5 chilling details about Luke Homan's death ahead of Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice

Luke Homan, a 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-La Crosse basketball player, went missing on September 29, 2006, following Oktoberfest parties in downtown La Crosse. He was last seen leaving with friends at area bars, and his body was recovered three days later, on October 2, after it was found floating in the Mississippi River.

The authorities determined the cause of death to be an accidental drowning, attributing high levels of alcohol as the primary contributing factor. Nonetheless, the case had gained attention because of issues surrounding injuries on his body, testimonies from witnesses, and potential foul play.

Homan's parents, Jerry and Patti, had demanded more investigation, and they thought the official ruling did not match the evidence. Independent experts had also revised the case, estimating the body might not have been submerged as long as it was believed to have been and identifying patterns observed in other similar drownings of young men in the region.

The case appears in the Oxygen series Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice, which investigates theories of linked homicides. Season 1 episode 2 featuring Homan's case is re-airing on September 17, 2025 on Oxygen.

---

Smiley Face Killers: The Pursuit of Justice: Five horrifying facts regarding Luke Homan's death

1) The sudden disappearance during Oktoberfest

Smiley Face Killers: The Hunt for Justice (Image via Unsplash/ @ Marlene Haiberger)

Luke Homan disappeared on the evening of September 29, 2006, after he and friends had been at bars in La Crosse's downtown area celebrating the city's Oktoberfest celebration. He was last spotted near The Vibe bar, approximately half a mile from the Mississippi River. There were no plans to head to the water, friends said, and Homan had recently explained to others that he stayed away from the river, which he described as being dangerous and that one would have to be "stupid" to fall in it, according to the La Crosse Tribune.

His parents also warned him of earlier drownings in the region when he began college there. Police and bloodhounds were in on the search immediately, but nothing was discovered for three days. The area was filled with festival-goers, but no one had reported spotting him walking away alone or in distress.

---

2) The last sighting and the obstructing witness

Luke Homan was last seen with Austin Scott (Image via Unsplash/ @ Scott Rodgerson)

Austin Scott, an 18-year-old fellow UW-La Crosse student and basketball teammate, was identified as the last person to see Homan alive. Friends said they saw the two together at The Vibe bar around 9 or 10 pm local time. Scott initially told the police that Homan had left alone after an altercation with one man who had punched him. However, he gave different accounts to others, mentioning a cut from a beer bottle and the involvement of three men.

Police bloodhounds tracked Scott's scent from the bar through Riverside Park to the exact spot where Homan's body was later found. Scott was cited for underage drinking near the Radisson Hotel that night and taken for detoxification.

In June 2007, he faced two misdemeanor charges of obstructing officers for the inconsistencies. He pleaded no contest in September 2007, receiving a 48-hour jail sentence and one year of probation. Scott claimed no memory due to heavy drinking and a head injury, but Homan's family believed he held key information, according to the La Crosse Tribune.

---

3) The body's discovery and high alcohol levels

Luke Homan's body was found in the Mississippi River (Image via Unsplash/ @ Mathew Benoit)

On October 2, 2006, Luke Homan's body was located floating in the Mississippi River near the Riverside Park levee, about 0.5 miles from the bars. The discovery came after a three-day search, with the body close to shore. The autopsy showed a blood alcohol content of 0.32 percent, four times the legal driving limit in Wisconsin, and listed acute alcohol intoxication and cold water drowning as causes, as per AP News.

No drugs were detected in toxicology tests. Police noted the body had minimal mud or debris, which later raised questions. Authorities closed the case as an accidental drowning, suggesting intoxication led to a fall into the water. This was part of a pattern of at least eight young men drowning in the La Crosse rivers from 1997 to 2006, often linked to alcohol. Homan's family questioned why he would go near the water, given his known aversion to it.

---

4) Suspicious pre-mortem injuries on the body

Autopsy found wounds on Luke Homan's body(Image via Unsplash/ @ JOSHUA COLEMAN)

The autopsy and photos revealed wounds on Luke Homan's head, arms, and hands, initially described by police as travel abrasions from the water. However, underwater forensic expert Bobby Chacon, reviewing the evidence, noted the injuries were red, indicating they occurred before death while blood was flowing, possibly from a fight.

Forensic analysts William Moore and Marty Ludas examined forehead marks, suggesting they matched a boot sole pattern, as if someone pinned him down. Chacon also pointed out zero decomposition in some areas and a lack of expected river debris, inconsistent with extended submersion.

These findings led experts to believe the injuries happened on land, not in the water. Homan's parents had cited this as evidence against an accident, pushing for the case to be reopened, as per Oxygen.

---

5) Discrepancies in time spent in water and serial killer connections

Luke Homan's case was linked with the Smiley Face Killer (Image via Unsplash/ @ Devin Avery)

Official reports assumed Luke Homan was in the river for over 50 hours since his disappearance. But expert Bobby Chacon estimated only 3 to 12 hours based on minimal decomposition and the clean condition of the body. This suggests the body may have been placed in the water later, pointing to possible abduction and dumping.

A team of retired NYPD detectives and a criminal justice professor linked the case to the Smiley Face Killers theory, involving alleged serial killers targeting young men, holding them captive, and leaving bodies in waterways with nearby smiley face graffiti.

Luke Homan's case fits a pattern of over 20 similar drownings in the Midwest. The team presented evidence to La Crosse police in 2019 to reclassify it as homicide, but the family still awaits updates. Local authorities maintain it was accidental, according to Oxygen.

---