Body Recovered From Mississippi River ID'd As Missing U Of M Student
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The body of a young woman recovered from the Mississippi River Wednesday has been identified as the missing University of Minnesota student, Jennifer Houle.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said the body was found by the county's water patrol near the 10th Avenue Bridge at about 7 p.m.
Houle was reported missing on Saturday, March 28. She had last been seen leaving a bar in Dinkytown.
Minneapolis Police say Houle was then seen on surveillance video entering the river from the 10th Avenue Bridge on Friday morning.
Houle's father released a statement released Thursday on his daughter's disappearance.
"We believe that Jennifer has been recovered by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and are very grateful for them bringing her home to us. I want to extend our sincere thanks for the efforts of all the law enforcement team who supported the search for Jennifer, and in particular the Minneapolis Police for their professionalism and compassion during the investigation.
The outpouring of support from the community, family and friends has been incredibly strong and helped us cope in this tragic time. Our appreciation for the prayers and messages of support is immense and the vigil at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday night was very special for us. It highlighted what a wonderful person Jennifer was and underscored the positive impact she had on the lives of others. The media has provided outstanding support and coverage after Jennifer was reported missing. It demonstrates the important role they have in our community and we sincerely thank them."
The family plans to hold a ceremony to celebrate Jennifer's life at 2 p.m. on April 12th at Northrop Auditorium on the U of M campus. Jennifer was a student at the Carlson School of Management. A funeral will be held the following Monday, April 13, at Guardian Angels Catholic Church.
