CA CA - Sydney “Syd” West, 19, University of CA student, San Francisco, 30 Sept 2020

[anneg]

That’s an amazing article. I think the connection of sending a message to a suffering person is profound. I’m no therapist, but I’ve done this twice myself with two friends whose husbands had walked out on them. Neither one was suicidal (to my knowledge, at least). Every morning for the first month or so I sent a short email just saying I was thinking of them and hoped they were doing as OK as possible and that they didn’t need to answer. Over time, as I could see they were feeling less raw, I backed off. And personally, I still treasure cards and notes sent to me during a rough time I went through over 20 years ago. Connection is so very important during any kind of crisis and I wonder if it would have helped Syd had anyone known what she was feeling.

Great post. I love the idea of letting friends or family members who are suffering know that you are thinking of them every single day.

I wonder too whether Syd could have been helped through such connections. We know she and her father had a phone conversation the day before she went missing but we know nothing about her other communications with family or friends, or health professionals, during the time leading up to her disappearance.

 

[anneg]

This is a long read but includes a lot of information on suicide prevention. The Best Way To Save People From Suicide

Thank you for this link--am reading it and finding it fascinating.

 

[moody_chicago]

Because they are trying to reach Sydney directly, is my guess. Have you seen the t-shirts? When was the last time you saw a Missing Person's t-shirt that didn't feature the face of the missing person? Or a tip line, or email address? The t-shirt contains only a hashtag, in a professionally designed logo. They create videos because they won't do media interviews, which is why there is no media presence on this. It seems to me they are trying to reach Sydney directly because she left intentionally and they want her to come back. I can't imagine their pain, I hope they reach her and she comes home. But there is no evidence to suggest they want the public actively searching for her. At least that's how I am reading this situation.

I just can’t wrap my head around someone so young and green and “together” just up and leaving willingly. how is that possible.
I totally understand how she could have felt the pressure was too much. Completely overwhelmed. But where do you go?
If they are thinking she’s left and is trying to start a new life, I think they should look at her relationships with people from the internet. Just spit balling but seems like her friends and fam are at a loss. I don’t necessarily mean dating apps. I’ve personally had a bunch of close relationships with people I’ve met online. People I’ve grown close with over forums, groups etc and have eventually met irl. I’m not even suggesting she’s met with foul play. But I know if *i* needed to go live a secret life, I’d seek help from my Internet Friends. I brought this up with my own irl best friend and she said the same thing. She has a whole bunch of very close relationships, people she’s “met” in a number of different ways and I personally appreciate them a lot since they add so much value to her life. But I don’t know them. They’d take her in in a heart beat and she’d do the same for them but I have no idea who the heck they are.

If they really think she’s run off, she’s not alone. And whoever she’s with obviously doesn’t know her friends or family. Maybe she met someone on Reddit or an online game or a fan forum?

JMO. Grasping at straws here.

 

[crhedBngr]

This is a long read but includes a lot of information on suicide prevention. The Best Way To Save People From Suicide

Mesmerizing. I've saved it.

Thanks for posting this link.

 

[NSamuelle]

I just can’t wrap my head around someone so young and green and “together” just up and leaving willingly. how is that possible.
I totally understand how she could have felt the pressure was too much. Completely overwhelmed. But where do you go?
If they are thinking she’s left and is trying to start a new life, I think they should look at her relationships with people from the internet. Just spit balling but seems like her friends and fam are at a loss. I don’t necessarily mean dating apps. I’ve personally had a bunch of close relationships with people I’ve met online. People I’ve grown close with over forums, groups etc and have eventually met irl. I’m not even suggesting she’s met with foul play. But I know if *i* needed to go live a secret life, I’d seek help from my Internet Friends. I brought this up with my own irl best friend and she said the same thing. She has a whole bunch of very close relationships, people she’s “met” in a number of different ways and I personally appreciate them a lot since they add so much value to her life. But I don’t know them. They’d take her in in a heart beat and she’d do the same for them but I have no idea who the heck they are.

If they really think she’s run off, she’s not alone. And whoever she’s with obviously doesn’t know her friends or family. Maybe she met someone on Reddit or an online game or a fan forum?

JMO. Grasping at straws here.

Unfortunately, people with everything going for them commit suicide. Syd reminds me of Madison Holleran, who committed suicide as a UPenn freshman and athlete at the same age, with a bigger social media following.

 

[moody_chicago]

Unfortunately, people with everything going for them commit suicide. Syd reminds me of Madison Holleran, who committed suicide as a UPenn freshman and athlete at the same age, with a bigger social media following.

I agree. Absolutely. My theory is she took her own life.
I’m just trying to think of how one would just disappear and stay alive ya know?

 

[kelsie]

Unfortunately, people with everything going for them commit suicide. Syd reminds me of Madison Holleran, who committed suicide as a UPenn freshman and athlete at the same age, with a bigger social media following.

From The Mag: Penn runner's depression masked on social media
Here's a great article about her from ESPN. There are some parallels to Syd.

'And the most pressing thought of all: If she quit, wasn't she just a failure? Wouldn't that be the first in what would become a lifetime of letdowns?

Madison had always struggled to handle even garden-variety failure. She chased perfection. Once, when a track result wasn't what she expected, she broke down in tears. Outsiders thought she was so gifted she could just show up and run faster than everyone, not knowing how hard she prepared and trained.

Madison kept her eyes down while sitting at the kitchen table. Emma remembers feeling that her best friend was lost -- just so lost.

Like everyone in Madison's life, Emma urged her to transfer from Penn.

"Yeah, it's kind of too late," Madison told Emma. "I'm already at Penn."

She said this as if she were locked in a room, the key thrown away.'

 

[SouthAussie]

I just can’t wrap my head around someone so young and green and “together” just up and leaving willingly. how is that possible.
I totally understand how she could have felt the pressure was too much. Completely overwhelmed. But where do you go?
If they are thinking she’s left and is trying to start a new life, I think they should look at her relationships with people from the internet. Just spit balling but seems like her friends and fam are at a loss. I don’t necessarily mean dating apps. I’ve personally had a bunch of close relationships with people I’ve met online. People I’ve grown close with over forums, groups etc and have eventually met irl. I’m not even suggesting she’s met with foul play. But I know if *i* needed to go live a secret life, I’d seek help from my Internet Friends. I brought this up with my own irl best friend and she said the same thing. She has a whole bunch of very close relationships, people she’s “met” in a number of different ways and I personally appreciate them a lot since they add so much value to her life. But I don’t know them. They’d take her in in a heart beat and she’d do the same for them but I have no idea who the heck they are.

If they really think she’s run off, she’s not alone. And whoever she’s with obviously doesn’t know her friends or family. Maybe she met someone on Reddit or an online game or a fan forum?

JMO. Grasping at straws here.

There was a case I followed here, Jennifer Ramsaran - a woman murdered by her husband - who had a close relationship with a person she gamed and chatted with all the time. Jennifer lived in the US. This friend lived in the UK. He was the only one who could help police when Jennifer went missing. He knew when Jennifer was last 'seen' ... when she was gaming and chatting with him on the morning that she disappeared.

 

[NSamuelle]

I wonder when information will be released to the public (address, roommates, details of withdrawal, any employment/source of income, recent internet searches, last conversation/with whom, etc.). I think it will either take months or it will never be released, and this will remain unsolved.

It’s unlikely, but possible, that if police released info about online activity, someone could pop up and say “oh, I was talking to a girl on this site about XYZ and it could’ve been Sydney because...”

Hard to understand why they aren’t “pulling out all the stops” - unless they believe she’s gone. Better to dig through false leads than generate no leads at all.

If someone was helping Syd hide (housing and feeding her), could they be charged with a crime?

 

[Lusitana]

I wonder when information will be released to the public (address, roommates, details of withdrawal, any employment/source of income, recent internet searches, last conversation/with whom, etc.). I think it will either take months or it will never be released, and this will remain unsolved.

It’s unlikely, but possible, that if police released info about online activity, someone could pop up and say “oh, I was talking to a girl on this site about XYZ and it could’ve been Sydney because...”

Hard to understand why they aren’t “pulling out all the stops” - unless they believe she’s gone. Better to dig through false leads than generate no leads at all.

If someone was helping Syd hide (housing and feeding her), could they be charged with a crime?

Probably never...? I can't see the information about the roommates being made public unless they come out and identify themselves, and if they didn't do that by now, I doubt they ever will (which, btw, is a bit strange). And I really don't see the point in making the address where she lived public, she didn't go missing from there. I believe Cal already stated that she was a student there during the Summer, meaning that she wasn't a student as of more recently. Anyways, I don't see any of that being made public and I would be shocked if it was. What is bothering me is that, if they did have footage of her around the city, they should just release it. It appears she either left on her own and wants to be left alone, or they have clear evidence that she commited suicide. There is no real urgency in this case, and it does seem like her parents believe she left on her own and will eventually come back.

 

[Cryptic]

If someone was helping Syd hide (housing and feeding her), could they be charged with a crime?

I doubt it.

As Syd is legally an adult, she can "disappear" at will. Assisting in the consensual "disappearance" of a legal adult would probably not be a crime either.

The only exception that I could think of would be that if the disappeared is say, mentally disabled or has been declared to be mentally unfit. In these cases, the individual would not have full mental competency needed to consensually disappear

Even still, prosecution could be very rare as it would probably have to be demonstrated that the person assisting in the "disappearance" knew about the mental limitations.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

I wonder when information will be released to the public (address, roommates, details of withdrawal, any employment/source of income, recent internet searches, last conversation/with whom, etc.). I think it will either take months or it will never be released, and this will remain unsolved.

In the Reddit A2C thread regarding "they did something horribly wrong on their apps" Sydney claimed to have said she was a Native American on her college applications and a descendant of the "wompanoag" tribe: "i put the tribe but didn't have any supporting info. alot of people told me that was bad but its ur truth, u gotta live it."
Even though it looks as though she was advised not to do it, she went ahead anyway claiming her ancestors were Native American if what she says on Reddit is true.
The UCs have to turn over to the State the applications so they can audit them, where they continually report on fraudulent admissions like this recent report Report 2019-113

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I felt her parents were heartbroken to have to say she was last seen on the bridge. I just really hope they get the truth soon, whatever it is. In my opinion it's not helpful at this point for us-public to know Sydney's personal business beyond what's already known.
Endless empathy to her family.

 

[iQuill]

Still no Syd ... so sad

 

[Lusitana]

In the Reddit A2C thread regarding "they did something horribly wrong on their apps" Sydney claimed to have said she was a Native American on her college applications and a descendant of the "wompanoag" tribe: "i put the tribe but didn't have any supporting info. alot of people told me that was bad but its ur truth, u gotta live it."
Even though it looks as though she was advised not to do it, she went ahead anyway claiming her ancestors were Native American if what she says on Reddit is true.
The UCs have to turn over to the State the applications so they can audit them, where they continually report on fraudulent admissions like this recent report Report 2019-113

Was she Native American, but didn't know from which tribe (is that the correct term? I'm sorry if it isn't, I'm not educated on that matter), or did she lie about being Native American? Because she can be a descendant of Native Americans, I'm guessing many people in the US are.
I live in Europe, was born here and so were most of my family members, lived in the same town my whole life, I never took a DNA test like 23andMe but I'm 100% sure I'm a mix of a bunch of things, from Africa, from Asia, from South America, from other parts of Europe.
So, having a white girl with Native American blood on her is not shocking or supicious to me. I don't know if this is very relevant to her being missing, though?

 

[elisimo]

I wonder when information will be released to the public (address, roommates, details of withdrawal, any employment/source of income, recent internet searches, last conversation/with whom, etc.). I think it will either take months or it will never be released, and this will remain unsolved.

I’m guessing it will remain unsolved.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Was she Native American, but didn't know from which tribe (is that the correct term? I'm sorry if it isn't, I'm not educated on that matter), or did she lie about being Native American? Because she can be a descendant of Native Americans, I'm guessing many people in the US are.
I live in Europe, was born here and so were most of my family members, lived in the same town my whole life, I never took a DNA test like 23andMe but I'm 100% sure I'm a mix of a bunch of things, from Africa, from Asia, from South America, from other parts of Europe.
So, having a white girl with Native American blood on her is not shocking or supicious to me. I don't know if this is very relevant to her being missing, though?

She said on Reddit "i put the tribe but didn't have any supporting info." Whether Cal was attempting to get that supporting info in August and whether they obtained what ethnicity she put down for the Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) and the NC school district for comparison purposes is a question that has been going around since the AVHS newspaper story came out.

Preferential admissions are given to certain ethnic groups. In many colleges, being part Native American gives you extra admission points when colleges evaluate applications. Many colleges in the US ask for proof when someone says they are Native American ancestry and ask for a Tribal ID card or Certificate degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs as proof. How to prove/claim Native American heritage on college applications. Given she put it under the thread in which people are talking about what they did that was horribly wrong on their college application + her saying people told her doing it was 'bad,' it could be she could produce no ID card from the claim that she was descended from the "wompanoag" as she claimed she put on her applications.

 

[Lusitana]

She said on Reddit "i put the tribe but didn't have any supporting info." Whether Cal was attempting to get that supporting info in August and whether they obtained what ethnicity she put down for the Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) and the NC school district for comparison purposes is a question that has been going around since the AVHS newspaper story came out.

Preferential admissions are given to certain ethnic groups. In many colleges, being part Native American gives you extra admission points when colleges evaluate applications. Many colleges in the US ask for proof when someone says they are Native American ancestry and ask for a Tribal ID card or Certificate degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs as proof. How to prove/claim Native American heritage on college applications. Given she put it under the thread in which people are talking about what they did that was horribly wrong on their college application + her saying people told her doing it was 'bad,' it could be she could produce no ID card from the claim that she was descended from the "wompanoag" as she claimed she put on her applications.

Thank you, that is interesting.

 

[owleye]

I wonder why they aren't talking more about that backpack. If she was separated from the backpack, which seems possible, finding it could be very meaningful. I wonder why they aren't posting pictures of a similar backpack, and what might have been in it (keys, wallet, clothes, etc.). Maybe so much time has passed they just assume she either still has it, it's been destroyed, or it was stolen.

 

[elisimo]

I’ve been reading a bit about the Maura Murray case. There are definite parallels to Syd’s situation. College student, full of promise, but also under enormous pressure to succeed. Family spokesperson discouraged a former roommate from talking about Maura’s personal struggles, which were referred to as “negative things.”

The main difference that I’m seeing so far is that there was a coordinated search for Maura.