Friends fear the worst as the search continues for a University of Minnesota sorority member who went missing after a night of bar hopping. 
 
 Jennifer Houle, 22, was last seen early Friday morning at an off-campus Irish pub, and cops later discovered her purse about three blocks away in the middle of the street, authorities said. 
 
 The business student and sorority sister of Pi Beta Phi was out with a friend in the Dinkytown neighborhood when they were separated at Blarney Pub & Grill. 
 
 “A lot of us think that she might have tried to walk home from Blarney and foul play may be involved,” the friend, Brooke Laven told KSTP. “And that’s what’s really, really scary about the situation and why we’re all really worried.” 
 
 Jennifer Houle’s purse was found in the street about three blocks from a Minneapolis, Min., bar where she was last seen early Friday morning. (Facebook) Jennifer Houle, 22, went missing after a night of bar hopping in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minn. (Facebook) Jennifer Houle, a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority at the University of Minnesota went missing on Friday, police say. (Facebook) Jennifer Houle, 22, was last seen early Friday morning at a Minneapolis, Minn., bar. (Facebook) 
 
 The two friends ran into Houle’s ex-boyfriend earlier in the night, and that “kind of set off some emotions,” Laven said. 
 
 Police have spoken to the ex-boyfriend and people who were at the bar that night, the station reported. 
 
 Houle was last seen between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., cops said. 
 
 Jennifer Houle, 22, was wearing a green blouse (shown), black leather jacket, black leggings and boots when she went missing on Friday in Minneapolis, police say. (Minneapolis Police Department) 
 
 The blond business student is 5 feet 5 inches tall and was wearing a green blouse, black leather jacket, black leggings and boots when she disappeared. 
 
 Her sorority sisters have plastered missing posters across the neighborhood and spread her picture online. 
 
 “Our sister, Jen Houle is still missing.” the sorority posted on Facebook, adding “We need all the help we can get to find this warm-hearted, beautiful person.” 
 
 A missing University of Minnesota was last seen Friday at Blarney Pub & Grill in the Dinkytown section of Minneapolis, Minn., police say. (Google Maps Street View) 
 
 The university is working with cops to help in the search, a spokesman said. 
 
 “We remain hopeful that Ms. Houle will be found safe and sound,” Minnesota Dean of Students Danita Brown said in a statement. 
 
 A prayer vigil was planned for Sunday night at Houle’s old high school in Stillwater. 
 
 ON A MOBILE DEVICE? SEE THE VIDEO HERE ||||| Updated: 03/29/2015 10:09 PM 
 
 Created: 03/28/2015 12:40 AM KSTP.com 
 
 More than 200 friends and family members of Jennifer Houle—a missing University of Minnesota student—gathered for a prayer vigil outside Stillwater High School Sunday night. 
 
 Houle grew up in Lake Elmo and graduated Stillwater High four years ago. 
 
 Cathy Arnfelt, a family friend, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, "Prayer is the most powerful thing we have. I have two sons myself and I cannot imagine what Diane and John (Houle's parents) are going through." 
 
 Jim Kuchar's wife taught with Houle's mother. He said, "We are here to support the family. We have two daughters and one of them is Jennifer's age and if this were to happen to us, we would be heartbroken." 
 
 Police continue to seek help in finding 22-year-old Houle, who was reported missing on Friday. She was last seen at Blarney Pub and Grill in Dinkytown on Friday around 1 a.m., according to the Minneapolis Police Department. 
 
 Houle has long blonde hair and blue eyes. She is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, green blouse, black leggings and black boots. 
 
 According to a tweet sent by the Minneapolis Police Department, Houle's purse was found Friday at 3 a.m. on the 1100 block of 4th Street SE. 
 
 Minneapolis Police are investigating Houle's disappearance and urge anyone with any information concerning Houle's whereabouts to contact them immediately. 
 
 Houle is a senior studying business at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She will be graduating this spring from the Carlson School of Business within the university. 
 
 The sorority Houle is a member of issued a statement via its Facebook page requesting any information regarding her whereabouts and encouraged those with information to contact the police. 
 
 Danita Brown Young, Ph.D., vice provost for student affairs and dean of students issued a statement Sunday morning: 
 
 "The University of Minnesota is working with local law enforcement to help find Jennifer Houle, a Carlson School of Management student and Pi Beta Phi sorority member, who has been missing since Friday, March 27. 
 
 During this time of need, we want to offer support and counseling to any University members who need it. Students are encouraged to contact Boynton Health Service or University Counseling & Consulting Services if they need assistance. 
 
 Lastly, we ask that the public respect the privacy of Ms. Houle’s friends, family and sorority sisters as the situation continues to evolve. Please give them the space they need to process this challenging event. 
 
 We remain hopeful that Ms. Houle will be found safe and sound." 
 
 __________ 
 
 Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call 9-1-1 or send a text to 847-411(tip 411), enter MPD and the tip or call the tipline at 612-692-TIPS(8477). 
 
 Stay with KSTP for more updates on this story. 
 
 Purse belonging to Jen Houle was located Friday/3:00 am. She also was wearing black leather jacket and boots. Rest of description is correct — Minneapolis Police (@MPD_PIO) March 28, 2015 ||||| MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 21-year-old Winona State University student was discovered dead inside a bar’s dumbwaiter Monday evening, according to the Fountain City Police Department. 
 
 Shortly before 8 p.m., the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from WingDam Bar and Saloon in Fountain City, Wisconsin. When authorities arrived, they discovered the body of an employee identified as Brooke Baures in the food service elevator. 
 
 Baures’ gymnastic coach, Becki Rolbiecki, calls her a stand-out athlete who went to Nationals and was named All American all three years at Winona State. 
 
 “She’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime athletes,” Rolbiecki said. “Her work ethic inspired everybody in the gym because she just went all out and gave her all every practice.” 
 
 Rolbiecki said Baures was an all-around gymnast, but she concentrated on the bars and beam, and her future. 
 
 “Awesome team person, you know. Very compassionate and caring person, a good listener, a good friend, a good mentor,” Rolbiecki said. “We had lots of conversations and lots of discussions about life and love and wishes and dreams and hopes.” 
 
 Baures planned to become a social worker, a desire she took so seriously. Rolbiecki says she decided to pursue an internship rather than gymnastics her senior year. 
 
 She also worked part-time at WingDam Saloon and Grill. Police say part of her job included getting service items from the dumbwaiter that runs between the floors of the bar. 
 
 While police don’t know yet how Baures became trapped, they have ruled out foul play. 
 
 Winona State University Athletic Director Eric Schoh met with the gymnastic team before they went to see Baures’ family in Wisconsin. 
 
 “A lot of tears, a lot of hang-in-there’s, a lot of thoughts and prayers and a lot of hugs,” Schoh said. 
 
 Rolbiecki says the team’s thoughts and prayers go out to Baures family. 
 
 “She was such a gift, she loved life,” Rolbiecki said. 
 
 Baures went to high school in Cameron, Wisconsin. 
 
 The gymnastics team and other students are planning a candle light vigil for Baures Wednesday night at 8 p.m. at the gazebo on campus. 
 
 Police think they’ll know more Wednesday about how the accident happened. 
 
 OSHA has been contacted, and the agency says there have only been two fatal dumbwaiter accidents in the U.S. in the past 10 years.
– A sad development in the case of a missing University of Minnesota student last seen around 1am Friday at the Blarney Pub & Grill: CBS Minnesota reports that police last night secured video footage that apparently shows Jen Houle entering the Mississippi River via a bridge located a few blocks from the bar, which is located in the Dinkytown neighborhood. Police are apparently not looking for suspects, and the investigation has shifted to a water recovery mission. KSTP notes that officials didn't specify whether she may have jumped or fallen; it earlier reported her purse was found in the street around three blocks away from the bar and a block away from her sorority house. Pi Beta Phi members previously issued a plea online and plastered a Minneapolis neighborhood with fliers seeking help finding Houle, a business student who had been due to graduate in May. The 22-year-old had been out with a friend, but they became separated at the off-campus bar, according to the New York Daily News. Reads a Minneapolis Police Department statement: "We extend our deepest condolences to the Houle family and all of Jennifer's many friends. The Minneapolis Police Department and the family of Jennifer Houle wish to thank the many people who provided support, assistance, and information since Jennifer's disappearance." Counseling is being offered to students at the school.