Found Deceased CA - Kiely Rodni Missing From Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #3

[TruckeeLocal]

From what I understand, it's not a 45 minute drive from the campground to the lodge so why would she say that?

Hi New Friends! First post here. As you see from my name, I live in Truckee. I'm very familair with the areas in question here. I'd like to give some local knowledge that I haven't yet read.

The driving distance from the Prosser Family Campground to the Lost Trail Lodge is 30 minutes according to google maps, but that's not the entire story. Once you exit I-80 and go past the Chevron, to the "Coldstream Trailhead" (On google maps), there's actually a locked gate that guests of the lodge and a couple of homeowners have a key to. There's a couple houses way back there by the lodge. During the daylight hours the public CAN drive back there, but they have to go through the Donner Lake Campground. They'd have to pay or talk their way through at the entrance. Most of Coldstream Drive is state park land, and the back of the canyon where the lodge is located is NF land, some of the dirt roads out by the lodge lead to more NF land. You technically won't be charged a fee if you're driving through the campground to access the NF land, but will be charged if you're using state park land.... it's the honor system. In the spring and fall, the gate at coldstream canyon is unlocked.

The road after the locked gate is a fairly rough dirt road, it's very popular with locals for hiking and mountain bike riding. There's several mountain bike trails that begin or end in this vicinity. The distance from the gate to the lodge is 3.5 miles. There's also a very sketchy compound about 2/3s of the way to the lodge (Think hoarders, broken down cars, RVs, etc). Not sure who if anyone is lving there. About a half mile from the lodge you go through that concrete tunnel under the train tracks. Many guests of the lodge park before the tunnel and walk over the tracks to the lodge.

In terms of the camground at Prosser and the theories of the car going into the water. I've done a fair bit of fishing out there, with the water level receding in the summer, the dirt closest to the water becomes VERY soft and muddy. You sink up to your shins in most areas. I'd imagine if KR or someone attempted to drive her car into the lake it would get stuck prior to being submerged, just my opinion though. Maybe there's area with firmer ground, and there's a couple boat ramps in the area.

There's many miles of forest service roads (mostly dirt) in the area of the campground. You could technically leave the campground and not ever drive back to highway 89. You could make your way north to Sierraville, or east to Reno. I wonder how many of these roads have been serached for the missing car. In the summer, people camp off these roads, there's lots of dead-ends and remote areas to park a van, RV or hide a car. It's all "dispersed" camping, no registering or record keeping.


If I can answer questions, or take photos of any areas, let me know.

 

[SMK777]

These kids are doing all this with their parents' permission. jmo

This is exactly the point I’ve tried to make here and elsewhere, but no one seems to get the distinction. I’ve been told repeatedly, “Kids are going to do these things anyway”. That’s true of shoplifting, too, but would you give your permission?

 

[Sunny Day]

Sad to say but my gut feeling is that she is in the water. This is just my opinion, but since her last cellphone ping was very close to the lake edge is seems likely to me. Occam's razor.

 

[RedHaus]

I am not disparaging her at all, nor blaming her for anything that may have happened to her, but I believe she probably was comfortable around alcohol and drugs. JMO

RS&BBM
That is of course unless fentanyl was floating around the party in some form or fashion (like the recent OD death arrest). I just fear KR got in over her head that fateful night. And I fear she quietly tried to come through it on her own.

 

[SteveP]

I was no saint as a teen, and that is putting it mildly - to say the very least. But my parents had no real idea what I was doing, and it wasn’t in their car. I think that’s what is getting me a bit. There feels such a lax attitude about these reservoir parties from some folks we have heard from in this case. I have yet to hear a parent or LE say, ‘this is why we don’t condone these parties.‘ I guess some would say that now is not the time - but to me, it seems the perfect time to maybe scare the kids a little straight.

And apparently it’s been going on for decades in the area, and not the first time there has been an injury, per the article below when a teen was burned. I hope this won’t turn out to be the first fatality, but it’s not looking good.

“Berry said that one of the biggest obstacles they face is overcoming the idea that partying in the woods is something that all kids do.”

“It’s not a right of passage just because you’re a senior in high school to be able to go out and drink in the woods. That right of passage is when you’re 21,” Berry said.

Underage drinking spills out into town

ITA... As I stated in a post just a day or two ago, it is very likely that a lot of these teens' parents, that grew up in the area, did the same thing when they were teens, themselves, headed to the woods, to party every weekend, and justified it with the excuse that there was nothing else to do. They probably tend to think that because they did it, and turned out okay, their kids can do it too, shrugging it off as just some harmless thing teens do, just because that's what teens do. Again, as I stated in my earlier post, they don't seem to consider that a lot has changed in the 25 or so years since they went to the woods to party. The kids today are not just drinking cheap beer. Many are drinking hard liquor, oftentimes in shots that mask the alcohol taste, and are using far more dangerous, and easily available drugs than just the weed their parents smoked.

I'm not sure that anything good can or will come from Kiely's disappearance, and likely demise, but bringing an end to the seeming "tradition" of teens going to the Sanctuary to drink and do drugs, would be a good start. I think local LE has turned a blind eye to that "tradition" for far too long. Regular weekend patrol and the arrest of a few drunk partiers might send a message that these teens seemingly aren't hearing elsewhere. JMO

 

[Barry]

Hi New Friends! First post here. As you see from my name, I live in Truckee. I'm very familair with the areas in question here. I'd like to give some local knowledge that I haven't yet read.

The driving distance from the Prosser Family Campground to the Lost Trail Lodge is 30 minutes according to google maps, but that's not the entire story. Once you exit I-80 and go past the Chevron, to the "Coldstream Trailhead" (On google maps), there's actually a locked gate that guests of the lodge and a couple of homeowners have a key to. There's a couple houses way back there by the lodge. During the daylight hours the public CAN drive back there, but they have to go through the Donner Lake Campground. They'd have to pay or talk their way through at the entrance. Most of Coldstream Drive is state park land, and the back of the canyon where the lodge is located is NF land, some of the dirt roads out by the lodge lead to more NF land. You technically won't be charged a fee if you're driving through the campground to access the NF land, but will be charged if you're using state park land.... it's the honor system. In the spring and fall, the gate at coldstream canyon is unlocked.

The road after the locked gate is a fairly rough dirt road, it's very popular with locals for hiking and mountain bike riding. There's several mountain bike trails that begin or end in this vicinity. The distance from the gate to the lodge is 3.5 miles. There's also a very sketchy compound about 2/3s of the way to the lodge (Think hoarders, broken down cars, RVs, etc). Not sure who if anyone is lving there. About a half mile from the lodge you go through that concrete tunnel under the train tracks. Many guests of the lodge park before the tunnel and walk over the tracks to the lodge.

In terms of the camground at Prosser and the theories of the car going into the water. I've done a fair bit of fishing out there, with the water level receding in the summer, the dirt closest to the water becomes VERY soft and muddy. You sink up to your shins in most areas. I'd imagine if KR or someone attempted to drive her car into the lake it would get stuck prior to being submerged, just my opinion though. Maybe there's area with firmer ground, and there's a couple boat ramps in the area.

There's many miles of forest service roads (mostly dirt) in the area of the campground. You could technically leave the campground and not ever drive back to highway 89. You could make your way north to Sierraville, or east to Reno. I wonder how many of these roads have been serached for the missing car. In the summer, people camp off these roads, there's lots of dead-ends and remote areas to park a van, RV or hide a car. It's all "dispersed" camping, no registering or record keeping.


If I can answer questions, or take photos of any areas, let me know.

Welcome!

 

[NuttMegg]

I'm an old grandma now but as a kid and later as an adult I never did drugs or drank, and yet the agony of my life is that my own daughter became a drug addict. I never even realized it until she stole my jewelry, including my engagement ring, and several thousand dollars.

So, I am one who is oblivious to the signs. She did well in school and was always home by curfew, was not stumbling around, and I truly didn't know.

Therefore my question is to the many of you who've described your youthful experiences with drugs and alcohol... Is it possible that Sami or any of the kids there are giving inconsistent stories, or not giving any info at all, because they have some blackouts in their memories?

I was also a kid who graduated at 16. All my friends were high-performing, none did drugs, our lives were focused on college, and our parties were sedate little affairs. Except for my own daughter, I've never been around drugged or drunk people. Not judging anyone here, it is just something that held no appeal for me.

But there's a lot that I'm ignorant about when it comes to signs unless it's extremely overt. Her mom knew Kiely had already gotten drunk at 15, because she couldn't drive her friend. I guess it's different in a rural area where kids do drive early. Here in NYC there are subways and buses and a plethora of things to do if you're not into substance abuse. It's a choice that some like my daughter chose to make.

I do think Kiely's in the water. It would be a Herculean task for stoned teenagers to bury a body and then dispose of a car. The treacherous roads we are talking about would have been just as treacherous for the other kids to drive while high, unless maybe some of the older kids had many years of driving experience there.

But every day my mind changes. I know they could've parked the car in some huge parking lot where it wouldn't be noticed. Look what happened just recently to Chrissy.

Hoping for Kiely's safe return, but the more time that goes by, the less likely that seems.

All jmo and (tragic) experience.

ETA: my daughter was a teen before cell phones were invented. If they'd been available, I would have 100% had her on location, and then maybe I would've figured it out. I'm a little taken aback by what is IMO a very laissez-faire attitude among all the parents. I was berserk when I found out about my daughter, and so was my ex-husband. I guess it's a different cultural mindset???????

What a thoughtful post. Please don't blame yourself, that you should have seen signs. When I was 18 I stayed out all night with some other graduating seniors, we drank all night, smoked cigarettes for something defiant to do (no pot back then) laughed a lot and somehow didn't get ourselves killed. There were no designated drivers back then. Anyhow I got home, kind of snuck in a back door, was brushing my teeth, still in what I was wearing the night before. My Dad walked by in the hallway to make the morning coffee, he said "Hi nuttmegg", and didn't notice a thing wrong,like I was too dressed up for a normal morning and very dishelved. 3 minutes later getting home and I would have had a lot of explaining to do. As far as he knew I was just getting up. Remembering back, and seeing kids today, there is just a realization in most kids that their parents are from a different planet, and best that they know as little as possible. But these days the drugs are more deadly, and it all starts a lot younger.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Sad to say but my gut feeling is that she is in the water. This is just my opinion, but since her last cellphone ping was very close to the lake edge is seems likely to me. Occam's razor.

Agree, and especially since AWP was called in. They specialize in these low visibility search situations. Strong probability that is where she is.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[Megnut]

Maybe Kiely herself wanted that extra time -- to sober up before driving home.

Fair chance she drove away with only running lights. Fair chance she had windows or the moonroof open.

By my read of the map, if she flubs her first turn coming out the party, she's on blacktop headed staight for the boat launch. All the sad stars are aligned for directional challenge -- night is dark, she's impaired.

If she thinks she's well on the way, for the long straightaway home, she well could have been airborne before she realized she'd run out of road.

A lot of ways for the night to go wrong but IMO one wrong turn sealed her fate.

I think she turned right, not left, on Hwy 89 and followed the short dragontail right into the reservoir.

JMO

 

[Beekarina]

Sad to say but my gut feeling is that she is in the water. This is just my opinion, but since her last cellphone ping was very close to the lake edge is seems likely to me. Occam's razor.

Or simply her phone is in he water.

Having read the post by the local a few spots above, I'm now not so sure how easy it would be to simply drive into the water at/near the campground without a trace.

 

[JRW]

As likely as the accident/water theory makes sense, I have to wonder why LE is so focused on what she was wearing and the jewelry. Would it really matter what she was wearing if she's in the water or trees?

I hope this means there really is hope she may still be found, against the odds.

I agree there doesn't seem to be a ton of focus on the water with LE...I still think somw.of the kids that were there know what happened and are probably scared to say even if they have minimal info

 

[SMK777]

ITA... As I stated in a post just a day or two ago, it is very likely that a lot of these teens' parents, that grew up in the area, did the same thing when they were teens, themselves, headed to the woods, to party every weekend, and justified it with the excuse that there was nothing else to do. They probably tend to think that because they did it, and turned out okay, their kids can do it too, shrugging it off as just some harmless thing teens do, just because that's what teens do. Again, as I stated in my earlier post, they don't seem to consider that a lot has changed in the 25 or so years since they went to the woods to party. The kids today are not just drinking cheap beer. Many are drinking hard liquor, oftentimes in shots that mask the alcohol taste, and are using far more dangerous, and easily available drugs than just the weed their parents smoked.

I'm not sure that anything good can or will come from Kiely's disappearance, and likely demise, but bringing an end to the seeming "tradition" of teens going to the Sanctuary to drink and do drugs, would be a good start. I think local LE has turned a blind eye to that "tradition" for far too long. Regular weekend patrol and the arrest of a few drunk partiers would send a message that these teens seemingly aren't hearing elsewhere. JMO

Very well said. This is not a moral judgment; it’s a wake-up call that the situation is dangerous for teens.

 

[RedHaus]

Hi New Friends! First post here. As you see from my name, I live in Truckee. I'm very familair with the areas in question here. I'd like to give some local knowledge that I haven't yet read.

The driving distance from the Prosser Family Campground to the Lost Trail Lodge is 30 minutes according to google maps, but that's not the entire story. Once you exit I-80 and go past the Chevron, to the "Coldstream Trailhead" (On google maps), there's actually a locked gate that guests of the lodge and a couple of homeowners have a key to. There's a couple houses way back there by the lodge. During the daylight hours the public CAN drive back there, but they have to go through the Donner Lake Campground. They'd have to pay or talk their way through at the entrance. Most of Coldstream Drive is state park land, and the back of the canyon where the lodge is located is NF land, some of the dirt roads out by the lodge lead to more NF land. You technically won't be charged a fee if you're driving through the campground to access the NF land, but will be charged if you're using state park land.... it's the honor system. In the spring and fall, the gate at coldstream canyon is unlocked.

The road after the locked gate is a fairly rough dirt road, it's very popular with locals for hiking and mountain bike riding. There's several mountain bike trails that begin or end in this vicinity. The distance from the gate to the lodge is 3.5 miles. There's also a very sketchy compound about 2/3s of the way to the lodge (Think hoarders, broken down cars, RVs, etc). Not sure who if anyone is lving there. About a half mile from the lodge you go through that concrete tunnel under the train tracks. Many guests of the lodge park before the tunnel and walk over the tracks to the lodge.

In terms of the camground at Prosser and the theories of the car going into the water. I've done a fair bit of fishing out there, with the water level receding in the summer, the dirt closest to the water becomes VERY soft and muddy. You sink up to your shins in most areas. I'd imagine if KR or someone attempted to drive her car into the lake it would get stuck prior to being submerged, just my opinion though. Maybe there's area with firmer ground, and there's a couple boat ramps in the area.

There's many miles of forest service roads (mostly dirt) in the area of the campground. You could technically leave the campground and not ever drive back to highway 89. You could make your way north to Sierraville, or east to Reno. I wonder how many of these roads have been serached for the missing car. In the summer, people camp off these roads, there's lots of dead-ends and remote areas to park a van, RV or hide a car. It's all "dispersed" camping, no registering or record keeping.


If I can answer questions, or take photos of any areas, let me know.

Welcome new friend! And thank you for all this information. While I've been to the Tahoe / Truckee area several times in winter (skiing), your detailed description helps bring the environs for this case to life for me.

Since you offered to answer questions, here are a few:

1) How common would it be for teens (or anyone not wanting to take highway routes for fear of tolls, fear of highway driving, fear of being caught driving after your license allows, fear of being caught for a DUI) to navigate the back roads from Possner Campground back to Tahoe or in KR's case, back to the lodge? And what would that route likely be?

2) If KR took a back-road route back home for any reason I cite above, and got disoriented (due to her likely impaired mental and physical state), could she have gotten lost (or pulled over to 'sober up') down one of those dead-ends, remote areas - possibly with no cell service? If so, do you know whether those areas are being searched by foot or ATVs, etc.?

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I still wonder if KR accidentally OD'd alone in her car in a secluded area.

 

[Beekarina]

Very well said. This is not a moral judgment; it’s a wake-up call that the situation is dangerous for teens.

I will speak frankly. I grew up in rural New England, I'm GenX. It was dangerous to party in the woods back then, and everyone did it. They still do it today, and what I am gathering of the party these kids attended the only difference would be the reach and the signs about it at a distance. (no Snapchat, BeReal, etc. You might get a few people from another high school or nearby town.)

Older guys absolutely came and partied. Young teens sometimes hooked up with them. Sometimes the older people were just there because they were bored, it was a small town and some people never got past their "glory days." (i.e. they were not up to anything nefarious, just sort of socially stunted.)

As I mentioned though, at least once every few years, there will be a fatal car accident linked to one of these parties at "the camps". Rapes are common, fights, all sorts of stuff. Yet the people who are local to the area? 100% their kids, their grandchldren, all continue to attend similar parties.

I don't think this is unique to Truckee, California and it is probably not stopping regardless of the outcome.

 

[ArmChairDet]

Welcome new friend! And thank you for all this information. While I've been to the Tahoe / Truckee area several times in winter (skiing), your detailed description helps bring the environs for this case to life for me.

Since you offered to answer questions, here are a few:

1) How common would it be for teens (or anyone not wanting to take highway routes for fear of tolls, fear of highway driving, fear of being caught driving after your license allows, fear of being caught for a DUI) to navigate the back roads from Possner Campground back to Tahoe or in KR's case, back to the lodge? And what would that route likely be?

2) If KR took a back-road route back home for any reason I cite above, and got disoriented (due to her likely impaired mental and physical state), could she have gotten lost (or pulled over to 'sober up') down one of those dead-ends, remote areas - possibly with no cell service? If so, do you know whether those areas are being searched by foot or ATVs, etc.?

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I still wonder if KR accidentally OD'd alone in her car in a secluded area.

IMO these are better senecios than the water. There have been many examples of cars off the road in wooded area that can not been spotted. Silver CRV blends in fairly well.

While we don't know anything about her discussion making, it is reasonable that she did realize she was intoxicated and used alternative routes. There are infinite alternative routes that could be used. She was probably comfortable using less traveled roads, as the home itself was off grid.

I think that there is a better chance the the car left the road accidentally, rather that pulled over intentionally. Most people (especially teen) would push ahead with the 30+ min trip after it was started.

 

[SMK777]

I will speak frankly. I grew up in rural New England, I'm GenX. It was dangerous to party in the woods back then, and everyone did it. They still do it today, and what I am gathering of the party these kids attended the only difference would be the reach and the signs about it at a distance. (no Snapchat, BeReal, etc. You might get a few people from another high school or nearby town.)

Older guys absolutely came and partied. Young teens sometimes hooked up with them. Sometimes the older people were just there because they were bored, it was a small town and some people never got past their "glory days." (i.e. they were not up to anything nefarious, just sort of socially stunted.)

As I mentioned though, at least once every few years, there will be a fatal car accident linked to one of these parties at "the camps". Rapes are common, fights, all sorts of stuff. Yet the people who are local to the area? 100% their kids, their grandchldren, all continue to attend similar parties.

I don't think this is unique to Truckee, California and it is probably not stopping regardless of the outcome.

I agree this behavior is probably universal. It just seems that excessive drinking, dangerous drug use, rape, and fatal accidents are risks that shouldn’t be routinely taken. I don’t know what the answer is…..

 

[ArmChairDet]

I will speak frankly. I grew up in rural New England, I'm GenX. It was dangerous to party in the woods back then, and everyone did it. They still do it today, and what I am gathering of the party these kids attended the only difference would be the reach and the signs about it at a distance. (no Snapchat, BeReal, etc. You might get a few people from another high school or nearby town.)

Older guys absolutely came and partied. Young teens sometimes hooked up with them. Sometimes the older people were just there because they were bored, it was a small town and some people never got past their "glory days." (i.e. they were not up to anything nefarious, just sort of socially stunted.)

As I mentioned though, at least once every few years, there will be a fatal car accident linked to one of these parties at "the camps". Rapes are common, fights, all sorts of stuff. Yet the people who are local to the area? 100% their kids, their grandchldren, all continue to attend similar parties.

I don't think this is unique to Truckee, California and it is probably not stopping regardless of the outcome.

I think it is the same for every generation in all the US (with the exception of todays social media). I snickered at the "glory days" explanation. The only other thing I have been taken back on is the "fight club" spectator fight. I don't think I have seen this or heard of this.

 

[TruckeeLocal]

Welcome new friend! And thank you for all this information. While I've been to the Tahoe / Truckee area several times in winter (skiing), your detailed description helps bring the environs for this case to life for me.

Since you offered to answer questions, here are a few:

1) How common would it be for teens (or anyone not wanting to take highway routes for fear of tolls, fear of highway driving, fear of being caught driving after your license allows, fear of being caught for a DUI) to navigate the back roads from Possner Campground back to Tahoe or in KR's case, back to the lodge? And what would that route likely be?

2) If KR took a back-road route back home for any reason I cite above, and got disoriented (due to her likely impaired mental and physical state), could she have gotten lost (or pulled over to 'sober up') down one of those dead-ends, remote areas - possibly with no cell service? If so, do you know whether those areas are being searched by foot or ATVs, etc.?

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I still wonder if KR accidentally OD'd alone in her car in a secluded area.

To answer your questions...

1) Well I'd be totally speculating.... but i'll give it a shot. You can take "backroads" to get back into Truckee from the campground, but once you're in Truckee there's only one way to the Lost Trail Lodge. I don't know if teens would avoid highway 89 from the camground back to Truckee. It's not exactly remote, but it's very unlikley they would run into the police on this section of road.

2) Of course everything you've speculated is possible, there's spoty cell service out that way. I don't know what has been searched or not searched. I would assume most of the roads have been searched, but I have no way of knowing.

 

[JRW]

Welcome new friend! And thank you for all this information. While I've been to the Tahoe / Truckee area several times in winter (skiing), your detailed description helps bring the environs for this case to life for me.

Since you offered to answer questions, here are a few:

1) How common would it be for teens (or anyone not wanting to take highway routes for fear of tolls, fear of highway driving, fear of being caught driving after your license allows, fear of being caught for a DUI) to navigate the back roads from Possner Campground back to Tahoe or in KR's case, back to the lodge? And what would that route likely be?

2) If KR took a back-road route back home for any reason I cite above, and got disoriented (due to her likely impaired mental and physical state), could she have gotten lost (or pulled over to 'sober up') down one of those dead-ends, remote areas - possibly with no cell service? If so, do you know whether those areas are being searched by foot or ATVs, etc.?

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I still wonder if KR accidentally OD'd alone in her car in a secluded area.

Great questions!!! I live in a relatively remote area and it's not uncommon for teens to know all the backroads to avoid the police wheb driving

 

[RedHaus]

I will speak frankly. I grew up in rural New England, I'm GenX. It was dangerous to party in the woods back then, and everyone did it. They still do it today, and what I am gathering of the party these kids attended the only difference would be the reach and the signs about it at a distance. (no Snapchat, BeReal, etc. You might get a few people from another high school or nearby town.)

Older guys absolutely came and partied. Young teens sometimes hooked up with them. Sometimes the older people were just there because they were bored, it was a small town and some people never got past their "glory days." (i.e. they were not up to anything nefarious, just sort of socially stunted.)

As I mentioned though, at least once every few years, there will be a fatal car accident linked to one of these parties at "the camps". Rapes are common, fights, all sorts of stuff. Yet the people who are local to the area? 100% their kids, their grandchldren, all continue to attend similar parties.

I don't think this is unique to Truckee, California and it is probably not stopping regardless of the outcome.

A fellow New Englander! I no longer live there, but I too grew up and partied wicked 'hahd' in rural New England. I'm a Boomer. But just like you describe, this was the way folks socialized, acted out, and managed emotional pain and angst.

There was no internet, no cell phones, etc. We heard about where the parties were each night by word of mouth or good 'ol land lines. We drove in all sorts of states of mind, often with passengers, and most not wearing seat belts back then.

Some raced on back roads late at night with no fear, including myself (a teenage girl then). And sadly for a time (circa 1976-78), it seemed like we lost a friend almost every weekend, or at least once a month, to a fatal accident.

So back to dear KR. I am not wasting my time pining about these kids partying in the woods, or how their parents enable or are ignorant to that behavior. To me it seems strangely familiar. Having been in KR's shoes, I am trying to figure out what she did around 12:15 / 12:30am that night - and why no one has said anything? IMO, she was simply going home alone.