, friends, and the police to locate her have, unfortunately, not yielded any results, as officials mentioned in a statement.
Elliot is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and was last seen in a white T-shirt and jersey shorts.
Viterbo University, where she studies, shared a heartfelt message from her family on social media. They expressed their gratitude for the overwhelming support during this difficult time, stating, “The kindness, prayer, and encouragement from the community and beyond have meant a lot. Many have asked how you can help.”
The family is also urging residents in the La Crosse area to review any home security footage from early Sunday morning, specifically between 2 AM and 6 AM, highlighting that even minor details could be crucial. “If there’s anything that might help, please contact the La Crosse Police Department,” they added.
Amber Heinz, Elliot’s mother, shared with Fox News Digital that her daughter is enrolled in a mental health counseling program at Viterbo. “We were in touch earlier that week, but when we couldn’t reach her on Sunday morning, we became seriously worried,” she noted.
Amber reflected on her daughter’s intent to return home, expressing the family’s hope to reunite with her soon. “We’re working closely with the police and spreading her picture everywhere, just trying to bring her home,” she said.
The police are diligently following up on leads, aiming for a positive outcome amidst the ongoing efforts.
This concerning incident recalls a previous tragedy from 2019 when Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student, was tragically murdered under similar circumstances, which has led to heightened caution among students and families alike.
While it remains unclear if Elliot was attempting to order a ride through Uber or Lyft, both companies have been contacted for further clarification. As of now, Uber has not responded, while Lyft stated they were “not involved” in this matter.
Anyone with information about Elliot Heinz is urged to contact the non-emergency police number at 608-782-7575, or anonymously through local crime stoppers at 608-784-TIPS.
As the situation develops, the La Crosse Police Department has not provided further comments due to the active investigation.
