The search for missing California teen Kiely Rodni came to a sad conclusion on Monday, August 22, when law enforcement officials announced that remains found in a submerged vehicle were more than likely hers.
Officials said that the California Highway Patrol is investigating the matter as an accident. The car was found on Sunday, August 21, in Prosser Lake, Truckee, located about 35 miles west of Reno, Nevada. The discovery was made by Adventures With Purpose, a private group of divers who had been helping in the search for Rodni, according to the New York Post.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told reporters that they had located a decedent inside the vehicle and believed it was their missing person. She added that they have not been able to identify the victim positively, but it is more than likely where they are today.
Rodni's family thanks law enforcement and volunteers for their support
The teenager's family thanked volunteers, law enforcement, and everyone who helped support them on Monday. Rodni's family issued a statement, saying that while they accept this sadness cast under death's shadow, the rising sun shines light upon them, reminding them not to mourn their loss but to celebrate Kiely's spirit and the gift that they all received in knowing her.
The family added that Kiely would surely remain with them even though they would not get her back. Television news crews were able to capture a video of what appeared to be a silver SUV being pulled from the lake on Sunday, according to NBC News.
Searchers had been looking for the 16-year-old Rodni and her vehicle, a silver 2013 Honda CRV, for weeks. Volunteers shared a video of the submerged car on Monday, showing a license plate that matches the one on Rodni's CRV.
Before the volunteer crew arrived to help with the search, divers and swimmers affiliated with local law enforcement agencies did not detect the car found on Sunday with their sonar and other equipment.
Rodni found more than two weeks after her disappearance
Nevada County Sheriff's Captain Sam Brown told reporters his agency would be taking a closer look at any possible shortcomings of their search for Rodni. The Northern California teen was last seen on August 6 at the nearby Prosser Family Campground along with hundreds of other partying teens. They were in an area known as "The Sanctuary" in Truckee.
She disappeared, and authorities initially worried that their search for the teen was slow as witnesses were hesitant to come forward because of possible underage drinking, according to CBS News. Brown said that early reports incorrectly cast Rodni's disappearance as a possible abduction, but that miscommunication may have inadvertently helped with the investigation.
Brown said they also probably would not have received all the services and all the people if a possible kidnapping was not an option in Rodni's disappearance. He added that they might not have had all the resources to conduct interviews if this was truly a search-and-rescue mission.
