A University of Minnesota student who went missing last week was captured on video entering the Mississippi River off the 10th Avenue Bridge, Minneapolis police said Monday.
Jennifer Houle, 22, a Carlson School of Management student, was last seen early Friday morning at the Blarney Pub at 412 14th Av. SE in Minneapolis. On Saturday, police said Houle's purse had been found at 3 a.m. Friday about three blocks west of the bar, where Houle had been out with friends.
Police provided few answers until Monday morning, when officials said they had surveillance video of Houle going off the bridge Friday morning. Police spokesman John Elder said officials had not determined if Houle had fallen or jumped from the bridge, but the footage showed she was alone at the time of the incident. Officials are not seeking any suspects in the case.
On Monday, Minneapolis police were working with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to recover Houle's body from the river. The bridge stands 110 feet above the water, about 10 stories.
The department issued a statement offering condolences to Houle's family and friends and thanked people who provided information after her disappearance.
The news came a day after more than 250 people gathered at Stillwater Area High School to hold a vigil for the missing student and Pi Beta Phi sorority member. Houle, from Lake Elmo, graduated from high school in Stillwater.
Danita Brown Young, the university's vice provost for student affairs and dean of students, released a statement Monday, saying the university was "deeply saddened" to learn the news about Houle.
The university is offering counseling services to students, faculty and staff members, especially for Houle's fellow Carlson students and her sorority sisters.
Houle's sorority sisters had posted messages of support on the group's Facebook page. Monday morning, a post urged people to wear purple, "to spread awareness for our sister Jen, as it is her favorite color."
An earlier post from the sorority urged people to help find Houle, a "warmhearted, beautiful person."
Erin Golden • 612-673-4790
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