Found Deceased CA - Kiely Rodni missing from Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #7

[Beekarina]

I referred to him as “tow truck guy” because “Nick” didn’t give a last name, and I didn’t want to confuse him with the diver (Nick/diver Vs Nick/driver).

Same. I also stopped using "tow truck driver" once I realized this Nick responded to the call in a service van.

I will use Roadside Nick and Diver Nick going forward.

 

[Beekarina]

With regards to manually opening a tailgate on a Honda...I mentioned opening my Fit from the inside. I found a quick video showing a guy doing same on a 2013 CRV. (I kept the cover off on my Fit once it became "sticky)

 

[evilwise]

If the car went in forward and flipped due to inertia and the front end digging in then attaching a line to the tow hitch/rear axle and pulling it straight back out would cause it to flip back over via the same motion, a motion that would naturally cause Kiely's body to float to the back of the car and ultimately come to rest in the cargo area as the water then drained out.

As far as destroying evidence, getting it onto its wheels as it comes out is going to do a lot less damage than dragging it on its roof. Generally speaking that's how the vast majority of crash recoveries are done, the car is pulled out along basically the same path it went in.

 

[MsBetsy]

If kiely was indeed found in the trunk area behind the back seat and head rests (small gap} did she climb through to get out? Or was she put there by another party. Because i find it difficult to believe that she would float there given the car was upside down. If she had passed away. How did she get there. Is it possible for someone to float back there when the car was upside down. Would she not float upward which would be the floor area of her car not the roof making it virtually impossible to get to were she was found.

MOO

I think it's possible. A body will float for awhile but will sink again once the gases are released from the body.

So I think it's possible for a body to float several feet, either when it floats or when it is resting on the bottom. The body likely did float up towards the floor but if it sunk again it could have been resting on the bottom, or the roof of the car.

Or Kiely could have swum to the back towards the last pocket of air and that's where she drowned. Maybe the body didn't move around much at all.

 

[Laughing]

With regards to manually opening a tailgate on a Honda...I mentioned opening my Fit from the inside. I found a quick video showing a guy doing same on a 2013 CRV. (I kept the cover off on my Fit once it became "sticky)

Hhhmm -- knew where this was in the 2007 CR-V. Now I need to head for the garage to check the HR-V!

Thanks!

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[CuriousObserver1]

If there was video evidence from a tow truck (TT) which identified two people with Kiely's car at 11am on Saturday morning (especially if they had stated their last contact was the night before), I think we can be rest assured those people would be under arrest out of the public eye, if not before then definitely now that AWP shared that video (ie if the tip got lost/ignored)...especially as the FBI are involved.
So assuming that it was just a coincidence, someone else's/a different car...it is scary to think that in theory, if these trucks did not have video, as a cover up, it could work that someone could have pretended to be Kiely and call a TT on another phone (with caller ID blocked), then get the TT person to touch the seat belts and gear stick, other parts of the car - then move that car into say the undergrowth with her body it in (as can't imagine they would then bother trying to get it into the water). Then when it is found there is a log that she called a TT and the TT person's fingerprints are all over the car (what excuse could they give for touching the seat belts that would stand up in court?) - they would then become the last person to see the victim alive...evidence would point towards them and unless someone else saw the car being dumped, it would just be down to the TT person pleading their innocence! IF it turns out the couple are under arrest and the plan had been to frame the TT person, then what a relief there was video on those trucks!

 

[Laughing]

Yes, but -- the Honda CR-V is a very popular vehicle, lots & lots of them on the road. After 2011, the body style didn't change for several years.

Tow truck/service van could certainly gone out to help people in a silver CR-V -- but we may never know which people.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[JRW]

If the car went in forward and flipped due to inertia and the front end digging in then attaching a line to the tow hitch/rear axle and pulling it straight back out would cause it to flip back over via the same motion, a motion that would naturally cause Kiely's body to float to the back of the car and ultimately come to rest in the cargo area as the water then drained out.

As far as destroying evidence, getting it onto its wheels as it comes out is going to do a lot less damage than dragging it on its roof. Generally speaking that's how the vast majority of crash recoveries are done, the car is pulled out along basically the same path it went in.

But she was in the back before it was flipped back over

 

[MntnHiker]

Could it be that Kiely did not have her seatbelt buckled while driving and going into the water? I'm not sure how that would affect what would happen to her as the car started sinking or on the impact of it going in.

And by the way, this is not meant to be saying something negative about Kiely. But it does happen that people don't always buckle their seatbelt when driving. We have sadly had at least a few fatal car accidents here where the teens in the car were ejected from not wearing seatbelts. Some were students/former students of mine. So I would venture a guess that some people, and specifically in this case teens, do not always use seat belts when driving.

 

[Speculaytor]

The front passenger window was down, not broken, and the rear driver's side window was halfway down (mine only go halfway down in back as child protection) when AWP found the car, no windows were broken. The front driver window was broken by LE when towing the car out. The only way I can see this as an accident is if Kiely was so intoxicated she did not realize the windows were open, otherwise why did she not escape? She would have had a few moments when the car first went into the water to get out of the window before the water started coming in. Maybe the water came through the windows with such force she couldn't swim against the water, so she climbed into the back where there was an air pocket to wait until the water filled the car and she could swim out, but she couldn't hold her breath that long? The open windows and her position make it sooooo suspicious. The tow truck driver could be mistaken on identity, or it was the day before that he saw her.

 

[SMK777]

Could it be that Kiely did not have her seatbelt buckled while driving and going into the water? I'm not sure how that would affect what would happen to her as the car started sinking or on the impact of it going in.

And by the way, this is not meant to be saying something negative about Kiely. But it does happen that people don't always buckle their seatbelt when driving. We have sadly had at least a few fatal car accidents here where the teens in the car were ejected from not wearing seatbelts. Some were students/former students of mine. So I would venture a guess that some people, and specifically in this case teens, do not always use seat belts when driving.

Also, many people drive awhile before putting on their seatbelt; she was just heading out….

 

[Laughing]

Could it be that Kiely did not have her seatbelt buckled while driving and going into the water? I'm not sure how that would affect what would happen to her as the car started sinking or on the impact of it going in.

And by the way, this is not meant to be saying something negative about Kiely. But it does happen that people don't always buckle their seatbelt when driving. We have sadly had at least a few fatal car accidents here where the teens in the car were ejected from not wearing seatbelts. Some were students/former students of mine. So I would venture a guess that some people, and specifically in this case teens, do not always use seat belts when driving.

In Hondas, the driver's seat belt must be buckled for the engine to start. IIRC, the system is sophisticated enough that the belt must be re-buckled -- you can't just leave it buckled and tight to the seat back. IDK if you can just re-buckle it behind you every time?

There was an ongoing issue with CR-Vs, the seat belt return would pull the buckle up only part way. Then, when the driver shuts the driver's door, the buckle hits a sensor that gives you the "headlights are on" warning. Don't ask me how I know -- but Mr. Laughing had to come jump start the 2007 CR-V several times before we Googled the right words & replaced the sensor. This was a 5-speed, we also push-started her a couple times. A friend had a 2012 with the same sensor problem -- makes sense to me that our Kiely ended up with a dead battery at this party.

Is @franker our Honda tech???

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Beekarina]

In Hondas, the driver's seat belt must be buckled for the engine to start. IIRC, the system is sophisticated enough that the belt must be re-buckled -- you can't just leave it buckled and tight to the seat back. IDK if you can just re-buckle it behind you every time?

There was an ongoing issue with CR-Vs, the seat belt return would pull the buckle up only part way. Then, when the driver shuts the driver's door, the buckle hits a sensor that gives you the "headlights are on" warning. Don't ask me how I know -- but Mr. Laughing had to come jump start the 2007 CR-V several times before we Googled the right words & replaced the sensor. This was a 5-speed, we also push-started her a couple times. A friend had a 2012 with the same sensor problem -- makes sense to me that our Kiely ended up with a dead battery at this party.

Is @franker our Honda tech???

jmho ymmv lrr

The '07 Honda Fit would start without being buckled, but it was a manual and used a regular key to start.

I know this for a fact because I would go out during the height of "lockdowns" and let it charge off the alternator a bit (bad!) before driving it to further charge the battery. I did not buckle myself in to start the car in my rural driveway.

 

[Beekarina]

The front passenger window was down, not broken, and the rear driver's side window was halfway down (mine only go halfway down in back as child protection) when AWP found the car, no windows were broken. The front driver window was broken by LE when towing the car out. The only way I can see this as an accident is if Kiely was so intoxicated she did not realize the windows were open, otherwise why did she not escape? She would have had a few moments when the car first went into the water to get out of the window before the water started coming in. Maybe the water came through the windows with such force she couldn't swim against the water, so she climbed into the back where there was an air pocket to wait until the water filled the car and she could swim out, but she couldn't hold her breath that long? The open windows and her position make it sooooo suspicious. The tow truck driver could be mistaken on identity, or it was the day before that he saw her.

AWP diver DID state the passenger window was broken out. See CC in screenshot below:

 

[Dani22]

So this is my theory/speculation about the tow truck guy story. It makes a difference which car it was. If it was Kiely's car the two kids had, it is a completely different story.
I believe Kiely's ex would have been there immediately to search for Kiely - the Mom probably would have called him early on to ask if he had seen her, and then at 9 or 10 everyone knew something was wrong.
I don't think he was involved in anything nefarious, but if he lives 4 hours away, it is a bit of a time crunch, so I'm not ruling anything out.
Anyway, he grabs one of the friends - guessing Mags, who is thoughtful, and may have come off as confused - between a missing friend and worry - and they go to search and try to figure out what happened.
Then the two are speculating - wild theories, etc. and decide to test out the theories, and get advice on how things would work.
It could be possible the gal suspected the guy, or possible the supposed uneasiness is just color for the story, or the guy reading into it? All just moo!!!
(An aside - yes to being grateful to ws - social media is heartbreakingingly cruel and crazy right now. )

 

[Beekarina]

On the topic of "dead" batteries: Laughing's post made me think of something. Kiely's car was a 2013. If we assume this was Kiely's vehicle, even though Roadside Nick said her veichle's accessories were working and her car started when he arrived on the scene, that does not mean her battery was in excellent condition, and everything else in the vehicle was fully up to par.

I know from owning a few older vehicles, including several Hondas, as they age, they develop quirks. Things wear out. We could assume since she was a teenager her parents maintained her vehicle for her, but they may not have. Life happens. It might have been a vehicle she purchased with money from her job and something she was primarily responsible for. Something like letting all your friends hang out in your car, charge phones, headlights on, that sounds like something a kid would do in an older car, where an adult would probably be a bit more mindful.

Others mentioned her headlights being possibly being dim as a theory for driving into water. Her alternator could have been on its way out too.

 

[Speculaytor]

AWP diver DID state the passenger window was broken out. See CC in screenshot below:
View attachment 363651

I watched AWP video several times to clarify, and he states one window is all the way down, and back window halfway down. And we know LE broke the front Driver window. When the car is towed out, you can see through the front windows, the drivers side broken, but passenger is all the way down. I know there was confusion, but MOO I am clear now that front passenger was down, NOT broken. Only the driver's side window was broken by LE.

 

[Beekarina]

So this is my theory/speculation about the tow truck guy story. It makes a difference which car it was. If it was Kiely's car the two kids had, it is a completely different story.
I believe Kiely's ex would have been there immediately to search for Kiely - the Mom probably would have called him early on to ask if he had seen her, and then at 9 or 10 everyone knew something was wrong.
I don't think he was involved in anything nefarious, but if he lives 4 hours away, it is a bit of a time crunch, so I'm not ruling anything out.
Anyway, he grabs one of the friends - guessing Mags, who is thoughtful, and may have come off as confused - between a missing friend and worry - and they go to search and try to figure out what happened.
Then the two are speculating - wild theories, etc. and decide to test out the theories, and get advice on how things would work.
It could be possible the gal suspected the guy, or possible the supposed uneasiness is just color for the story, or the guy reading into it? All just moo!!!
(An aside - yes to being grateful to ws - social media is heartbreakingingly cruel and crazy right now. )

Mags doesn't look anything like Kiely though? She is blonde, but she has a very prominent nose ring and generally different appearance? (Much lighter blonde, very blue eyes, more "Nordic".) I don't see how anyone would confuse Kiely and Mags?

Edited: this is an interview with her, for context. Friend of Kiely Rodni hopeful in finding missing teen

Edited X2: This link also mentions a fight at the party.

 

[EmmieA]

AWP diver DID state the passenger window was broken out. See CC in screenshot below:
View attachment 363651

So passenger window was broken - I wonder if they found a window breaker tool in her car? Although why would she break the passenger window & not the driver’s side window?

 

[Look4theHelpers]

Assuming no foul play, if she opened/broke her front window and water flooded in while at same time car the starts tipping forward then I think the natural reaction would be to just scramble upwards following the trapped air towards back of car (and she would fit through the gap into the ‘trunk’ area) hoping she will either be able to somehow break out or be rescued before the air left disperses

One thing that confuses me if it the car went in front first and then the back tipped over due to the front sinking / weight of engine plus motion of the wheels (as the theory states), then in the recovery and while under water the car was somehow flipped the right way up and other way around hence pulled out backwards?

Or did it go in frontwards and flip side over somehow, or go in backwards and some how flip upside down?

I can’t see how they could turn a car right way up and turn it around to face opp direction under water without a lot of commotion on the tow ropes and risking losing any evidence?

I remember watching the recovery in full and before they started pulling the vehicle there were 2 very hard yanks on the chains. It was so hard that they snapped like a whip. I recall thinking 'what in the world was that?!'

It then occurred to me seeing the vehicle coming out of the water, that the movement of the chains was what LE did to flip the vehicle over. From there, I assume attaching the chains to the back and pulling would cause the vehicle to spin which would eventually lead to it straightening out being pulled out backwards.

I'm trying to find video to show what I'm talking about.

(In regards to the damage on the vehicle, it's apparent the flipping of it caused the driver's side window to bust out along with the broken mirror. In AWP's video, those were in tact). IMO