Found Deceased CA - Kiely Rodni Missing From Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #6

[RedHaus]

I have read mystery novels with similar "plots" as to that. I've always wondered how anyone would be able to wedge anything against a gas pedal and not get caught in the car themselves as the engine is racing and the vehicle is trying to move.

Oh that is actually pretty easy @JerseyWasHome2. Two options I can share.

The first is to block the drive wheel(s) with a "chock", like is done in drag racing / drag launches in motorsports. You load the transmission by engaging the throttle peddle as the car is held back with a chock. The engine revs but the car doesn't move (if done well) until the chock is quickly pulled away. The vehicle will then take off at a high rate of speed once released. Of course in the middle of the woods, this could be accomplished with a rock tethered to a rope perhaps.

Global Industrial™ Molded Rubber Wheel Chock With Handle

Global Industrial™ Molded Rubber Wheel Chock With Handle. Ships in One Business Day. Buy it and Save at GlobalIndustrial.com

www.globalindustrial.com

The other is to raise the drive wheel(s) off the ground, like with a car jack / jack stand / or in the 'real world', rocks under the axle and digging out the earth below the drive wheel(s) so they spin while suspended and the engine revs high (if there is something holding down the throttle peddle). Then release the car to the ground and off it goes very fast.

I am sure there are other creative methods, but those two come quickly to mind.

p.s. this has NOTHING to do with the KR case, I am simply answering a question related to OP posts on other crimes.

 

[wnk]

With the vehicle being found where it was, I find it incredibly unlikely that it was anything other than a tragic accident.

If someone had killed KR (accidentally or on purpose) and wanted to dispose of her body, this would be one of the worst ways to do it. Even if the killer were in a state of panic, it would have been far easier to dispose of the body in the lake without the vehicle -- and much less likely to draw unwanted attention. Even if a killer was driving it into the water themselves (trying to make it look like an accident), there was no way to ensure that it wouldn't just get stuck in the mud at the water's edge or that someone else wouldn't see and immediately call for help. Intentionally disposing of it so close to the party's location would have almost assured that someone would find it, when -- as mentioned throughout previous threads -- there are many, many other places around the area that a local could have dumped a body or deserted a vehicle where no one would have even known to look.

 

[tlcya]

Another article on Kiely. Per this one, LE is not disclosing the manner and cause of death. I would think if the autopsy reveals no foul play, releasing that info would not be a problem. Outside of something intentional, it may be out of respect for the family (in which case it may never be released) or they are waiting for the toxicology report to cover all the bases.

Autopsy: Body found in submerged car belongs to missing California teen Kiely Rodni

Keily Rodni, 16, went missing on Aug. 6 after attending a large party at a Sierra Nevada campground. Her body was discovered Sunday in a reservoir.

www.usatoday.com

they would be fools to disclose MOD and COD without having toxicology back first. MOO you don't make a determination about such things until you have all the information. Otherwise why even bother with tox?

The physical remains may not show any obvious signs of abuse or foul play. That much can be determined with an autopsy. We won't hear any more until that tox screen comes back. JMO

 

[JnRyan]

they would be fools to disclose MOD and COD without having toxicology back first. MOO you don't make a determination about such things until you have all the information. Otherwise why even bother with tox?

The physical remains may not show any obvious signs of abuse or foul play. That much can be determined with an autopsy and that is the information we've been provided. We won't hear any more until that tox screen comes back. JMO

I agree, but have you read that LE stated there were no obvious signs of abuse or foul play?

 

[Seattle1]

This is difficult to say, but I doubt the parties will stop. It seems very much ingrained in the local culture, similar to the area where I grew up.

Examples without names:

2021: car of kids out after a party like this one, same age as KR. Quite similar--well liked young woman, bright, everything to live for. In this case, the friend drove her car, the owner of the car died at the scene, driver survived. Others dropped off minutes before accident.

Quick scan of social media? Parties in the woods, etc as of this past weekend.....

The year before? A 16 yo driving, 15 yo passenger died. I could go on, but pretty much every other year or so. All you need to do is flip through the yearbook dedications. It is very sad.

If you drew a circle and expanded into communities within a half an hour's drive, the amount of young people, teens, 20s who died partying and/or caused other deaths is just crazy.

People continue to party, they continue to drive while impaired, they won't stop, they consider it all "normal". It is such a high price to pay. I think the answer is better communication about a safe ride home. It is tough in areas where you can't call a taxi easily. With ride shares becoming more common, even in rural areas, maybe that can help? I really don't know. Having your own vehicle and driving yourself is also really ingrained in the culture in many rural places.

^^BBM

Brilliant post @Beekarina and let me say that I can attest that it's all true not only for "local culture" but for all avenues.

I was but a young school girl when I experienced my first death-- a beloved cousin only 18 months older than myself. Three young men left a garden party but not before managing to pinch bottles of drink that contributed to a head-on collision resulting in 4 fatalities: killed were the 3 young men, and collateral damage was my cousin, who was headed back to boarding school after a weekend home visit.

It's not enough to publish the slogan "don't drink and drive." Youth believe they are invincible and it won't happen to them or they are too young to die. This is typical of the thought process of a young brain.

Today, what I think is important to understand about Kiely and my own family tragedy is forensic victimology risk factors. To be clear, the science of victimology is NOT about blaming the victim -- but an applied discipline, intended to be employed as an objective scientific practice. Think of it as the science behind your mother's "nothing good happens after midnight."

I encourage everybody to view Mike King's video linked below that's aimed to accurately, critically, and objectively describe the risk factors applicable to all of the party attendees. MOO

Found Deceased - CA - Kiely Rodni Missing From Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #6

Nothing has been confirmed except for KR's identity. (I believe this was asked at the presser on Monday and the response was the same -- LE was only addressing KR's physical recovery). Thanks, @Seattle1.

www.websleuths.com

 

[RedHaus]

Parents need to take this time to sit down with their teens and let them know that underage drinking and driving is not only illegal, but can be deadly, and will not be condoned. Understand that they, like us probably, are going to drink anyway, at some point. Instill in them a buddy system. Look out for one another. Take a friend's keys if you have to, and accept that if a friend takes yours, they are doing it for the right reasons. Don't let Kiely's death be completely in vain. JMO

@SteveP, well written post. I particularly agree with your last paragraph RSBM here. What I am about to say has no direct bearing on KR or her family or friends. But since we are speaking in generalities, I'd like to react to your post with this.

I think the idea of educating teens and young adults and trying to control what they do with respect to alcohol and drugs is laudable. But it fails to address what I think is one (of perhaps many) root causes of high risk, self destructive behavior.

Having survived my own high risk and self destructive behavior age 16-26, many decades ago, I can share that the root of my heavy drinking, multi drug use, fast street driving, driving while very impaired, etc. was complex post traumatic stress syndrome (c-PTSD) from a childhood of repetitive and sustained emotional abuse. I had no sense of self worth .

So before we start putting more rules and controls on kids, I think childhood and adolescent mental health is a critical component to focus on as well. The emotional, sexual and physical trauma many, many children experience should be addressed long before the 22 year old version of such a kid drinks themselves into a stupor, drives and kills someone.

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

Oh that is actually pretty easy @JerseyWasHome2. Two options I can share.

The first is to block the drive wheel(s) with a "chock", like is done in drag racing / drag launches in motorsports. You load the transmission by engaging the throttle peddle as the car is held back with a chock. The engine revs but the car doesn't move (if done well) until the chock is quickly pulled away. The vehicle will then take off at a high rate of speed once released. Of course in the middle of the woods, this could be accomplished with a rock tethered to a rope perhaps.

Global Industrial™ Molded Rubber Wheel Chock With Handle

Global Industrial™ Molded Rubber Wheel Chock With Handle. Ships in One Business Day. Buy it and Save at GlobalIndustrial.com

www.globalindustrial.com

The other is to raise the drive wheel(s) off the ground, like with a car jack / jack stand / or in the 'real world', rocks under the axle and digging out the earth below the drive wheel(s) so they spin while suspended and the engine revs high (if there is something holding down the throttle peddle). Then release the car to the ground and off it goes very fast.

I am sure there are other creative methods, but those two come quickly to mind.

p.s. this has NOTHING to do with the KR case, I am simply answering a question related to OP posts on other crimes.

Thank you, @RedHaus! I knew someone here would have some info on how that's done. Doesn't sound like something done easily or quickly, on the fly.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Thanks. Agree, I have not heard of many cases where someone hides a body on purpose inside the victim’s own car. Usually the accident situation where the accident was caused by an impaired driver, where the driver escapes and the victim doesn’t.

In this case could also be some other act or behavior on the part of another person that caused her death, and then panic caused the perp to try to cover it up. * Again, it’s MOO that this is likely to be an accident possibly caused in part to impaired driving, but could be a less likely foul play scenario.*

I’m sure that LE will cover all the bases when investigating and pray for peace and comfort for the families.

I am of the belief that Kiely had a tragic accident.

But people do hide bodies in cars. This one was recent local news. He didn’t hide her well, he left her body in the car parked outside of her own home!

Man arrested after girlfriend's body found inside car in Ross Township

 

[getthefax]

I am of the belief that Kiely had a tragic accident.

But people do hide bodies in cars. This one was recent local news. He didn’t hide her well, he left her body in the car parked outside of her own home!

Man arrested after girlfriend's body found inside car in Ross Township

Yes, it happens a lot. My point was about hiding the body in the victims car, then disposing of the car in a waterway. It’s easy to drive a car somewhere and dum the car with a body in it. Much harder/higher risk of being caught for a peep to attempt to leave the victim inside a car inside a lake or River. They would need to be reasonably sure that the car would sink, and also have a getaway plan that would help them evade discovery.

I’m gonna keep saying it’s very rare for a murderer to hide a victim, inside the victim’s own car, in a body of water. It doesn’t “not happen,” but it doesn’t happen often.

 

[RedHaus]

I think an easier solution would be not to make roads that lead into water. Why is this even a thing? Boat ramps should have gates and there's no reason any road used for driving should lead into water. It's not like people driving on pavement suddenly want to start driving on water. It's just a mechanism for death.

Like I said before, welcome to "Rural America".

What I didn't say before is there are countless other risks not always controlled for in our society. Take railroad crossings in rural America. How many times to do you hear cries for 'lets put in more railroad crossing signals' after a fatal train crash?

What about hiking trails with steep terrain or in extreme cold or hot weather climates? Do we stop people from hiking because they might kill themselves from a fall or hyper / hypothermia? Sometimes yes, but most of the time, no.

I am not taking away from your earnest concern. I just fear it not realistic to gate / mark all boat ramps on lakes or oceans. I have used many boat ramps myself when I lived in rural Maine and I don't recall any gates, lights or signs.

In fact, on lake Sebago in Maine one night, my car's GPS took me down to the water's edge on a boat ramp in the pitch black with pea soup fog. There was no gate, lights or signs. My GPS tried to get me to a lodge on the other side of the lake and it thought this boat ramp with a ferry that ran during the day, was the way to get there. Thankfully I was paying attention.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Another article on Kiely. Per this one, LE is not disclosing the manner and cause of death. I would think if the autopsy reveals no foul play, releasing that info would not be a problem. Outside of something intentional, it may be out of respect for the family (in which case it may never be released) or they are waiting for the toxicology report to cover all the bases.

Autopsy: Body found in submerged car belongs to missing California teen Kiely Rodni

Keily Rodni, 16, went missing on Aug. 6 after attending a large party at a Sierra Nevada campground. Her body was discovered Sunday in a reservoir.

www.usatoday.com

Unfortunately toxicology reports can takes weeks to months. There's a huge backlog throughout the U.S.

 

[Dotta]

My GPS tried to get me to a lodge on the other side of the lake and it thought this boat ramp with a ferry that ran during the day, was the way to get there. Thankfully I was paying attention.

Omg
Killed by your own GPS
How scary!

 

[seasideForest]

My point was about hiding the body in the victims car, then disposing of the car in a waterway. It’s easy to drive a car somewhere and dum the car with a body in it. Much harder/higher risk of being caught for a peep to attempt to leave the victim inside a car inside a lake or River. They would need to be reasonably sure that the car would sink, and also have a getaway plan that would help them evade discovery.

Not to mention the difficulty of getting the car into the lake or river without getting stuck in there and drowning themselves. You wouldn't simply drive into the waterway and get out of the car, leaving the body there. MOO

 

[franker]

Oh that is actually pretty easy @JerseyWasHome2. Two options I can share.

The first is to block the drive wheel(s) with a "chock", like is done in drag racing / drag launches in motorsports. You load the transmission by engaging the throttle peddle as the car is held back with a chock. The engine revs but the car doesn't move (if done well) until the chock is quickly pulled away. The vehicle will then take off at a high rate of speed once released. Of course in the middle of the woods, this could be accomplished with a rock tethered to a rope perhaps.

Global Industrial™ Molded Rubber Wheel Chock With Handle

Global Industrial™ Molded Rubber Wheel Chock With Handle. Ships in One Business Day. Buy it and Save at GlobalIndustrial.com

www.globalindustrial.com

The other is to raise the drive wheel(s) off the ground, like with a car jack / jack stand / or in the 'real world', rocks under the axle and digging out the earth below the drive wheel(s) so they spin while suspended and the engine revs high (if there is something holding down the throttle peddle). Then release the car to the ground and off it goes very fast.

I am sure there are other creative methods, but those two come quickly to mind.

p.s. this has NOTHING to do with the KR case, I am simply answering a question related to OP posts on other crimes.

The 2 methods you describe are certainly feasible but, as you say, they are pretty complicated and time consuming.

As far as chocks (and as an old drag racer) I am unaware that they are used when the object is to smoke the tires prior to launch (foot braking or a trans brake was always the way we did it). But I have been out of the sport for years so quite possibly there are changes that I don't know about. But as you said that would require a lot of effort.

Regardless, the methods you described seem perfectly doable to me.

 

[RedHaus]

Obviously many of us here believe KR's death is a tragic drowning accident and LE's COD and MOD will eventually confirm that. Some others think there may have been foul play involved. We won't know what is truth until the investigation concludes. I do appreciate the ongoing sleuthing here, as it continues to force us to evaluate facts and our thoughts.

My mind is all over the place on this case. Unfortunately I have a tendency to go to the dark side of scenarios so I am trying hard to stay grounded in what we know and what could have realistically occurred to put poor KR in that lake.

That said, my current thinking about what may have happened is perhaps a hybrid between 'tragic accident' and 'foul play' akin to the Chappaquiddick Incident in 1969.

Chappaquiddick incident - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Many things haunt me about this case and don't quite add up... mostly because LE is likely holding many key facts from the public, understandably. But probably the most haunting thing for me is Monday's presser (thank you for transcription, @Allabouttrial!) when a reporter asked, "Was there more than one body in the vehicle?" and the Nevada Captain said "No, there was not more than one body in the vehicle" after what I perceived to be a very pregnant and awkward pause.

Now of course we all discussed that pause here, and I think the consensus was the Nevada Captain was just trying to find the right words and internally decide if he should answer the question. IIRC, he never did that before in any pressor. And it has got me wondering (in the dark side of my mind) whether the pause was because perhaps both front airbags had inflated, which I believe would only happen if there were two people in the car. Of course that is pure SPECULATION!

But I also wonder if there wasn't some fun times being had later in the party with kids driving their cars around the party area and down on the beach. Maybe some kids were in KR's car with her... maybe she or someone else was driving. With a banked beach, soft gravely soil, unskilled drivers, and a top heavy car (an SUV), it would be ripe for rolling a car. IF that happened and it rolled into the reservoir, then all the occupants (if still alive and conscious after the roll) would have scrambled to try and get out...

Before y'all tear this idea apart, I am going to be the first to say "this is really a far fetched idea" because a) you'd now have at least one person who'd have to keep that secret, and b) you'd have someone / people with very wet clothes and it would be hard for other people there to not notice.... that is if there were still other people around to notice...

ALL IMO.

ETA: a sentence I must have accidentally deleted... and clarity.

 

[Teche]

@SteveP, well written post. I particularly agree with your last paragraph RSBM here. What I am about to say has no direct bearing on KR or her family or friends. But since we are speaking in generalities, I'd like to react to your post with this.

I think the idea of educating teens and young adults and trying to control what they do with respect to alcohol and drugs is laudable. But it fails to address what I think is one (of perhaps many) root causes of high risk, self destructive behavior.

Having survived my own high risk and self destructive behavior age 16-26, many decades ago, I can share that the root of my heavy drinking, multi drug use, fast street driving, driving while very impaired, etc. was complex post traumatic stress syndrome (c-PTSD) from a childhood of repetitive and sustained emotional abuse. I had no sense of self worth .

So before we start putting more rules and controls on kids, I think childhood and adolescent mental health is a critical component to focus on as well. The emotional, sexual and physical trauma many, many children experience should be addressed long before the 22 year old version of such a kid drinks themselves into a stupor, drives and kills someone.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[JRW]

Dedee, I also expected to learn the COD was: - drowning. We'll have to have patience while waiting for more info.

I was expecting to hear that outcome as well... I'm surprised they didn't release of there was water in her lungs I feel they would want to get that info out there to quiet the rumors as fast as possible

 

[Slamalam]

Thanks for posting this. She's been to this area before since she's a local JMO. Probably numerous times, so she missed the forks in the road to turn left or right, IDK. IMO not likely. If she was that inebrieated then she couldn't even drive and would have an accident with someone else's car at the party or leaving the party. Why haven't we heard of other's at the party having a problem leaving in terms of driving. They were also attendees at the same party with Kiely in similar conditions. So people who were not local didn't miss the forks but she did?

Do we know for sure she knows THIS area? I see over and over again that “she knew the area, she was local.” I also thought it was going to take her 30-40 mins to get home from the party? Has she been to this exact place before? Just because she’s relatively close to it doesn’t mean she’s been to this exact spot before, and judging from the map, there are a lot of little turns and roads there IMO. I don’t think we can assume she was familiar with the area just because she lived fairly close. I live near tons of parks but don’t have all their roads memorized.

moo

 

[seasideForest]

Like I said before, welcome to "Rural America".

...

I am not taking away from your earnest concern. I just fear it not realistic to gate / mark all boat ramps on lakes or oceans. I have used many boat ramps myself when I lived in rural Maine and I don't recall any gates, lights or signs.

I agree. The US is a big country, so is your neighbour Canada, and it's just not realistic to mark and fence off / gate off all those potentially hazardous spots outside larger towns and cities. Some, yes. After for instance repeat accidents in one spot, things get discussed and something may be done.

As tragic as it is in KR's case, and in many, many more - also on unmarked railway crossings in North America - accidents do happen. I agree with others on this thread saying now would be a good time for parents to talk to their minor children, pointing out the obvious: young, inexperienced drivers, alcohol, darkness - it's an accident waiting to happen. If this talk helps one 16 or 17 yo not end up in tragic and fatal accident, then it's a talk worth having imho. JMO

P.S. I mess up quotations so don't have the post quoted that RedHaus is referring to. Grr.

 

[Seattle1]

Do we know for sure she knows THIS area? I see over and over again that “she knew the area, she was local.” I also thought it was going to take her 30-40 mins to get home from the party? Has she been to this exact place before? Just because she’s relatively close to it doesn’t mean she’s been to this exact spot before, and judging from the map, there are a lot of little turns and roads there IMO. I don’t think we can assume she was familiar with the area just because she lived fairly close. I live near tons of parks but don’t have all their roads memorized.

moo

IMO, knowing the area and "driving the area" should not be confused. At only 16, that's a very limited period to experience driving the park or elsewhere for that matter.