Local authorities made an announcement Friday, twelve days after University of Minnesota honors student Austin Retterath was reported missing, that his body had been found in the Mississippi River.
The University of Minnesota Police Department announced on its Facebook page Friday that, alongside the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, they were canceling their missing person alert for 19-year-old Retterath. This comes after the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office had identified a man found deceased in the Mississippi River two days earlier Wednesday as the same missing honors engineering student.
The investigation concluded there was no indication of foul play, according to the agencies.
Retterath, described as standing approximately 6-foot-2, weighing 160 pounds, and having blonde hair, was last seen alive on May 8 in the area of East River Road and Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis.
His cause of death was not immediately known.
FOX 9 Minneapolis previously reported the teen was enrolled in the College of Science and Engineering. He reportedly made the dean’s list in the fall of 2021.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that his Instagram account says he is a member of the university’s class of 2025.
The obituary posted on a local funeral home website says the teen was born in Wausau, Wisconsin.
‘He had many hobbies including playing basketball, cheering on the Packers, spending time at the lake with his family and friends, and visiting new places with his family,’ the obituary said.
Retterath leaves behind his parents and two older siblings, as well as three nephews.
‘Austin has been a blessing to his family and was the ray of sunshine in their lives. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family who will strive every day to live the way Austin did, with selflessness, compassion, and a strong love for God,’ the obituary continued.