SD SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019 #4

[mlhenn]

Serenity Dennard's adoptive parents push for Serenity alert system

After Serenity Dennard went missing after running away from the Children's Home in Rockerville, her family has been pushing to implement a new missing child alert in her name.

In late February, Serenity's cousin started an online petition to create an alert system in her name. Back then, more than 62,000 people signed the petition. Currently, there is more than 310,000 signatures.

The Serenity Alert would send a text message to the public if a child under 17 years old is considered missing and endangered.

 

[PommyMommy]

Serenity Dennard's adoptive parents push for Serenity alert system

After Serenity Dennard went missing after running away from the Children's Home in Rockerville, her family has been pushing to implement a new missing child alert in her name.

In late February, Serenity's cousin started an online petition to create an alert system in her name. Back then, more than 62,000 people signed the petition. Currently, there is more than 310,000 signatures.

The Serenity Alert would send a text message to the public if a child under 17 years old is considered missing and endangered.

Noting:

• The family plans to host a free benefit in Serenity's name November 23 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center to collect Christmas gifts for foster children. It will take place from noon to 9 p.m.
  
• Darcie and Brian have also created a Serenity Reward Fund if someone finds her. An online donation page was created to donate to the fund.

And, this photo is so precious.

 

[Dee Deforest]

Did they not ever find this child? I haven't heard anything new, in a long time.

 

[SkipperKey3]

Did they not ever find this child? I haven't heard anything new, in a long time.

No, she still hasn't been found. Searches have continued as weather permits. They have thought they were closing in because of scents picked up by dogs, but so far there has been no sign of her.

 

[borndem]

Same here, @Dee Deforest. No news.
Into thin air she went. Just plain odd. No trace. So far.
SMH

 

[Dee Deforest]

Same here, @Dee Deforest. No news.
Into thin air she went. Just plain odd. No trace. So far.
SMH

I think it's quite odd too. Something always seemed not on the level, with the whole story in my opinion.

 

[flashy09]

So it's full on winter here today. 20 degrees and snowing. Going back to that day Serenity ran off and feeling the conditions today, I just 100% do not think she just walked away. It's painfully cold at this temperature and nobody would stay out in it unless fully dressed for it. Nobody! It has really taken me feeling this temperature again to realize just how brutal it is. I don't even think she hid anymore, it would have been too miserable. She was last seen walking on the road anyway - the most public place she could go! The opposite of burrowing away trying to hide. I completely believe she was taken from the road or something was arranged by someone at the home. Yes they say another child ran off and it was a random opportunity for Serenity, but with no cameras who knows. How does a children's home have no inside cameras OR outside security cameras?? Children are not good liars, I hope they all have been interviewed separately about what happened. Why wait almost two hours to call 911 on a frigid day? Or on any day, really, but knowing she went outside wouldn't there be some panic? That she would freeze? Get kidnapped or hurt? Or were they thinking of a cover up story? Either of how she so easily walked out or something worse....I might be getting carried away but this case has always gotten me riled up!

 

[PayrollNerd]

So it's full on winter here today. 20 degrees and snowing. Going back to that day Serenity ran off and feeling the conditions today, I just 100% do not think she just walked away. It's painfully cold at this temperature and nobody would stay out in it unless fully dressed for it. Nobody! It has really taken me feeling this temperature again to realize just how brutal it is. I don't even think she hid anymore, it would have been too miserable. She was last seen walking on the road anyway - the most public place she could go! The opposite of burrowing away trying to hide. I completely believe she was taken from the road or something was arranged by someone at the home. Yes they say another child ran off and it was a random opportunity for Serenity, but with no cameras who knows. How does a children's home have no inside cameras OR outside security cameras?? Children are not good liars, I hope they all have been interviewed separately about what happened. Why wait almost two hours to call 911 on a frigid day? Or on any day, really, but knowing she went outside wouldn't there be some panic? That she would freeze? Get kidnapped or hurt? Or were they thinking of a cover up story? Either of how she so easily walked out or something worse....I might be getting carried away but this case has always gotten me riled up!

The cameras were a hot topic when this first happened. It is near impossible to find cameras that work in brutally cold conditions. Sadly, the ones they had were not functional, and would not have picked her up out on the road anyway.

If the theory of someone picking her up is valid, it had to be a local. Who lives out there and where did they go that day? Cameras in town would have picked them up. The randomness of a stranger, on a bitter cold day, driving through the back country, knowing a storm was moving in? Hmmm, no. That is why they are still physically searching. The scent dogs, and now cadaver dogs, have given them enough reason to continue.

 

[SkipperKey3]

The cameras were a hot topic when this first happened. It is near impossible to find cameras that work in brutally cold conditions. Sadly, the ones they had were not functional, and would not have picked her up out on the road anyway.

If the theory of someone picking her up is valid, it had to be a local. Who lives out there and where did they go that day? Cameras in town would have picked them up. The randomness of a stranger, on a bitter cold day, driving through the back country, knowing a storm was moving in? Hmmm, no. That is why they are still physically searching. The scent dogs, and now cadaver dogs, have given them enough reason to continue.

I agree. I think the chances of her having been picked up in the small time frame, given the storm moving in, the remoteness of the Home, and the cold weather is pretty slim. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.
As for questioning whether she would just walk away in that weather, from what we have been told, that is exactly what she was doing as described by the last people to see her. She wasn't down by the buildings, she was up on the main road walking north.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 9, 2019
Volunteers took advantage of the nice weather and lack of snow to search for Serenity Dennard today. Thanks to the Northern Hills Wolfpack Working Dogs for helping us search once again.

Very steep terrain with challenging dead and down trees and brush!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3057226094293003

NOV 12, 2019
9 months later, search continues for missing South Dakota girl
[...]

More than nine months later, searchers still haven’t given up hope of finding her.

Volunteers and the Northern Hills Wolfpack Working Dogs searched for Serenity on Saturday.

The group was able to take advantage of the weather and lack of snow that has hampered search efforts in the past.

[...]

 

[misgrn]

An investigator sit down and a future search date to find Serenity Dennard

...

"Seeking help from beyond state borders have been helpful in this case and Sheriff Kevin Thom said they are chasing leads in 35 different states now.

Last week, for three hours a group of investigators gathered to review Serenity's case looking for any errors and determining the next steps to take. ..."


The article also mentions that Thom said they are taking advantage of the good weather to continue searching and that the team is discussing if they will resume the search again in the spring.

 

[Rural_PC]

35 states. Someone in the investigation must believe there is a chance of her being picked up, whether willingly, unwillingly, orchestrated or random. I think looking into many angles in many states has been mentioned a few times in MSM.

 

[PommyMommy]

An investigator sit down and a future search date to find Serenity Dennard

...

"Seeking help from beyond state borders have been helpful in this case and Sheriff Kevin Thom said they are chasing leads in 35 different states now.

Last week, for three hours a group of investigators gathered to review Serenity's case looking for any errors and determining the next steps to take. ..."

The article also mentions that Thom said they are taking advantage of the good weather to continue searching and that the team is discussing if they will resume the search again in the spring.

Also noting:

Last Sunday, searchers hit the hillsides and walked the ridges to look for Serenity Dennard.

One K-9 team was used this past weekend but the Pennington County Sheriff's Office wants to bring in more out of state dog teams for the next search date later in the week.

[...]

"Trying to take advantage of the window of weather that we have that's cooperating. You know this time of year one good snow storm we would be done searching for the remainder of the year. So, we are trying to take advantage of the weather that we do have," Thom said.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 17, 2019
Kathy and K9 Cerin from the Northern Hills Wolfpack were back out today searching for Serenity Dennard. One drainage had a creek and a pond. They also worked some ridges and hillsides.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2662940193994252

 

[human]

I am curious as to what kind of plan Serenity could make. Children her age cannot keep a story straight so if she planned with another child the story would never hold up.

She would not have phone access. How could she devise a plan?

 

[Catmommy]

I am curious as to what kind of plan Serenity could make. Children her age cannot keep a story straight so if she planned with another child the story would never hold up.

She would not have phone access. How could she devise a plan?

According to her history, she'd done this more than once. Her little mind was like a sponge and she learned from each attempt. I doubt, though I have no way of knowing, that she included anybody in on her details, just that she had a plan and was going to make an attempt. It worked, unfortunately.

 

[human]

According to her history, she'd done this more than once. Her little mind was like a sponge and she learned from each attempt. I doubt, though I have no way of knowing, that she included anybody in on her details, just that she had a plan and was going to make an attempt. It worked, unfortunately.

a plan to do what with no jacket in the winter?

 

[Catmommy]

a plan to do what with no jacket in the winter?

A plan to take off. She was nine. She planned a successful getaway, nothing more or past that.

 

[PayrollNerd]

a plan to do what with no jacket in the winter?

Her desire to escape, go home, see her family or whatever, likely overrode any reasoning as far as the weather, a jacket, etc. She was a runner on impulse. That seemed to be her nature based on the family interviews early on. She was likely very frightened and cold after the adrenaline wore off. Poor kid.

 

[moonriverfarm]

This child could only have traveled so far in the time frame offered. No matter the direction, she could not have made it for many miles. So why haven't searchers found her? Unless she was picked up, she is within a certain distance from the home.