On September 30, 2006, University of La Crosse junior Luke Homan celebrated with friends at the annual Oktoberfest celebration in downtown LaCrosse. He was last seen at approximately 2:15 am at The Vibe bar at 322 Jay Street early Saturday morning. His roommates called police Saturday after he failed to show up for a scheduled golf outing. Loved ones spent a horrific weekend searching for Luke. On Monday, it was discovered that he had drowned.Luke Found
On Monday, October 2, his body was found in 10 feet of water near a levee in the Mississippi River close to the south end of Riverside Park. The autopsy report, completed by Dr. Lindsey Thomas, indicates there were no signs of trauma, no signs of a struggle, no signs of foul play. Homan's blood alcohol content was .32; authorities believe he drowned accidentally.
About Luke Homan
Homan's high school basketball team at Brookfield Central went to state two of the three years he played varsity ball, and Homan set a school record for three-point shots, with 165, and made 16 free throws in one game. In college at UW-Milwaukee, Homan joined the basketball team as a walk on. He played in nine games during the 2004-'05 season when the Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 before transferring to LaCrosse. At La Crosse, he played in all 28 games for the La Crosse Eagles this past season and helped deliver the school's first 20-victory season in more than two decades.
Aftermath
On 9/22/07, The LaCrosse Tribune reported:
Austin Scott, 19, of Palatine, Ill., is the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse sophomore accused of lying about events leading up to the disappearance and drowning death of fellow UW-L basketball teammate Lucas Homan last fall.
He will spend 48 hours in the La Crosse County Jail after pleading no contest Friday to two misdemeanor counts of obstructing officers.
La Crosse County Circuit Judge Elliott Levine also gave Scott a year on probation after he leaves jail at 6 p.m. Sunday.
"Whether or not he had anything to do with Luke's death, we don't know, and we might not ever know," La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said in court Friday. "But he still obstructed the investigation into that death and threw a cloud over it that will remain probably forever."
Homan's body was recovered from the Mississippi River off the Riverside Park levee Oct. 2, 2006. An autopsy showed cold water drowning, with acute alcohol intoxication as a major contributing factor.
A group of Homan's friends said they last saw the 21-year-old from Brookfield, Wis., with Scott at The Vibe, 332 Jay St., about 9 or 10 p.m. Sept. 29, 2006. But Scott told UW-L police he saw an intoxicated Homan leave The Vibe alone about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 30, according to the criminal complaint.
Scott was cited at 9:58 p.m. Sept. 29 for underage drinking near the Radisson hotel, the complaint reported. A blood test at Franciscan Skemp Medical Center registered a 0.33 percent, Gruenke said.
"The number of lies he was telling, all of them seem to be going the same direction -- he doesn't want police to know he was in Riverside Park," Gruenke said. "... We don't know why he lied and that's the mystery here. "Scott told authorities he doesn't know how he got to the Radisson or the hospital, but remembered heading from the hospital back to UW-L's Sanford Hall dorm. He later said he recalled "sitting at The Vibe, I ... would never leave him in the water" but could not elaborate, according to the complaint.
Scott said it was possible he and Homan were in Riverside Park together that night and Homan fell in the river -- his best guess was Homan tripped -- but he could not remember, according to the complaint.
He said he gave investigators a false story of three men arguing with Homan at the Vibe on Sept. 29 because he didn't know what happened, according to the complaint. That led police on a "wild goose chase" for men who didn't exist, Gruenke said.Defense attorney Mark McCabe said Scott admits lying about his birthdate, address and walking home from the bar, but objected to all other facts in the complaint. He stressed Scott has no memory of that night.
"This community is frustrated by eight separate river deaths that have occurred, there's no question about that," McCabe said. "My client is not to blame for all of those prior deaths. My client is not to blame for Luke Homan's death."
Scott apologized to "everyone" Friday and said it was wrong to lie about that night. "My heart goes to out to Luke's parents," he said. "I wish I knew what happened. The Homans would be the first people I would tell."
Patti Homan said she "truly, truly believes Austin knows what happened that night," but asked Levine to spare him from jail."I want for Austin to have a happy, productive life," she said. "The only way he's going to be able to do that is if he actually tells what he knows --even if it's the worst, even if he pushed Luke into the water, even if it's that, I'd wrap my arms around him right now and tell him we'll get through this."
Since Homan's death, city leaders have enacted a public intoxication ordinance and spent about $60,000 on fencing in Riverside Park. A consortium of local medical centers is studying ways to reduce alcohol-related injuries. Three colleges have also launched a safe drinking campaign.
Facts of Interest in this Case
Name/age: Lucas Homan, 21
College: University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (transfer from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Major: Finance
Physical description: 6'3," athletic build (basketball player)
Last seen: 09/20/06, early a.m., The Vibe bar at 322 Jay Street
Recovered: 10/02/06, Mississippi River levee near Riverside Park
Cause of death: drowning
Injuries: no signs of foul play or trauma
Blood Alcohol Content: .32
Thankfully this seemed to be the last of the Lacrosse drownings. I think there may have been one more after him. A watch-group of concerned citizens was set up shortly after he drowned in order to patrol the Riverside Park area and prevent more drownings. It seems to have worked since there haven't been any more in about 2 years. I read that the watch group saved a total of approx. 40 young intoxicated men who wandered into the park/river side after a night of partying.
ReplyDeleteI believe they are zodiac copy cats.The zodiac said he would reveal his name.The smiley face killers may have done this. Homan played for the LaCrosse Eagles take the L and C for Lacrosse and E from eagles and oman from Homan and you can make Coleman.Scramble the letters in melancon and you can make coleman.Chris Coleman was the chief of security for Joyce Meyers ministries.Chief is in Fleischman's name.melancons first name is Chris.I would not be surprised to find out Chris's middle name is luke
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about Luke a lot this month and hoping that his family has finally found some answers. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
ReplyDeleteI think its attrocious these are all being attributed to drunk accidents. I saw the drowning statistics for lacrosse per year. It was less than 1. How can you not differentiate between unwitnessed drownings and drownings from watersports/witnessed activites. Some people would say that since its 1 drowning per year and weve had 7 in 10 years then were doing better than average. This is wrong because if you were to put up the statistic for unwitnessed drownings, it would be a fraction of that 1/year. Unwitnessed drownings dont happen every day people. Just because the vitims have a alcohol level higher than the legal limit means absolutly nothing. It surely doesnt mean that they lost all sense of life and became a complete vegetable, and fell in the water. The patern is rediculously obvious. If the FBI would prepare a case upon their own findings rather than reviewing the local cops' files and saying they were right. Of course the local police will have the answer that their findings support. Has anyone ever thought that they dont have the proper evidence to support a correct conclusion. There is a connection people. Young boys dont just fall into the water
ReplyDeleteVery good point. I haven't been able to find very detailed national statistics on suspected/unwitnessed drownings either. Most of the stats out there seem to focus on boating or swimming accidents, just as you mentioned.
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ReplyDeleteI suspect austin was just trying to tell them what they wanted to hear pretty much and both luke and Austin could have been drugged for all we know. They do not want this to look like any thing other than another drunken accident after all.Then they find out what he says is not true when they probably hounded him til he told a story they were more satisfied with
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know the band that was playing the night of Luke’s disappearance?
ReplyDeleteI live in pgh were they think Dekota James was killed by the smiley face killers. I was wondering if anyone knows what band was playing that night? The same night Dekota came up missing they're were at least 10 different band playing in the city of Pittsburgh it be a strange if that same band was playing here in piPittsbur the same night Dekota James came up missing. #WeNeedAnswers
DeleteYES, bands or maybe bartenders! All murders have bars and/or partying in common EXCEPT the Boston hockey game but alcohol is served there too. I am leaning towards the bartender theory as that person would be able to slip GHB into the victims drink. I would do a canvas of bartenders in all places that the victims were last seen to see if any bartenders match.
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