Search continues for missing U of M student

Updated: 6:20 p.m. March 29 | Posted: 2:10 p.m. March 28

Minneapolis police said investigators were following up on leads Sunday and searching video for clues to the whereabouts of University of Minnesota student Jennifer Houle, 22, who has been missing since early Friday.

Houle was last seen at the Blarney Pub & Grill in Dinkytown sometime between 1 and 2 a.m. Friday. Her purse was found four blocks away on 4th Street Southeast at 3 a.m., according to police.

Public Information Officer John Elder said the investigation began late Friday night, when Houle had not yet been missing a full day.

"There were places she should have been yesterday," he said, "but she didn't show up. This is not consistent with her normal behaviors."

Police have added investigators to aid in the search for Houle. They are asking the public to come forward with any information.

Students at the university's Twin Cities campus said they're taking more precautions since Houle's disappearance.

Christine Nolde, a senior at the U, graduated from Stillwater Area High School with Houle in 2011. She said a reported sexual assault near campus last Monday and her friend's disappearance have made people uneasy.

"It's not safe," she said. "Even my parents called me and wanted me to just move home for the rest of the year because I'm a senior and they feel very, very worried about all of us girls on campus. I think we have a false sense of security because it's Dinkytown and a college campus. But we're also in the middle of Minneapolis, and for me it's made me realize that a little more."

Houle is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds and has long blonde hair. She was wearing a black leather jacket, green shirt, black leggings and boots at the Blarney Bar.

The university has made counselors available for students and asks anyone with information to contact Minneapolis police. The number is 612-692-8477.