ACTIVE SEARCH SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019 #3

[Steelslady]

Anyone local have any more information on this:

'Searchers find body of missing girl in the Cheyenne River'

It's posted on the Senator's site but the link won't open.

The link is to BlackHillsFox.com and was posted an hour ago

ETA

Disregard---it apparently was a 5 yr old they found

Thanks Senator for posting that headline but not adding a post of your own to clarify that it wasn't Serenity.

Maybe she didn't know the name of the victim and couldn't say who it was. They have to wait for identification of the victim, which in some cases, can take days or even weeks and months.

 

[Rocco]

Maybe she didn't know the name of the victim and couldn't say who it was. They have to wait for identification of the victim, which in some cases, can take days or even weeks and months.

She didn't have to say who it was, but she could have let people know it was not Serenity. She knew that, but anyone visiting her site would not have known that when they saw the headline.

 

[Burnt_Biscuits]

She didn't have to say who it was, but she could have let people know it was not Serenity. She knew that, but anyone visiting her site would not have known that when they saw the headline.

It was on a Reservation... totally different laws... It's up to the Tribe to disclose information...

 

[Rocco]

It was on a Reservation... totally different laws... It's up to the Tribe to disclose information...

My post had nothing to do with the child who was found or who should disclose the information.
My point was, as the proclaimed advocate for Serenity, I think it was incumbent upon the Senator, who has a site mainly dedicated to finding Serenity, to let people know this child who was found was NOT Serenity, rather than just post the following along with a link that didn't work. Most people naturally thought Serenity had been found. It was posters on her site who had to let people know it was not Serenity. IMO, the Senator should have done that, instead of just posting this on her site:

BODY OF MISSING GIRL FOUND IN CHEYENNE RIVER. Searchers found the body of a missing girl in the Cheyenne River.

 

[Rocco]

“We’ve logged over 4 thousand miles in this forest. We have had over a thousand volunteers. Thousands and thousands of man hours and so our commitment is still there, just because it slows us down, it won’t stop us. We are committed to finding Serenity and we will do whatever it takes to find her,” Harrison said.

Challenges and efforts for Serenity Dennard Search 5 months later

 

[PommyMommy]

“We’ve logged over 4 thousand miles in this forest. We have had over a thousand volunteers. Thousands and thousands of man hours and so our commitment is still there, just because it slows us down, it won’t stop us. We are committed to finding Serenity and we will do whatever it takes to find her,” Harrison said.

Challenges and efforts for Serenity Dennard Search 5 months later

That's incredible. Kudos to them for their persistence and dedication.

Also noting the following:

There are 2 sides of this case. The search and the investigative side.

“We have had 182 leads and that encompasses about 15 states that we’ve followed up on. We’ve interviewed or had contact with about 410 individuals. We’ve followed up on a lot of different leads and have done 6 search warrants so we’ve had a very robust investigative effort to this along with the search effort,” Thom said.

 

[Steelslady]

That's incredible. Kudos to them for their persistence and dedication.

Also noting the following:

There are 2 sides of this case. The search and the investigative side.

“We have had 182 leads and that encompasses about 15 states that we’ve followed up on. We’ve interviewed or had contact with about 410 individuals. We’ve followed up on a lot of different leads and have done 6 search warrants so we’ve had a very robust investigative effort to this along with the search effort,” Thom said.

So glad they are investigating this beyond the home area. I really feel she was picked up that day. I won't say that it was planned, as we have no way of knowing that. It just seems strange, with all of the searches since February, in the cold winter to hot summer, that not a single trace of her has been found- no hair, clothing, nothing.

Something has always seemed off to me about this in terms of her just walking away in the cold. I bet LE knows a lot more and is at the point where they, too, don't believe she is in the woods somewhere.

I just pray whether she is alive or deceased, that she is found soon. This poor girl has been through a lot in her life, and if someone does indeed have her, I hope they are giving her lots of love and attention and aren't abusing her in any way- we can only hope, right? I know, the chances of that are slim.......

 

[Curiousobserver]

So glad they are investigating this beyond the home area. I really feel she was picked up that day. I won't say that it was planned, as we have no way of knowing that. It just seems strange, with all of the searches since February, in the cold winter to hot summer, that not a single trace of her has been found- no hair, clothing, nothing.

Something has always seemed off to me about this in terms of her just walking away in the cold. I bet LE knows a lot more and is at the point where they, too, don't believe she is in the woods somewhere.

I just pray whether she is alive or deceases, that she is found soon. This poor girl has been through a lot in her life, and if someone does indeed have her, I hope they are giving her lots of love and attention and aren't abusing her in any way- we can only hope, right? I know, the chances of that are slim.......

Me too- most kids are a mile or less from where the get lost when they are found, and that is in normal weather. I really have this feeling someone picked her up.

 

[Steelslady]

Me too- most kids are a mile or less from where the get lost when they are found, and that is in normal weather. I really have this feeling someone picked her up.

I have my own thoughts as I am sure some other folks might have, but we can't share them on here. This poor child- she just breaks my heart.

 

[kay74]

Me too- most kids are a mile or less from where the get lost when they are found, and that is in normal weather. I really have this feeling someone picked her up.

Me too- most kids are a mile or less from where the get lost when they are found, and that is in normal weather. I really have this feeling someone picked her up.

Me too- most kids are a mile or less from where the get lost when they are found, and that is in normal weather. I really have this feeling someone picked her up.

Since she was freezing cold, she would have welcomed the ride. I pray it was a good person.

 

[Seattle1]

While the following post is Serenity's adoptive parents opinion only, it's so sad to know that they are describing a 9 year old child --regardless of her emotional problems.

She's just a child, that's been gone too long.

South Dakota parents share missing daughter's story | Grand Forks Herald

Another one of her symptoms is running away, whether it's from her parents, grandmother, or school. She runs away because she doesn't know how to process her emotions, or because she begins to feel too comfortable in a place, Chad and Kasandra said.

Serenity has planned escapes by packing a suitcase and leaving in the middle of the night (her house has an alarm to help prevent that), convincing another child to run with her after one of two day-care supervisors temporarily left the room, and having a lunch lady pack her lunch in a bag so she could run away from school, the couple said.

Chad said he's "100 percent" positive that Serenity similarly planned an escape from the Children's Home by having another child first run away. "That's just her M.O." he said. "She's going to wait until everything is calmed down," said Chad. "It's unexpected," Kasandra added.

Serenity and three other children were playing inside the gym at the Children's Home when one of the other children ran away, Bill Colson, executive director of the Children's Home Society, has said. As a staffer ran after that child, Serenity then took off. Because the remaining staffer was still supervising two other children, that person stayed put and called for help rather than follow Serenity.

Serenity's parents said their daughter would hide from staff inside the Children's Home and threaten to run away. She once ran away while they were playing outside but staff was able to catch her. She may have ran Feb. 3 because she started to feel too comfortable at the home, was no longer the new girl and was ready for something new, the couple said.

bbm

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 12, 2019
Search for Serenity hampered by weather, terrain
[...]

"Early on we had plenty of snow and below zero conditions and slippery hillsides and steep terrain," said Rockerville Fire Chief Gail Schmidt who has been out on searches for Serenity 32 times. "And now, of course, we have the tall grasses and the leafed out vegitation. The thick vegitation makes it a little more challenging to see in some of these areas"

[...]

More than a thousand people have helped out in the search logging more than 4,200 miles. To say nothing of the 81 dog teams.

[...]

And then there's the online criticism, particularly from State Sen. Lynne DiSanto, R-Rapid City.

"There's lot's of different opinions about what we should or shouldn't be doing," said Thom. "I think if you look at the data we've provided in terms of our efforts to date -- both on the investigative side and the search side -- I don't think anyone can question our commitment. Our focus is on Serenity and her family and trying to find Serenity."

The dog handlers continue to report their dogs picking up cadaver scents and that gives searchers hope but with no major discoveries, will there be a time when the effort gets put on hold?

"At some point it may come to that but we're not there now," said the sheriff.

Search crews will be back out in the Rockerville area Saturday looking for the little girl who was just 9-years-old when she was last seen.

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 13, 2019
5am start this morning to beat the heat in our search for Serenity Dennard. We did not find the child but owe a big thanks to the Wolfpack in the Northern Black Hills. Shannon and Kathy continue to work hard in our months-long effort.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=350005149001904

 

[flashy09]

The article by her adoptive dad and new wife makes me sad. I feel like she had a lot of negativity in her life - I wonder how many times people told her she was wonderful and resilient and kind vs everything she did wrong. The parents still seem bitter about her behavior. On the other hand, it was interesting ....I just hope she never reads it and sees that even presumed dead, her "faults" and struggles are the main thing written about her.

This case just makes me so sad.

I still think she was picked up, but if not I hope the searchers are focusing on shelter areas very close to the home. I think it's most realistic she went somewhere to hide (vs just taking off going as far as possible) and will be found in hollow tree log or similar.

I said this before in an earlier post, but I have recently read an article on how young kids are committing suicide at a much higher frequency. Seeing in the article that she threatened self harm does make me wonder. I hate being so morbid and graphic, but with the scent of a cadaver in the area and such a huge effort yet still no find....I wonder if the searcher are thinking about looking UP at the tree limbs as well.

 

[girlhasnoname]

I hope we will have answers one day as to what exactly happened, but regardless of the outcome, LE has searched long and diligently for this little girl. They've done an amazing job IMO.

 

[j_in_c]

The article by her adoptive dad and new wife makes me sad. I feel like she had a lot of negativity in her life - I wonder how many times people told her she was wonderful and resilient and kind vs everything she did wrong. The parents still seem bitter about her behavior. On the other hand, it was interesting ....I just hope she never reads it and sees that even presumed dead, her "faults" and struggles are the main thing written about her.

I said this before in an earlier post, but I have recently read an article on how young kids are committing suicide at a much higher frequency. Seeing in the article that she threatened self harm does make me wonder. I hate being so morbid and graphic, but with the scent of a cadaver in the area and such a huge effort yet still no find....I wonder if the searcher are thinking about looking UP at the tree limbs as well.

It certainly doesn't paint the picture of a happy childhood, but I do think it provides important background information without sensationalizing or adding any unnecessary negative information. It offers a slight defense of the staff at the home noting that she was savvy enough to create a distraction to make it easier for her to run away undetected. I don't get the impression they would label her despondent, perhaps more that she used running away as attention seeking behavior. In any event, I am happy to hear that they are using all resources available and following up with investigative leads as well as searches.

 

[j_in_c]

The article by her adoptive dad and new wife makes me sad. I feel like she had a lot of negativity in her life - I wonder how many times people told her she was wonderful and resilient and kind vs everything she did wrong. The parents still seem bitter about her behavior. On the other hand, it was interesting ....I just hope she never reads it and sees that even presumed dead, her "faults" and struggles are the main thing written about her.

I said this before in an earlier post, but I have recently read an article on how young kids are committing suicide at a much higher frequency. Seeing in the article that she threatened self harm does make me wonder. I hate being so morbid and graphic, but with the scent of a cadaver in the area and such a huge effort yet still no find....I wonder if the searcher are thinking about looking UP at the tree limbs as well.

It certainly doesn't paint the picture of a happy childhood, but I do think it provides important background information without sensationalizing or adding any unnecessary negative information. It offers a slight defense of the staff at the home noting that she was savvy enough to create a distraction to make it easier for her to run away undetected. I don't get the impression they would label her despondent, perhaps more that she used running away as attention seeking behavior. In any event, I am happy to hear that they are using all resources available and following up with investigative leads as well as searches.

 

[Stunned]

This has probably already been discussed multiple times so I apologize for asking, but there are so many threads for sweet Serenity that it would take me forever to find the answer to my questions.

I was just wondering, if the family who saw Serenity had to go back inside to notify staff that Serenity was out there was staff already aware she was missing and searching for her? My other question is how much interaction the people had with staff while dropping off their loved one? The reason I ask is because Serenity would obviously have already taken off at that point or during the time they were there and, I wondered if staff were frantic or how they were acting. MOO

I just know if I was dropping off or picking up a child that day and saw a child outside I would follow that child and try to lure her into my car. I would be on my cell phone calling the institution that a child was out and about. I don’t understand why this didn’t happen. They had too have known that these kids were not supposed to be wandering the grounds not properly dressed.

 

[kay74]

I just know if I was dropping off or picking up a child that day and saw a child outside I would follow that child and try to lure her into my car. I would be on my cell phone calling the institution that a child was out and about. I don’t understand why this didn’t happen. They had too have known that these kids were not supposed to be wandering the grounds not properly dressed.

That or call 911. I never would have not done anything. Maybe someone did pick her up and is afraid to come forward or moved away with her so she would not be found. I pray it's someone good and she feels love like she should and is happy.

 

[janewall]

Since she was freezing cold, she would have welcomed the ride. I pray it was a good person.

Sadly, I think that a "good person" would have let someone know Serenity is safe and with them. "Good people" don't disappear other people's kids and keep them completely off the grid for 5 months, without doctors, or school, or other visibility. If necessary they take them to a safer haven, even in another state, if they are gravely concerned about the child's living conditions and wellbeing.

I think either foul play befell Serenity, or her running away behavior led to an accidental death that has not yet been discovered. I am so sad for this troubled little girl, who needed safety but mistrusted it.