The desperate search for missing teen Kiely Rodni who disappeared after a party at a California campground has entered its fifth day.
Kiely, 16, was last seen around 12.30am on 6 August near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, where she attended an allegedly alcohol-fuelled gathering of more than 200 teens and young adults.
An investigation was launched by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office the next morning after Kiely failed to show up for a hike with friends.
The case is being treated as an abduction because Kiely’s car is unaccounted for. More than 260 personnel have been canvassing the area on the ground and in the air and more than 500 tips have been received from the public.
Investigators say they don’t have any new leads, but still suspect someone in the community knows more.
Kiely’s mother Lindsey Rodni-Nieman issued a desperate appeal to partygoers to come forward as she revealed that her daughter almost didn’t go to the party the night she vanished. Not knowing what has happened to Kiely is “a very difficult place” to be in, she said.
Key Points
- Kiely Rodni’s mother reveals she almost didn’t go to camp party
- Partygoers urged to come forward with any information
- No activity on Kiely Rodni’s cellphone since early hours of Saturday
- Three dive teams join the search for Kiely Rodni
- Police releases last known photo of Kiely Rodni
Police release picture of Kiely’s jewelry
22:20 , Andrea Blanco
Police released a new picture of Kiely wearing a distinctive necklace that friends and family say she always wears.
Placer County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Angela Musallam urged the public to contact authorities if they come across the gold chain while searching for Kiely.
“We’re told she always wears this type of jewelry … We’d want anybody who comes across [these necklaces] to please contact us immediately because this would certainly provide us a new tip, and a new direction,” Ms Musallam said during the press conference, KCRA 3 reported.
Kiely Rodni’s mother reveals she almost didn’t go to camp party
21:41 , Rachel Sharp
The mother of Kiely Rodni has revealed that her daughter almost didn’t go to the campground party the night she disappeared as she issued a gut-wrenching plea to local teenagers to help “piece together” what happened.
Lindsey Rodni-Nieman spoke to The Independent on Thursday as the search for her missing 16-year-old daughter entered its fifth day and investigators are no closer to getting answers as to her whereabouts.
She said that Kiely had planned to go to a car show in Reno with her mother on Friday night but texted her during the day to say that she was going to go to a party at the Prosser Family Campground instead.
Ms Rodni-Nieman said she wishes Kiely had never gone to the party that night and had joined her at the car show that night. But she said thinking like that is “not helpful”.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
© Provided by The Independent
Kiely Rodni’s mother reveals she almost didn’t go to camp party on night she vanished
Campground was popular for teenage parties
21:09 , Rachel Sharp
The Prosser Family Campground is a popular hangout spot for local teenagers and is seen as a “safe space” for young people, Kiely’s mother’s Lindsey Rodni-Nieman has revealed.
Teenagers have partied and hung out at the campground going back decades and Kiely had been to several parties there before Friday.
“It feels like a safe place. Like a neighbourhood backyard,” said Ms Rodni-Nieman.
“It’s a couple of miles out of town and is just this open space with reservoirs and camping and dirt roads. Lots of people go riding dirt bikes or hiking and it’s a community space.”
What was different that night was that the party was “very large” with teens from different schools all over the region descending there.
“There’s not generally so many people there. That’s what made it unusual,” said Kiely’s mother.
Officials have said that around 200 to 300 teenagers and young adults gathered for the party that night.
Everything we know about the disappearance of Kiely Rodni
20:44 , Rachel Sharp
A desperate search continues for 16-year-old Kiely Rodni, who vanished from a party at a northern California campground on 5 August.
Kiely was last seen around 12.30am on Saturday (6 August) near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
She is described as white, 5’7” tall, and 115 pounds with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She has numerous piercings and jewelry, including a nose ring, and was last seen wearing green Dickies pants and a black tank top.
The FBI, Homeland Security, California Highway Patrol and several other local law enforcement agencies have joined the Placer Sheriff’s Office in the search for Kiley. Hundreds of investigators and K-9 units are searching for Kiely, but no leads have emerged that could possibly indicate what happened to her after the party.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the full story:
© Provided by The Independent
Everything we know about 16-year-old Kiely Rodni’s disappearance
Partygoers urged to come forward with any information
20:22 , Rachel Sharp
Officials and Kiely Rodni’s family members are urging partygoers to come forward with information – no matter how big or small.
Kiely’s mother Lindsey Rodni-Nieman issued a desperate appeal begging teens to help piece together what happened to her daughter as she believes someone must know something that could help.
“We are desperate for any other teens to come out and share the last pieces of the story that nobody seems to be able to piece together,” she told The Independent Thursday.
“If we could just have that piece of the story of who she did leave with, when, which way did she go. I’m imploring the teenagers and the parents of the teenagers.”
She added: “I do think that there are stories from that night that have not been told and I think that as soon as those people who have stories have courage to come forward and share it would be such a massive turning point and could help slingshot us forward.”
Ms Rodni-Nieman also urged “parents to beg their kids to share anything they know”.
Boyfriend says he taught her to ‘get out of sticky situations’
20:04 , Rachel Sharp
Kiely’s boyfriend Jagger Westfall said that both he and Kiely’s father had taught the teen to “to get out of sticky situations” and insisted that he believes she is “alive and well”.
“Her dad taught her a lot of stuff about like self defence, things like that,” he told KTXL.
“I taught her how to get out of sticky situations. I know that she’s smart. She wouldn’t do something that would definitely put her life at risk.
“I really need her back. I really just need to know that she’s safe, that’s all I need at this point, I really want to hug her again.”
He added: “I definitely feel like that in this current situation that she’s safe.
“I don’t know where she is. We don’t have anything to go off of at this point. But, I fully believe that she’s alive and well.”
Kiely’s mother says there was ‘nothing out of the ordinary’ on day of disappearance
19:41 , Rachel Sharp
Kiely’s mother has spoken out to say that there was “nothing out of the ordinary” with her daughter on the day she vanished.
Lindsey Rodni-Nieman told The Independent on Thursday that she last saw Kiely on Friday morning and spoke to her by text message that night, not long before her last known sighting.
It was just any normal day.
Kiely had come downstairs in their home that morning and mother and daughter chatted about their plans for the day.
“It was ‘Morning, hi, love you’ and talking about plans for the day – just a little check-in as normal,” said Ms Rodni-Nieman.
She said: “She did not seem out of the ordinary at all. Everything seemed the same, she had a big smile on her face and she was ready to greet the day. She was having a good day and week and was excited about going camping the following night. We had a great exchange.”
The mother and daughter last spoke to each other at around 11.30pm that night when Kiely texted her to say she would be leaving the party soon.
“She said she’d be leaving at 12.15 and was going to start heading home,” she said.
That was the last time Ms Rodni-Nieman heard from her daughter.
More than 500 tips received
19:20 , Rachel Sharp
Authorities have received more than 500 tips in the search for the missing teen, Placer County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday.
Multiple law enformcement agencies have been drafted in to help find Kiely Rodni with 224 personnel assigned to the case together working for over 7,030 hours.
Law enforcement to hold press conference later today
19:00 , Rachel Sharp
Law enforcement officials have annnounced that they will update the public and the media about the investigation later today.
A press conference will be held at 2 pm local time (5pm ET) on Thursday at the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District in Truckee.
In a statement announcing the briefing, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Sheriff’s Office sad that they continue to search for Kiely with numerous resources and agencies responding to help find the teen.
“Searchers from across the state continue their search on the ground, in the air, and in the water – so far, we only have information on Kiely’s last known location before she went missing,” the statement read.
“Detectives from local, state, and federal agencies continue to follow up on leads and conduct interviews in hopes of locating Kiely and her vehicle.”
A community meeting will also be held at 5.30pm local time at the centre.
GoFundMe to increase reward money tops $30,000
18:40 , Rachel Sharp
A GoFundMe launched to increase the reward money for information that helps in the search for Kiely Rodni has now topped $30,000.
The campaign reached $31,770 as of Thursday morning local time.
“With the consent of Kiely’s parents, I am starting this gofundme to help increase the reward for her return,” writes organiser Amie Quirarte.
“We hope this will encourage more people to come forward with any information that can help bring this sweet girl home. Right now, the reward is $5,000. Let’s get that number higher and bring her home. Please consider donating!”
Community rallies round family
18:23 , Rachel Sharp
As the search rumbles on with no answers as to Kiely’s whereabouts, her mother Lindsey Rodni-Neiman told The Independent that she is grateful for all the support from her loved ones and the local community.
Family members have travelled from all across the US to California to support her and join in the search.
But, as time ticks by, the nights and mornings are becoming especially hard.
“It’s the nights and mornings that are really difficult because we’re just at home and idle and it always feels better to be in action and be moving and doing something,” she said on Thursday morning.
“I’m so grateful my family is here to help and to breathe love and energy and distraction into the home… Then we go out into the world and the town and we’re surrounded by the love and support of the community.”
Close friends and community members gathered together for a vigil on Wednesday night, including her old violin teacher who played some of the teenager’s favourite songs.
Description of missing teen
18:00 , Rachel Sharp
Kiely Rodni, 16, is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, 115 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes.
She has a nose ring, a tattoo of the number “17” on her ribs and has scars on her left arm and near her wrist from surgery.
She was last seen wearing a black spaghetti strap bodysuit, green Dickies pants with a black grommet belt, and black Vans.
Kiely is also believed to have in her possession a dark grey hoodie featuring the Lana del Ray lyrics: “You don’t want to be forgotten. You want to disappear.” Investigators believe she was loaned the item at the party.
No activity on Kiely Rodni’s cellphone since early hours of Saturday
17:40 , Rachel Sharp
Investigators have said that there has been no activity on Kiely Rodni’s cellphone since around 12.30am on Saturday morning.
Kiely’s mother Lindsey Rodni-Neiman told The Independent on Thursday that the family shared cellphone location data and that she could see her last location was the campground where the party took place. That was at 12.03am.
Snapchat data shows her cellphone at the same location at around 12.30am, she said.
This was around the same time that she was last seen at the party and when she last spoke with a friend – Samantha Smith – on the phone.
Police grow frustrated with lack of leads
17:01 , Rachel Sharp
Law enforcement officials are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of leads in the case as they revealed they are no closer to finding out what happened to the missing teen.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Josh Barnhart of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said there was “no new leads” multiple days into the search.
“We do not have any new leads, and that I can tell you is very frustrating for us,” he said.
Nevada County Sheriff’s Office captain Sam Brown said that they believe “someone knows” what happened to the 16-year-old.
“We believe that someone knows,” he said. “Someone saw her but they’re not coming forward.”
Boyfriend of Kiely Rodni breaks his silence to reveal last conversation before she vanished
16:35 , Rachel Sharp
The boyfriend of Kiely Rodni has broken his silence to reveal the last conversation he had with her before she vanished without a trace at a campground party – as the search for the missing teenager now enters its fifth day.
Jagger Westfall texted his 16-year-old girlfriend to tell her to “be safe” and “don’t do anything stupid” on Friday night as she headed to a senior farewell party at the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, California.
“And so I was just like, OK. Be safe. Don’t like, do anything stupid,” he told KTXL.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
© Provided by The Independent
Kiely Rodni’s boyfriend breaks silence as search enters fifth day for missing teen
Kiely’s loved ones believe she is no longer in California
16:15 , Rachel Sharp
Some of Kiely Rodni’s loved ones believe that the 16-year-old is no longer in California and could have crossed state lines into Nevada.
While law enforcement officials are carrying out a huge search around the campground where Kiely was last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning, Ms Rodni’s boyfriend Jagger Westfall and two of Kiely’s friends believe she might be in Reno – a city just across the California border into Nevada.
Mr Westfall told KTXL that the young couple would often go there to hang out together.
Friend Kate Cuno said that she had gone to Reno with Kiely and some other friends to have some fun one day before the doomed party.
The trio carried out their own search on Wednesday in the spots in Reno they often frequented with Kiely.
Mr Westfall said that they “fully believe that the two of us, three of us or other people are gonna bring her home safe”.
Investigators release new images in search for the missing teen
15:55 , Rachel Sharp
On Wednesday, investigators released two new photos to the public: one of Kiely’s missing silver 2013 Honda CRV and one of a hoodie she is believed to have borrowed at the party.
The black hoodie features the eerie Lana del Ray lyrics: “You don’t want to be forgotten. You want to disappear.”
“We don’t know whether Kiely was wearing that hoodie when she disappeared, but we believe it was still in her possession,” Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
Kiely had reportedly planned to drive herself and her friend Samantha Smith home from the party in her vehicle.
Ms Smith previously told The Independent that Kiely was drinking at the party and wouldn’t have been able to drive so they both told each other to “get home safe”.
Kiely’s car has not been found during the five-day search which has centred on the area around the campground where she was last seen.
© Provided by The Independent The hoodie Kiely Rodni borrowed the night she vanished (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
© Provided by The Independent Kiely Rodni’s 2013 silver Honda CRV which is also missing (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
Teen-to-teen meet-up scheduled for Thursday afternoon
15:36 , Rachel Sharp
A teen-to-teen meet-up will be held at local high school Incline Village High on Thursday afternoon as young people who attended the party are urged to share any information that could help in the search for Kiely Rodni.
The meetup will run from 5pm to 7.30pm local time.
According to the website FindKiely.com, set up by her loved ones in the search for the missing teen, the event is a “safe space” and will be teen-led with parents and law enforcement officers not present for the meeting.
“This is a space for anyone at the party who wants to come and share anything they remember. Any information is helpful,” the website states.
“This is a teen-led event & safe space for students to share Information from the Prosser party. Parents and LEO will not be inside for the gathering.”
Law enforcement officials have called on all teenagers who attended the party to come forward with any information no matter how big or small, reassuring them that they are not interested in investigating underage drinking or partying and just want to bring the missing teen home safe.
Kiely was in no state to drive
15:15 , Andrea Blanco
Kiely’s friend, Samantha, said that they had been drinking at the party and Kiely was evidently intoxicated.
“She was in no state to drive and she wouldn’t have made it far or would have crashed,” Samantha told The Independent on Monday.
She also told ABC that she had shared all drinks with Kiely.
“She was having fun at the party, just being a teenager,” she told the outlet. “Everything she drank, I drank out of.”
© Provided by The Independent
Exclusive: Friend of missing teen Kiely Rodni recounts last call before she vanished
Loved ones say she did not runaway
14:55 , Andrea Blanco
Kiely’s friends and family have reiterated the teenager had no reason to flee her hometown.
“The day of the party, I hung out with her,” Kate Cuno, Kiely’s friend, told local news station Fox40. “We made creme brulee. Everything was normal. I don’t think she ran away or anything.”
Kiely’s mother, Lindsay Rodni-Niema, has also said that it is out of caracther for her daughter to not communicate with her.
Kiely is thought to have been wearing a loaned hoodie before she vanished
14:35 , Andrea Blanco
Police had previously said that Kiely was last seen wearing green Dickies pants and a black tank top.
On Wednesday, authorities revealed Kiely was possibly wearing a black hoodie with flower patterns in the back that had been loaned to her before she disappeared.
The front of the hoodie read, “you don’t want to be forgotten, you just want to disappear.”
“We don’t know whether Kiely was wearing that hoodie when she disappeared, but we believe it was still in her possession,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement to SFGate.
Kiely’s family fear she’s been trafficked
14:14 , Andrea Blanco
Kiely’s loved ones are voicing their fears that the teenager could have possibly been abducted and trafficked by “sketchy, older guys” who were at the party.
“Now we know there were a lot of college people. Teens are coming out [with information] in our teen-to-teen talks. There were a lot of sketchy, older guys that were seen there,” Samantha Smith, Kiely’s friend, told The Sun.
“This was right about when I left when we had the last contact.”
Kiely’s boyfriend shares their final conversation
13:47 , Megan Sheets
Kiely’s boyfriend, Jagger Westfall, spoke to FOX40 on Wednesday, the fourth day of the massive search for the missing teen.
Jagger said he was texting Kiely before she set off for the senior farewell party at Prosser campground, the site where she was last seen.
He recalled texting her: “OK. Be safe. Don’t like, do anything stupid.”
Jagger said he went on to complain about his day and a few hours later she replied: “Oh, I’m sorry that you’re going through that.”
That message came in at 10.30pm – roughly two hours before her last known communication.
Everything we know about 16-year-old who vanished from camp party in California
11:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A desperate search continues for 16-year-old Kiely Rodni, who vanished from a party at a northern California campground on 5 August.
Kiely was last seen around 12.30am on Saturday near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
She is described as white, 5’7” tall, and 115 pounds with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She has numerous piercings and jewelry, including a nose ring, and was last seen wearing green Dickies pants and a black tank top.
Watch: Message from Kiely Rodni’s parents to community
09:50 , Josh Marcus
Kiely Rodni’s parents recorded a video message to their daughter and the community at large earlier this week.
“Please just come home,” her mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, said in the clip.
Watch the full message below, courtesy of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
As #PCSO detectives continue to investigate Kiely’s disappearance and follow up on multiple leads, Kiely Rodni’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, has a plea to the community. If anyone has any information where Kiely may be, please call our tip line: (530) 581-6320, Option 7. pic.twitter.com/kx4ZBVnrwu
— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) August 8, 2022
GoFundMe raises $30,000 reward to aid Kiely Rodni search
08:50 , Josh Marcus
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $30,000 to be put towards a reward for those who help authorities locate missing California teen Kiely Rodni.
“With the consent of Kiely’s parents, I am starting this gofundme to help increase the reward for her return,” page creator Amie Quirarte wrote in a caption.
“We hope this will encourage more people to come forward with any information that can help bring this sweet girl home.”
Kiely Rodni’s friends launch site to raise awarness
07:50 , Josh Marcus
Kiely Rodni’s friends are organising to raise awareness about the missing teen.
In addition to hosting youth-only meetings, where students might feel freer to share evidence or recollections related to the night of the 16-year-old’s disappearance, they’ve also launched FindKiely.com as a news hub and portal to collect funds to support the investigation.
What was Kiely Rodni’s final message?
06:50 , Josh Marcus
A friend of missing teen Kiely Rodni has spoken about the pair’s final phone call before her friend vanished from a campground party in California.
Samantha Smith, 18, tells The Independent she was the last person to speak with 16-year-old Kiely after midnight on Saturday.
“At 12.36am she called me … and this is the last call anybody had with her. We said ‘love you, good night. Get home safe,’ and that’s the last thing we heard of her,” Samantha said on Monday.
Andrea Blanco has the full report.
© Provided by The Independent
Exclusive: Friend of missing teen Kiely Rodni recounts last call before she vanished
Sheriff’s office releases image of Kiely’s car
06:03 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday released an old image of Kiely Rodni’s 2013 silver Honda, which has been untraceable along with her.
Officials also shared a photo of a hoodie that Kiely had borrowed on 5 August, the day before she went missing.
“We don’t know whether Kiely was wearing that hoodie when she disappeared, but we believe it was still in her possession,” the authorities said.
“We continue to ask for the community’s help to find Kiely and bring her home to her family.”
ICMYI: Everything we know about 16-year-old who vanished from camp party in California
05:50 , Josh Marcus
A desperate search continues for 16-year-old Kiely Rodni, who vanished from a party at a northern California campground on 5 August.
Kiely was last seen around 12.30am on Saturday near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
She is described as white, 5’7” tall, and 115 pounds with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She has numerous piercings and jewelry, including a nose ring, and was last seen wearing green Dickies pants and a black tank top.
Here’s everything we know.
Cops receive over 100 tips in investigation into Kiely Rodni
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has reportedly received more than 100 tip-offs as the search continues for the missing 16-year-old Kiely Rodni.
“Numerous resources and agencies have responded to locate Kiely over the past several days,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
According to authorities, the only lead in the investigation has been Kiely’s last known location before she went missing.
She was last seen around 12.30am on 6 August near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee.
Kiely Rodni’s mother recalls her last conversation with missing daughter
04:54 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, the mother of the 16-year-old missing girl, received a text from her daughter late on Friday night, saying she was planning to leave a party in about 45 minutes and would be coming “straight home.”
“I told her to be safe and that I loved her. And she said, ‘OK, mom, I love you, too,’” Ms Rodni-Nieman told ABC News.
“She never came home.”
The next morning, when the missing teenager was still not at home, her mother called her and sent texts which went unanswered.
“That’s when I knew something was wrong.”
Ms Rodni-Nieman added that she believes her daughter did not run away because all her clothes and belongings were still at home.
A key photo emerges in the Kiely Rodni manhunt
04:50 , Josh Marcus
Authorities have released a new photo of missing teen Kiely Rodni that was taken hours before she vanished from a party at a California campground.
It’s been four days since 16-year-old Kiely was last seen around 12.30am on Saturday near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee.
On Tuesday, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office released a new picture of Kiely captured by a surveillance camera at a Truckee business about six hours before she was last seen.
In the photo, the Kiely is wearing a black spaghetti strap bodysuit, green Dickies pants with a black grommet belt, and black Vans.
Andrea Blanco has more.
© Provided by The Independent
Missing California teen Kiely Rodni seen in new photo as Gwyneth Paltrow joins search
Police have no new leads on missing California teen as hunt continues
03:50 , Josh Marcus
Northern California police don’t have any new evidence about the mysterious weekend disappearance of teen Kiely Rodni, but they believe “someone knows” what happened to the 16-year-old, even as cadaver dogs have joined the search.
“We believe that someone knows,” Nevada County Sheriff’s Office captain Sam Brown said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Someone saw her but they’re not coming forward.”
Officials said they were dismayed that their hunt for Kiely—which has now roped in multiple police departments, nearly 50 FBI agents, cadaver dogs, helicopters, search-and-rescue divers, and helicopter sweeps—still hasn’t yielded any new information.
“We do not have any new leads, and that I can tell you is very frustrating for us,” Josh Barnhart of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said during the briefing.
Catch up the story below.
© Provided by The Independent
Kiely Rodni: Police say ‘someone knows’ fate of lost teen as cadaver dogs join search
The many tools police are using to hunt for Kiely Rodni
02:50 , Josh Marcus
At least three dive teams have reportedly joined the search for missing 16-year-old Kiely Rodni in northern California.
The teams will be searching close to the shore of Prosser Creek, a 60-feet-deep reservoir near Lake Tahoe, Fox News reported.
Kiely was last seen around 12.30am on 6 August near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, where she attended an allegedly alcohol-fuelled gathering of more than 100 teens and young adults. An investigation was launched by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office the next morning after Kiely failed to show up for a hike with friends and no one could get in contact with her.
Andrea Blanco has the details.
© Provided by The Independent
Kiely Rodni: Dive teams join search for missing California teen
Kiely Rodni was bound for music school before disappearance
01:50 , Josh Marcus
Kiely Rodni had a bright future ahead of her before she went missing from the community of Truckee, California, over the weekend.
At age 16, the honors student graduated from the public Forest Charter School after skipping a grade.
She had plans to study music in the fall at Sierra College, the Reno Gazette Journal reports.
Police: Kiely Rodni’s phone turned off night of disappearance
01:20 , Josh Marcus
Police said they’ve been unable to use missing teen Kiely Rodni’s phone to track her location because the iPhone was turned off in the early morning of 6 August, when the 16-year-old vanished.
Instead, they’ve resorted to other forms of digital evidence, including surveillance videos and footage captured on Ring home security cameras to try and find the missing girl.
As Kiely Rodni investigation continues, Gabby Petito story does too
Thursday 11 August 2022 00:50 , Josh Marcus
Before Kiely Rodni disappeared over the weekend in Northern California, another missings person case involving a young woman in a rural area got the nation’s attention.
After a nationwide manhunt, Gabby Petito’s remains were found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming last September, the victim of a strangling from her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, who later took his own life.
But the sad story of Petito does not end there.
The vlogger’s family recently filed a $50m wrongul wrongful death lawsuit against police in Moab, Utah, accusing them of negligence that led to the the 22-year-old’s death.
The lawsuit accuses the police department, three Moab police officers and 10 other unnamed individuals of “negligent failure” during an investigation into an alleged assault by Brian Laundrie of the 22-year-old a few weeks before her death.
Bevan Hurley has the details for The Independent.
© Provided by The Independent
Gabby Petito’s family file $50m wrongful death lawsuit against Utah police
Officials establish tip line in Kiely Rodni case
Thursday 11 August 2022 00:20 , Josh Marcus
Officials are convinced someone in the rustic mountain community of Truckee, California, knows what happened to missing teenager Kiely Rodni.
“We believe that someone knows,” Nevada County Sheriff’s Office captain Sam Brown said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Someone saw her but they’re not coming forward.”
They’ve established a tip line at sheriff_tahoeinvesttips@placer.ca.gov for those with any information about the case.
PHOTOS: police share images of hoodie, car belonging to Kiely Rodni
Thursday 11 August 2022 00:00 , Josh Marcus
Police don’t have much to go on in the disappearance of Nothern California teen Kiely Rodni, but they’re sharing images with the public of what they have so far.
On Wednesday, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office posted two photos, showing a hoodie and Honda SUV thought to belong to the missing teen.
Alcohol was in Kiely’s system before disappearance, friends say
Wednesday 10 August 2022 23:41 , Josh Marcus
Before Kiely Rodney disappeared, the teen appeared drunk, according to her friend Samantha Smith.
“She was in no state to drive and she wouldn’t have made it far or would have crashed,” Samantha told The Independent on Monday.
She also told ABC that she had shared all drinks with Kiely.
“She was having fun at the party, just being a teenager,” she told the outlet. “Everything she drank, I drank out of.”
Andrea Blanco has the details.
© Provided by The Independent
Exclusive: Friend of missing teen Kiely Rodni recounts last call before she vanished
The three main pieces of evidence police have in the disappearance of Kiely Rodni
Wednesday 10 August 2022 22:59 , Josh Marcus
Police have woefully few leads about what happened to Truckee, California, teenager Kiely Rodni, who went missing in the wee hours of 6 August after leaving a party at an area campground.
© Provided by The Independent Kiely Rodni is seen on surveillance footage roughly six hours before she vanished on 6 August (Placer County Sheriff)
On Wednesday, officers from the Placer County and Nevada County sheriff’s offices provided an update on the few scraps officials are working from.
They showed a suveillance photo of the 16-year-old captured on the night of 5 August at a local business, where Ms Rodni can be seen wearing a black tank top, green trousers, and black sneakers.
Other key images include one of her current vehicle, a silver Honda CRV SUV, and a dark hoodie with a floral design believed to be in her posession.
Kiely Rodni: Truckee police say ‘someone knows’ what happened to missing teen as cadaver dogs used in search
Wednesday 10 August 2022 22:39 , Josh Marcus
Northern California police don’t have any new evidence about the mysterious weekend disappearance of teen Kiely Rodni, but they believe “someone knows” what happened to the 16-year-old, even as cadaver dogs have joined the search.
“We believe that someone knows,” Nevada County Sheriff’s Office captain Sam Brown said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Someone saw her but they’re not coming forward.”
Officials said they were dismayed that their hunt for Ms Rodni—which has now roped in multiple police departments, nearly 50 FBI agents, cadaver dogs, helicopters, search-and-rescue divers, and helicopter sweeps—still hasn’t yielded any new information.
“We do not have any new leads, and that I can tell you is very frustrating for us,”Josh Barnhart of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said during the briefing.More details from our full report here.
© Provided by The Independent
Kiely Rodni: Police say ‘someone knows’ fate of lost teen as cadaver dogs join search
The hunt for Kiely Rodni continues with little new evidence
Wednesday 10 August 2022 22:26 , Josh Marcus
The investigation into the disappearance of Northern California teen Kiely Rodni has made little progress, despite numerous different police and government agencies joining the search in recent days.
Investigators said during a press conference on Wednesday they hadn’t discovered any new clues as to Ms Rodni’s whereabouts.
A surveillance photo from a Truckee, California, business showing her earlier in the night of her disappearance remains the only solid piece of evidence they have.
“It’s hard to look somebody in the face and tell them you don’t have those answers,” Nevada County sheriff’s captain Sam Brown said during the briefing.
He said police have used dirt bikes, search dogs, and ground-based teams to search the roads near Ms Rodni’s home, to little avail.
“We believe that someone knows,” he added of the teen’s fate. “Someone saw her but they’re not coming forward.”
Police say they have no “new leads” in Kiely Rodni case
Wednesday 10 August 2022 22:09 , Josh Marcus
Police don’t have any new leads in the Kiely Rodni case, Josh Barnhart of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference on Wednesday.
“We do not have any new leads, and that I can tell you is very frustrating for us,” he said.
That’s even though nearly 50 FBI agents, as well as numerous other law enforcement agents from the state and local level, are working on the case.
Police have used everything from trained dogs to local surveillance video to build a picture of what happened to the missing teen.
Officials are currently addressing the public about the case. Watch live here via the Reno Gazette Journal.
More than $30,000 raised on GoFundMe
Wednesday 10 August 2022 22:05 , Andrea Blanco
Although a $50,000 reward is being offered for leads that help find Kiely, friends of the teenager have also created a GoFundMe page to increase the reward.
More than $30,000 has been raised as of Wednesday afternoon.
“With the consent of Kiely’s parents, I am starting this gofundme to help increase the reward for her return. We hope this will encourage more people to come forward with any information that can help bring this sweet girl home,” the organizer, Amie Quirarte, wrote in the description of the fundraiser.
© Provided by The Independent (Amie Quirarte/GoFundMe)
Family and friends say Kiley is not a runaway
Wednesday 10 August 2022 21:45 , Andrea Blanco
Kieley’s mom told ABC all of her daughter’s belongings remained in her room and that “it was already so out of character” for her to not call.
Kiely’s friend, Samantha, also told The Independent on Monday that she didn’t think Kiely had run away.
“She would have kept her phone and stayed in contact with one of us … She wouldn’t do this to her mom,” Samantha said.
A press conference will be held on Wednesday
Wednesday 10 August 2022 21:25 , Andrea Blanco
The presser is scheduled at 2pm PT at the Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District in Truckee.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office also announced a separate community update at 5.30pm.
UPDATE: Media asked to use the main entrance pathway at presser location below and will be directed into a conference room to the left. A separate community meeting at 5:30 p.m. same loc but in gym. Online tips: sheriff_tahoeinvesttips@placer.ca.gov call: 530) 581-6320 Option 7. pic.twitter.com/QOeKVSXgdr
— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) August 10, 2022
Police is investigating Kiely’s disappearance as a possible abduction but an Amber alert has not been issued
Wednesday 10 August 2022 21:05 , Andrea Blanco
Although authorities have found no evidence of foul play, the incident is being treated as an abduction because her vehicle is also missing and so the department can use more resources on the investigation.
“Because we don’t know, we just have that timeline, we are considering everything,” Scott Alford, a Placer County Sheriff’s detective, said during a press conference on Tuesday.
An amber alert was not issued after Kiely vanished. CHP Truckee said the alert has not been issued because it has not received confirmation of an abduction, KCRA reported.
The senior farewell party grew bigger than expected
Wednesday 10 August 2022 20:45 , Andrea Blanco
The gathering at the Prosser Family Campground had more than 100 teenagers and young adults, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
It initially was planned as a local senior farewell party but teenagers and college students from the Bay area eventually arrived also, Kiely’s friend, Samantha Smith, told The Independent.
“I knew it was a big party but it was supposed to be just the community …The party started to grow past the [number] of people that were supposed to be there,” Samantha said.
“There were college kids and people from the Bay area coming and I got a bad feeling about it but didn’t really think much of it.”
Eight law enforcement agencies assist the search
Wednesday 10 August 2022 20:25 , Andrea Blanco
The Placer Sheriff’s Office has received more than 300 tips as of Wednesday.
The agencies joining the investigation are: California Highway Patrol, FBI, Homeland Security, Truckee Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe Sheriff’s Office, California Central Intelligence Center and the Placer County OES.
This is our daily update on the investigation and search for Kiely Rodni. #PCSO #FindKiely pic.twitter.com/u7Zw77yve6
— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) August 10, 2022
Kiely’s last text to her mother
Wednesday 10 August 2022 20:05 , Andrea Blanco
Kiely’s mother told ABC News that her daughter texted her around right before midnight on Friday and said she was going to leave the party in about 45 minutes.
“I told her to be safe and that I loved her. And she said, ‘OK, mom, I love you, too,’” Ms Rodni-Nieman told ABC. “She never came home.”
Ms Rodni-Nieman said that when she woke up on Saturday, she tried to get in contact with her daughter to no avail.
“I called her and sent her texts, too, and she didn’t answer,” she said. “That’s when I knew something was wrong.”
Gwyneth Paltrow joins the search
Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:45 , Andrea Blanco
The actress used her social media following to increase awareness around the search by sharing a flyer with her more than eight million followers on her Instagram story.
The image had information about Kiely’s last whereabouts, car model and description, and the reward offered for tips that led to Kiely.
© Provided by The Independent (Gwyneth Paltrow/Instagram)
Police says teens will not get in trouble when they disclose information
Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:25 , Andrea Blanco
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said they’re not looking to charge teenagers who consumed alcohol at the party and have pleaded with them to come forward with any information that could help find Kiely.
“We’re not interested in [investigating teenage drinking], we’re only looking to find Kiely,” public information officer Angela Musullam told The Independent.
A teens-only meeting took place on Tuesday at the Tahoe City Save Mart from 5pm to 7pm. Teenagers were asked to attend and shared information about the party, but authorities received no concrete leads overnight, the department said.
“I want to reiterate, all the adults and all parents, please do not come to this … If you knew about the party, if you learned about the party afterward, or if you knew somebody who went to the party, please come to me,” Samantha Smith, Kiely’s friend, said before the meeting, the Moonshine Ink reported.
Kiely’s friend recalls last call with her
Wednesday 10 August 2022 19:05 , Andrea Blanco
Samantha Smith, 18, told The Independent she was the last person to speak with 16-year-old Kiely after midnight on Saturday.
“At 12.36am she called me … and this is the last call anybody had with her. We said ‘love you, good night. Get home safe,’ and that’s the last thing we heard of her,” Samantha said on Monday.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Independent that the department could not confirm whether Samantha was the last person to speak Kiely, but said that shortly after midnight her phone was turned off.
© Provided by The Independent
Exclusive: Friend of missing teen Kiely Rodni recounts last call before she vanished
Kiely’s mother pleads for the public’s assistance
Wednesday 10 August 2022 18:45 , Andrea Blanco
Lindsay Nieman-Rodni appealed to the public to come forward in a video shared by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
“We just want her home. We are so scared. We miss her so much and love her so much. If you see this, please just come home. I want nothing more than to hug you,” Ms Rodni said Monday.
“If you know where she is or know anything about where she might be, please come forward. We’re not looking to arrest anybody or get anybody in trouble we just want to see our daughter home.”
As #PCSO detectives continue to investigate Kiely’s disappearance and follow up on multiple leads, Kiely Rodni’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, has a plea to the community. If anyone has any information where Kiely may be, please call our tip line: (530) 581-6320, Option 7. pic.twitter.com/kx4ZBVnrwu
— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) August 8, 2022
Three dive teams join the search
Wednesday 10 August 2022 18:36 , Andrea Blanco
The teams will be searching at the Prosser Creek Reservoir near Lake Tahoe. They are reportedly planning to search underwater near the shore, Fox reported.
The reservoir is 60 feet deep. Law enforcement agencies have assigned K-9 units, aircrafts, boats and more than 260 personnel to canvass the areas surrounding the Prosser Family Campground.
Placer Sheriff’s Office public information officer Angela Musallam told The Independent on Wednesday that her department and the Nevada and Washoe sheriff offices had done water searches in the area on Tuesday but said she could not whether confirm dive teams had joined the search.
$50,000 award offered for information
Wednesday 10 August 2022 18:25 , Megan Sheets
Authorities have posted a $50,000 reward in Kiely’s disappearance as they appeal to the public to come forward with any information.
Meanwhile, the teen’s friends launched a GoFundMe to raise the reward amount.
As of Wednesday morning, the campaign has raised more than $29,000 via nearly 200 donors.
Last known photo of Kiely
Wednesday 10 August 2022 18:05 , Megan Sheets
Police on Tuesday released a previously unseen photo of Kiely taken about six hours before she disappeared.
The teen was captured on a surveillance camera at a local business in Truckee, presumably on her way to the campground party that was her last known location.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more:
© Provided by The Independent
Missing California teen Kiely Rodni seen in new photo as Gwyneth Paltrow joins search
Everything we know about Kiely Rodni’s disappearance
Wednesday 10 August 2022 17:57 , Megan Sheets
Sixteen-year-old Kiely Rodni was last seen after midnight on 6 August after attending a party at a campground in Truckee, California.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation the following morning after Kiely failed to show up for a hike with friends.
A massive search effort entered its fourth day on Wednesday, with investigators treated the case as an abduction.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco explains what we know so far:
© Provided by The Independent
Everything we know about 16-year-old Kiely Rodni’s disappearance