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

[Curiousobserver]

if someone approached my boy while he was having a "moment" for their safety I wouldn't want them to approach. they would need to know safe holds. school tried to have an officer approach my son, he kicked him in the privates. this girl is also larger then my boy, he is only 49lbs and 9 years old.
i am so worried about this little girl, mental health in children is so scary. they dont think like we expect them to.

I agree it could be an issue but you wouldn't know that right away. All you would know is that you are out in the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold chopping wood and a little girl would stick out like Bigfoot. Has to be more to this story, some clarifying details or inaccuracies that make it make sense.

 

[PommyMommy]

Have they said approximately how far away the couple was from the Children’s Home? When I map Foster Gulch to the Children’s Home , it is 5.8 miles via Rockerville Road. Walking through the woods would be shorter, but by foot, along the road, it gives a time of over 2 hours to go those 5.8 miles. I realize that the pinpoint on the map for Foster Gulch is likely centered on the Gulch, but it still seems an awful distance in the frigid temperatures for her to have gotten in the period of time that they are talking about. Not to mention, what kind of adult would not have taken a child wearing just a T-shirt into custody for her safety, unless she ran when she saw them as well.

I think this is the first report of the couple who were cutting wood near Foster Gulch. Looking at this again, it says the couple last saw the missing nine year old near the Black Hills Children’s Home. So that clears that up. Sorry for the confusion - my bad.
MOO

Pennington County Sheriff's Office

Investigators looking for couple who saw missing child
Pennington County, SD – Investigators with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office want to speak with the couple who last saw the missing nine year old near the Black Hills Children’s Home. A male and female were cutting wood in the area of Foster Gulch and South Rockerville Road and spoke with Children’s Home staff on Sunday, February 3, 2019, between 10:30 am and 11:30 am. They are described as being in their late 20s or early 30s and driving a pickup truck.
We believe these two may have been the last to see Serenity Dennard. Deputies would like to speak with them to better determine a timeline on Serenity’s disappearance and her direction of travel.
Serenity was last seen leaving the Black Hills Children’s Home on Sunday about 10:45 am. She is described as a Caucasian female, 4 foot 7 inches, 90 pounds, with blue eyes and shoulder length dark blonde hair. She was last seen wearing only a long sleeved grey shirt with flowers, blue jeans and snow boots.
More than 65 people and four dogs continue searching the area around the Children’s Home including Pennington County Deputies, Pennington County Search and Rescue, Custer County Search and Rescue, Rapid City Police Department, Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department, Rapid City Fire Department and the Civil Air Patrol.
We encourage anyone living in the Rockerville and Highway 16 area to search their outbuildings and property. If anyone has seen or had contact with Serenity Dennard, please contact the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at (605) 394-6115.

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[Steelslady]

But if you saw a 9yr old in the frigid cold with no coat in the middle of nowhere- you would intervene and keep them safe. I mean you would do that for a dog. By the time she got to Foster Gultch she would have already been in bad shape. I just find it suspicious.

I know! Did they not have a cell phone with them? I would have called the cops at the very least and followed that child until help came. Of course, today, you have to be careful how you help a child in any situation, as if they were kind enough to try and put her in their warm truck, they could risk being up for charges themselves. Maybe that's why they hesitated helping her, but at least call the cops. Then again, everyone assumes that everybody has a cell phone these days- there's a lot of us that don't.

 

[IceIce9]

I know! Did they not have a cell phone with them? I would have called the cops at the very least and followed that child until help came. Of course, today, you have to be careful how you help a child in any situation, as if they were kind enough to try and put her in their warm truck, they could risk being up for charges themselves. Maybe that's why they hesitated helping her, but at least call the cops. Then again, everyone assumes that everybody has a cell phone these days- there's a lot of us that don't.

Not saying this is the case here at all, just mentioning reasons in other instances of adults not notifying LE when most adults would not have a second thought:

1. Driving a vehicle with expired plates
2. An outstanding warrant on self or family member
3. Past history of offense(s) that might cast suspicion on themselves
4. General dislike of dealing with LE

Again, not saying anything about this particular couple. Just reasoning on possible things that come to my mind from other similar cases.

Hope I am making myself clear: no implication of the couple who were the last to see the girl.

MOO

 

[UnicornDragon]

I know! Did they not have a cell phone with them? I would have called the cops at the very least and followed that child until help came. Of course, today, you have to be careful how you help a child in any situation, as if they were kind enough to try and put her in their warm truck, they could risk being up for charges themselves. Maybe that's why they hesitated helping her, but at least call the cops. Then again, everyone assumes that everybody has a cell phone these days- there's a lot of us that don't.

That area likely has very poor cell phone reception.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

My pleasure, and thank you for reading. I just felt the need to defend them- I just know they are scared witless for Serenity and as one of these hard working, on the go, loving and caring workers, you do take it personally, even when the darlings are found safe and sound eventually. Yet they go back to work the next day and do it all again, out of love for the children, not the pay, I can assure everyone!

Sweet Serenity, where are you honey. Such a pretty name.

I was an elementary teacher for 23 years....
In education as teacher assistant many years before that...

I do not recall personally having a "runner"...

But I have had children with many varied emotional challenges in my care...
Typically 30 + students in a classroom...

I DO recognize the situation of being on "high alert" not just for the specific child... But for additional children with special needs...
AND the effect on those other students around them...

I entered the profession knowing there would be situations such as these...

And hoped and prayed I would be ready for the undertaking...
That it was my "mission"... To help ALL students and their families...

Bless you workers who strive to do everything you can do that is humanly possible...
Yet find you are the brunt of the blame for when there are situations where judgement is questioned when deciding the best for the most...

The same people who criticize the lack of professionalism...
Are often those that would criticize as inhumane conditions put in place that could prevent such happenings ...
Such as having complete lock-down...
Leashes on the students...
Etc...
(I am not proposing these measures...
Just giving examples of ultimate procedures that COULD prevent such situations as "runners"...)

Sorry for my speech...
guess it just hit me today...

 

[IceIce9]

Just thinking out loud here and reasoning on how she could have possibly gotten out of the area of the home.

What if someone picked her up and gave her a ride to wherever she asked to go, but then didn’t want to notify LE for fear of getting in to trouble? Perhaps fearing being charged with picking up a minor child and transporting without permission?

I am just hoping against hope that there is a reason that she is safe and warm somewhere, and that a good person picked her up.

Besides someone picking her up, I feel the only other good ending this could have would be that she somehow hid in an outbuilding or elsewhere on the property that just hadn’t been searched yet. Or if it has been searched she has managed to evade searchers somehow.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

That doesn't sound at all like what happened here. Here is what was described in one of the recent articles:

Dennard and three other children were being supervised by two staff members when one of the other children ran away, Colson said. As a staffer ran after that child, Dennard then took off herself. Because the remaining staffer was still supervising two other children, they stayed put and called for help rather than follow Dennard.
UPDATE: Sheriff's Office looking for couple who last saw missing girl

Now, the first staffer can't chase down two children at once, and if the second staff member had run after Serenity, they could have had four children on the loose.

They called for help, they looked for her, and they called 911.

MOO

Yes! I agree!

 

[IceIce9]

That area likely has very poor cell phone reception.

Even so, if a reasonable adult saw a child wandering alone and had no cell phone or no reception surely they would have driven somewhere to report.

Either drive to an area with cell service, drive to a police station or fire department, business, etc.

 

[UnicornDragon]

Also, did the wood cutting people actually speak to Serenity or did they just possibly see her? Because if she appeared, then tried to hide from them, I could see myself saying it was a figment of my imagination - because why would a small child be out in the middle of winter in inappropriate clothing.

 

[PommyMommy]

UPDATE: Authorities searching for couple believed to have seen missing Pennington County girl
Authorities are searching for a couple they believe were the last to see a 9-year-old Pennington County girl who went missing on Sunday.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said a man and woman in their late 20’s were cutting wood in the area of Foster Gulch and South Rockerville Road when they spoke with Children’s Home staff between 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Authorities say the couple was driving a pickup truck.

Authorities say they believe the couple may have been the last to see Serenity and would like to speak to them to determine a timeline on her disappearance and direction of travel.

Authorities are encouraging people in the Rockerville and Highway 16 area to search their outbuildings and property.

 

[UnicornDragon]

Even so, if a reasonable adult saw a child wandering alone and had no cell phone or no reception surely they would have driven somewhere to report.

Either drive to an area with cell service, drive to a police station or fire department, business, etc.

That means they actually saw her themselves. I've not seen any report that confirms they did.

 

[katydid23]

I'd like to know what the circumstances were, that the staff from the home spoke with the couple. Was the staff searching and came across the couple, who then said 'oh yeah, we saw a little girl walking...' ?

Or did the couple stop by the home and report seeing a child?

 

[LaborDayRN]

I've been assuming that the couple came in to the Children's Home to report what they saw. From reading the above quote, it sounds as if the children's home staff may have been out looking for Serenity and came upon the wood cutters.
Is there any way for Serenity to receive mail or maybe video chat with family and friends from this facility? Are all of these chats and mail screened? I'm wondering if some kind of "escape" plan could have been made in advance and she was picked up at some point after she ran. I'm praying that's the case anyway.

 

[IceIce9]

Update indicates LE has spoken with the couple in the pickup:

In an update Tuesday morning, investigators said they spoke with a couple who was cutting wood and were able to define a better timeline of events. More than 100 people, including dogs, are searching for Serenity on Day 3.

Search Enters Third Day For Missing 9-Year-Old In Pennington County

 

[IceIce9]

Also in this same article they are asking people who have game cameras in the area to check footage.

Search Enters Third Day For Missing 9-Year-Old In Pennington County

 

[PommyMommy]

UPDATE: Investigators have located couple believed to be last to see missing child - KNBN NewsCenter1
9:54 a.m. – Investigators have been able to visit with the couple they requested the public’s help in locating yesterday evening who were cutting wood in the Foster Gulch and South Rockerville Road area. They believe that this couple may have been the last to have seen the missing 9-year-old Serenity Dennard.

Authorities are continuing their search for the missing girl, who has been missing since Sunday, Feb. 3 around 10:45 a.m.

Authorities are asking if anyone has game cameras set up in the area to look at their footage and let authorities know if they have footage of the missing girl. They are also encouraging those living in the area to check their outbuildings and property.

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2019/02/05/more-than-100-now-searching-missing-girl-serenity-dennard/2776311002/']More than 100 now searching for missing girl[/URL]
More than 100 people have now joined the search for a missing 9-year-old girl in western South Dakota.

Search continues for missing 9-year-old Pennington County girl
For three days deputies having been going door-to-door speaking with neighbors and looking in outbuildings, log piles, hay bales, and anywhere a child might hide or take refuge.

Authorities said Tuesday’s focus is on the general area of the Children's Home campus within one mile radius.

Thanks to the public, investigators were able to speak with a couple who may have been the last to see Serenity before she went missing.

No other details have been released.

 

[cybervampira]

Search for missing girl continues for 3rd day

[...]

Tuesday’s search is centering on the general area of the children’s home, within a one-mile radius.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is also requesting that anyone with a game camera in the area take a look at the video and let them know if they see anything related to the missing girl.

In searching for Serenity Dennard, deputies have gone door-to-door speaking with neighbors, as well as looking in outbuildings, log piles; hay bales … anywhere a child might hide or take refuge from the dangerously cold weather. The Civil Air Patrol is also involved in the search.

[...]

 

[YaYa_521]

Ty for the update, Cybervampira!