Autopsy results released on Thursday, October 13, determined that California teen Kiely Rodni, who was missing for two weeks before her body was found in a vehicle submerged in a reservoir, died due to drowning, and there was no evidence of foul play surrounding her death.
Authorities said that the death of the 16-year-old had been ruled accidental by the Coroners Division of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, ABC News reported.
The sheriff's office issued a statement, saying that this ruling was based on the pathologist's finding that Rodni's death resulted from drowning. The statement added that there was no other information to suggest that Rodni was the victim of foul play.
Rodni found dead in Prosser Reservoir
The statement added that the sheriff's office is continuing to work with the family of Rodni by evaluating any additional information related to this investigation. Kiely was last seen around 12:30 a.m. local time on August 6 near the Prosser Family Campground in the small town of Truckee, California, some 20 miles north of Lake Tahoe.
Rodni was at a party with upward of 300 people when she disappeared along with her car, a silver 2013 Honda CRV. The teen's cell phone had also been out of service since she went missing, adding to the mystery of her vanishing at the time.
According to authorities, a massive search effort to find Rodni ensued for a couple of weeks before her body was found in a car pulled from the Prosser Reservoir on August 21. The vehicle matched the description of Rodni's SUV, and the body found inside the car was confirmed to be that of the missing teen two days later following an autopsy, according to KTLA.
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Rodni's family eternally grateful to those who helped them find Kiely
The teen's family said in a statement that they were eternally grateful for the love their friends, family, the media, law enforcement, and communities all over the world have shown them throughout their search for Rodni.
Kiely's family said that they had weathered a storm of unfathomable force, and it is purely thanks to the army of warriors, matriarchs, healers, and helpers holding them up that they continue to stand today.
They added that Mr. Rogers famously told a story of looking for helpers whenever he saw some scary things in the news. The family said they have not had to look for helpers, as they have all come to their rescue in full force.
They said that Kiely would surely remain with them even though they would not get her back. They concluded their statement by saying they are forever indebted to those people. Dozens of community members came out in September to celebrate the life of Rodni, according to KCRA.
