California officials discuss search for Kiely Rodni
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-fueled 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.
Investigators say they don’t have any new leads, but still suspect someone in the community knows more.
“We believe that someone knows,” Nevada County Sheriff’s Office captain Sam Brown told a Wednesday press conference. “Someone saw her but they’re not coming forward.”
Meanwhile Kiely’s boyfriend revealed some of his final words to her: “Be safe. Don’t like, do anything stupid.”
Law enforcement to hold press conference later today
Law enforcement officials have announced 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 (5 pm 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.
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 19:00
GoFundMe to increase reward money tops $30,000
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 organizer 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 from her. Please consider donating!”
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 18:40
Community rallies round family
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 traveled 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 favorite songs.
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 18:20
Description of missing teen
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 gray 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.
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 18:00
No activity on Kiely Rodni’s cellphone since early hours of Saturday
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.
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 17:40
Police grow frustrated with lack of leads
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.”
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 17:01
Boyfriend of Kiely Rodni breaks his silence to reveal last conversation before she vanished
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:
Kiely Rodni’s boyfriend breaks silence as search enters fifth day for missing teen
Officials are growing frustrated with the lack of leads in the search for missing teen Kiely Rodni who vanished without a trace five days ago
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 16:35
Kiely’s loved ones believe she is no longer in California
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”.
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 16:15
Investigators release new images in search for the missing teen
On Wednesday, investigators released two new photos to the public: one of Kiely’s missing silver 2013 Honda CRVs 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 centered on the area around the campground where she was last seen.
The hoodie Kiely Rodni borrowed the night she vanished
(Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
Kiely Rodni’s 2013 silver Honda CRV which is also missing
(Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 15:55
Teen-to-teen meet-up scheduled for Thursday afternoon
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 eat 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.
Rachel Sharp11 August 2022 15:36
