Jennifer Houle, 22 -- Minnesota, Missing/Found Dead

[HairOfTheDog]

This is concerning. The surrounding circumstances are similar to those in the Lauren Spierer and Hannah Graham cases.

Lauren has been missing for years and Hannah was found dead shortly after going missing last year.

Anyway, I hope this one has a better ending.




Minneapolis police searching for a missing college student Sunday have reported finding the young woman’s purse near a bar where she was last seen early Friday.

Jennifer Houle, 22, was last seen around 1 a.m. at the Blarney Bar, a popular student hangout near the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis.

“Purse belonging to Jen Houle was located Friday/3:00 am,” Minneapolis Police Public Information Officer John Elder said on Twitter late Saturday afternoon. He said the block where the purse was found is about three blocks from the bar.

KSTP-TV reported late Saturday that Houle ran into an ex-boyfriend at the bar.

“That kind of set off some emotions,” Houle’s friend, Brooke Lavan, told the station. The station said Lavan and Houle went to the bar together and ended up getting separated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/30...68474.html

[Duchess]

Another blonde cutie.

Dinky Town, huh.

[HairOfTheDog]

I hope there are surveillance cams all over the area and police get some footage that aids in their investigation, like they did in Hannah Graham's case.

MS, are you familiar with the area around the university?

[Midwest Spy]

Yes I'm familiar with the U of M campus.

I spent my first 4 years on earth in Dinky Town (an area on the east side of the Mississippi River, but definitely part of the campus) while my parents went to school there.

This area is essentially 1 mile east of downtown Mpls.

There has been a lot of crime on campus over the past few years as inner city thugs believe they have found soft/easy targets on a large campus.

There are a lot of bars and a huge enrollment. Campus police have ramped up patrols recently but you can't keep all of them safe.

I feel bad for this young woman's family and I hope it's her ex-boyfriend that has done something (takes away the random factor, which makes things scarier for parents).

[HairOfTheDog]

BREAKING NEWS

Oh wow. This isn't necessarily a better outcome than I was expecting, but certainly a different one.



Police say they are looking for the body of a University of Minnesota student missing since early Friday morning.

In a press release on Monday, the Minneapolis Police said they are working on a search effort for 22-year-old Jennifer Houle.

"Last night, video evidence was located that indicates Ms. Houle entered the river from the 10^th Avenue Bridge on Friday morning," the release states. "No suspects are being sought."

Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said Houle was alone when she went over the bridge and into the water early Friday morning.

The Minneapolis Police Department said they are extending their deepest condolences to the Houle family.

Houle was last seen March 27 at the Blarney Bar in Dinkytown, sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Police say Houle's purse was found near 11^th Avenue and 4^th Street around 3 a.m. Friday, just a few blocks away from the bar.

Authorities did not call this a suicide or an accident -- that will be up to the medical examiner to determine.

No other details were released.

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2.../70671708/

[Midwest Spy]

Why would she ditch her purse like that instead of leaving it on the bridge?

Did she not want her body to be discovered (assuming she didn't realize she's be captured on video)?

It's not easy to get into the Carlson Business School. She wasn't dumb, and most likely not emotionally unstable. Something triggered by seeing her ex-boyfriend?

[Duchess]

Didn't see THAT coming. Wooo

[HairOfTheDog]

Maybe she was on anti-depressants when she went out drinking that night, had an unpleasant encounter with her ex-boyfriend, and just decided "fuck it all". It's one possibility.

Very sad, whatever drove her into that river.

Jennifer would have graduated in June.



RIP Jennifer Houle ^ (with her sorority sisters).

[Blindgreed1]

Not saying she did jump on purpose, but i'm certain if more women were eductaed about what bodies look like when they come out of the water, fewer women would choose watery deaths.

[HairOfTheDog]

^ Yeah, certainly "which form of suicide will render my corpse most attractive?" is a question more suicidal women and men would pause and ask themselves if only they were more educated.


Anyway, curious set of circumstances in play on this one. I'm interested to learn more about what was going on with Jennifer in general, and what transpired with her friends and her ex the night before she went off the bridge.

Thank goodness her fall into the river was captured by surveillance camera. That cut down the "not knowing" time for Jennifer's loved ones, minimized fruitless search and investigation efforts, and may have prevented the usual suspects from understandably being wrongly accused.

I hope Jennifer's body is recovered soon, for her family's sake. I'm also interested in what toxicology reports will reveal and whether she has any non-fall injuries.

[Duchess]

So weird to have been out with friends and then kill herself on the way home. I'm not saying there's a right time to commit suicide just that the timing seems so odd to me. I've always seen suicide as something one works up to privately, quietly and with forethought and not as a spur of the moment thing.

[sally]

Not saying she did jump on purpose, but i'm certain if more women were eductaed about what bodies look like when they come out of the water, fewer women would choose watery deaths.

Yeah I'd hate to be all waterlogged when they found me. I don't know what it is about women not thinking about this shit.

I'd probably take the OD route, not so much of a mess and easier to carry my corpse.

[Duchess]

The crabs eat on floaters here.

[HairOfTheDog]

Search Continues


10^th Avenue Bridge

For the fourth day, authorities scoured the Mississippi River for missing University of Minnesota student Jennifer Houle.

The Hennepin County sheriff's office is leading the search, which spokeswoman Rebecca Gilbuena said began Saturday. The Anoka and Ramsey County sheriff's offices and the Minnesota State Patrol are also assisting.

The search is focused on the area around the bridge and the water and shore downstream. Searchers were using sonar and a remote-controlled underwater vehicle. They work until nightfall, Gilbuena said.

Last night, a memorial for Jennifer, who is presumed dead by LE, was held at the University of Minnesota's Coffman Union.


Over 1,000 attended to remember Jennifer Houle. Hundreds of purple balloons were released (Jennifer's favorite color).

Today, the search for her body continues.

Ref: http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_2...-went-into

[HairOfTheDog]

Police are not commenting as to the investigation and whether Jennifer appeared to fall or jump from the bridge.

[Midwest Spy]

Police are not commenting as to the investigation and whether Jennifer appeared to fall or jump from the bridge.

I find that odd too.

It's not easy to stumble over a 4ft railing when you're only 5'5" tall.

[HairOfTheDog]

Not saying she did jump on purpose, but i'm certain if more women were eductaed about what bodies look like when they come out of the water, fewer women would choose watery deaths.

Yeah I'd hate to be all waterlogged when they found me. I don't know what it is about women not thinking about this shit.

I'd probably take the OD route, not so much of a mess and easier to carry my corpse.

Or, you could choose death by asphyxia, using your favorite bed sheet.

Then, you wouldn't have to worry about messy OD-vomiting while you were dying, you would accomplish your goal more quickly than ODing, you wouldn't gain any weight, and whoever found you hanging around could simply use the sheet to carry or drag your corpse away.

Efficient, cleanly, and courteous -- the proper and educated woman's way to go.

[HairOfTheDog]

Police are not commenting as to the investigation and whether Jennifer appeared to fall or jump from the bridge.

I find that odd too.

It's not easy to stumble over a 4ft railing when you're only 5'5" tall.

Yeah, it doesn't seem likely she stumbled to her death.

Seems more likely that Jennifer committed suicide by jumping off that bridge, or she was so wasted off her ass that she tried to cop a squat on the rail to gaze out over the water and accidentally fell to her death.

She was alone when she went into the water -- that's confirmed by camera footage, according to police. I'm curious to know how long she was on the bridge before she went into the Mississippi and if anybody had been on the bridge with her at some point before then.

[HairOfTheDog]

So weird to have been out with friends and then kill herself on the way home. I'm not saying there's a right time to commit suicide just that the timing seems so odd to me. I've always seen suicide as something one works up to privately, quietly and with forethought and not as a spur of the moment thing.

I hope it was an accident after partying too much rather than a suicide; I'd just rather think of her dying as a result of stupidly over-celebrating than feeling so worthless at such a young age.

I think we'll know pretty soon. Jennifer's body was recovered from the river last night.

This picture was taken of the bridge after the announcement; really a beautiful skyline.



Although the Hennepin County medical examiner's office has not yet officially identified the body, Jennifer Houle's father said he's sure it's his daughter.

John Houle said his family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from family, friends and the community.

"We want to thank law enforcement, all the Hennepin County sheriff's [deputies], the Minneapolis police ... and all the compassion they've shown to us," John Houle said in an interview Wednesday night.

"The vigil last night was all so special," he said about an event that drew more than 1,000 friends and sympathizers to the University of Minnesota. "Jennifer would have been pleased to see the outpouring for her. As a family, we certainly feel that love from the community."

Houle said the family will have a ceremony to celebrate his daughter's life April 12 at the university's Northrop Auditorium. "We'll talk about Jennifer there. It will give us time to compose ourselves and talk about her brilliant life."

Houle said his family has no clue as to what happened the night his daughter died and he appreciated the media's ability to get the word out "when we thought she was missing."

Full story: http://www.startribune.com/local/east/298401161.html

[Midwest Spy]

That particular view of downtown Mpls really is beautiful. If the two bridges weren't there you'd see St. Anthony Falls. That's were the first of the water powered mills were started and put Minneapolis on the map back in the 1800's.

If you see the two lighted bases of a bridge, just behind the 10^th Ave bridge, that's the new I35W bridge built to replace the one that collapsed in 2007.

The new Vikings stadium is about two thirds of the way done and it sits just left of this particular photo.

The U of M campus sits just behind where this pic is taken.