Wisconsin graduate student vanishes after late-night walk; desperate family pleads for help

Authorities are searching for a 22-year-old graduate student who went missing early Sunday morning in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Eliotte Heinz was last seen walking near the waterfront just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the La Crosse Police Department.

Less than an hour before she was last seen, she was with friends at Bronco’s Bar in the city’s downtown, according to the New York Post.

Her family, friends and police made several attempts to locate her with no success, officials said in a statement.

Eliotte Heinz, 22, went missing early Sunday in La Crosse, Wis. (La Crosse Police Department)

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Heinz, 5-foot-4 with blonde hair and blue eyes, was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and jean shorts.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Viterbo University shared a message from the Heinz family asking for help spreading the word on social media.

"On behalf of our entire family, thank you," the Heinz family wrote. "The outpouring of support in the search for Eliotte has been overwhelming, and we are deeply grateful for the kindness, prayers, and encouragement from the community and beyond. Many of you have asked how you can help. At this time, the most important thing you can do is continue sharing Eliotte’s information on social media."

Eliotte Heinz, 22, vanished after last being spotted on a late-night walk in La Crosse, Wis. (La Crosse Police Department)

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The family also asked those in the La Crosse area to review any home security camera footage from early Sunday between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

"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."

The family is accepting donations at the Viterbo University School of Nursing, though it is unclear if Heinz was a nursing student.

Police said they are continuing to follow up on all leads and information.

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The incident comes six years after University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson, 21, was kidnapped and murdered by Nathaniel Rowland, who was posing as a rideshare driver, on March 29, 2019.

On the way home from the college town's Five Points bar scene, in the early morning hours, Josephson mistook Rowland's car for an Uber and was abducted.

Nathaniel Rowland was found guilty in the 2019 killing of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson. (Columbia Police Department via AP)

During a police search for Josephson, an eerily similar sidewalk photo to Heinz's was distributed by local authorities.

Josephson was stabbed more than 100 times, and her body was later found in a wooded area more than an hour from her pickup location.

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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.

The La Crosse Police Department declined Fox News Digital's request for comment, citing the active investigation.