20-year-old college student missing over week found dead in bayou, TX school says
A University of Houston student who went missing for a week has been found dead, the school reported.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the recent passing of one of our students. Jade McKissic was a campus resident and student employee, and a friend to many in our community,” the school said Sept. 18.
The Houston Police Department report her body was pulled from Brays Bayou, a river that flows through Harris County, Texas, on Sept. 15.
McKissic, 20, was last seen Sept. 11 after a night partying with friends at multiple bars near campus, police said. She walked off leaving her cell phone behind. M
According to police, McKissic was seen on surveillance video at a gas station buying a drink next to a bar before walking toward the river.
McKissic was a junior studying strategic communications and advertising, the Cougar reported. After she was reported missing, students attempted to raise awareness of the dangers of venturing off campus and ways to protect themselves.
“Overall, the whole situation is really a realization for us students that we need to be careful,” McKissic’s friend Charlotte Russell told The Cougar. “We need to make sure that we are taking precautions like sharing location.”
An autopsy showed no signs of foul play or trauma, police reported.
McKissic’s body was the first of three bodies pulled from different bayous during the week of Sept. 15, KRIV said. It’s unclear if any of the discoveries are related.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 3:35 PM with the headline "20-year-old college student missing over week found dead in bayou, TX school says."