Found Deceased CA - Kiely Rodni missing from Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #9

[Sundog]

Yes, @Elley Mae, in a previous thread, perhaps early in T8 or late T7, we discussed this at nauseum with rotated images, in fact, of CR-Vs to see what that space might look like in an upside car. The most important factor some of us honed in on is whether the middle rear seat head rest was up or down. If it was up, the space between the head rests of the back seat and the roof of the car was very narrow - IIRC, something like 8". But if the middle head rest was down, it would make it easier for a body, live or dead, to navigate into the rear hatch area, IMO. It may be worth you going back to review that.

And I don't think any of us were able to find an image of KR's CR-V that would indicate if she usually had the middle rear seat head rest up. An OP did mention that those head rests are a bear to put back down. So once up, they may stay up.

Now if anyone can find such an image, that would be worthy of a gold star sleuther award!

I just measured the space between the backseat headrests. There are 19.5 inches between the two headrests, with the middle headrest down.

If the middle backseat headrest is up, then there about 4 inches between headrests.

This is a 2016 Honda CRV.

ETA: It is not difficult at all to move the middle backseat headrest up and down. You move it up manually with ease, and to lower it, there is a button on the side of the headrest that you press and it lowers very easily as well.

 

[EmmieA]

This quote is from another sonar/water rescue organization that does the same kind of work as AWP -

"Ninety percent of vehicles found with people in it, they’re normally found in the back," she said. "If it’s an SUV, they’re in the hatch."

The engine is the heaviest part of the car, and it nosedives first.

"As the vehicle is sinking, they’re climbing to the back to try to stay up out of the water. They’re chasing the air," Watters said.

Just piggybacking off of this: In a previous thread there was more information about cars sinking and from what I remember what is being described in this article happens when all of the windows in a vehicle are closed while the car is sinking. Kiely’s car had two windows open and Doug has said because of the open windows, the car would sink very very fast so it seemed to me that he was questioning, with water coming into the vehicle from the open windows, how she would get to the back because I think in her situation, there might not be the same air pocket as when all the windows are closed.
MOO

 

[Sundog]

Idk I’m not seeing enough room underseats and cargo area which does not have seats so I assume the underseats are the passenger seats behind the the drivers seat. Looking at pics of 2013 crv passenger seats I don’t see how she was under them.

https://cdn.carbuzz.com/gallery-images/2013-honda-cr-v-rear-passenger-seats-carbuzz-479613-1600.jpg

I know I couldnt have fit under them in my Ford Explorer. I’m 5’5” 115 lbs.

Jmo

There is no access under the seats to go under the front or back seats. The front seats don't have enough clearance for a human body, and the back seats have no clearance/access underneath. (2016 Honda CRV)

 

[Megnut]

I'd like AWP to stage and film a car sinking with open windows.

I think it would answer a lot of questions for us here.

And be educational in general.

JMO

 

[Dotta]

I'd like AWP to stage and film a car sinking with open windows.

I think it would answer a lot of questions for us here.

And be educational in general.

JMO

Hmmm...
It takes time and money I think.
AWP can film during their actions.
LE should educate the public about safety.
Where I live there are educational films about safety funded by Government.

Just my opinion.

 

[EmmieA]

I'd like AWP to stage and film a car sinking with open windows.

I think it would answer a lot of questions for us here.

And be educational in general.

JMO

That’s a great idea. I watched one posted on SM and what happened is the car did a very slight nosedive but it didn’t flip - it went down while still upright and turned to one side once it was completely submerged and then flipped onto the roof to rest on the bottom.

MOO

 

[Lemonslush]

I think they’re stalling to let some hype die down too. why else would they say they’re waiting til November to release anymore info on the case

 

[IDK]

Here's a link to the article and her remarks -

Kiely Rodni: The volunteer dive team that found her remains suspects foul play | Fox News

Rodni vanished Aug. 6 after attending party in Tahoe National Park

www.foxnews.com

Right, thank you! Doesn’t look like she addressed the flipped over vehicle:

“As the vehicle is sinking, they’re climbing to the back to try to stay up out of the water. They’re chasing the air," Watters said”

 

[Sundog]

<snipped for focus>

Now if anyone can find such an image, that would be worthy of a gold star sleuther award!

Here is a photo of the backseat headrests in my 2016 Honda CRV - one photo shows the middle backseat headrest up, and the other photo shows the middle backseat headrest down. (As I noted above, there are 19.5 inches between the backseat headrests when the middle backseat headrest is down. There are about 4 inches between the headrests when the middle backseat headrest is up.)

 

[pizzaman12]

I think they’re stalling to let some hype die down too. why else would they say they’re waiting til November to release anymore info on the case

I believe that is because of the toxicology report timeframe

 

[Sparx]

Right, thank you! Doesn’t look like she addressed the flipped over vehicle:

“As the vehicle is sinking, they’re climbing to the back to try to stay up out of the water. They’re chasing the air," Watters said”

The vehicle wouldn't necessarily flip until it was entirely submerged. If you look on YouTube under a search for cars sinking you'll see what I mean. She could've made it into the back, and then got stuck behind the backseat as the CR-V went upside down below the surface.

 

[tayaway]

Right, thank you! Doesn’t look like she addressed the flipped over vehicle:

“As the vehicle is sinking, they’re climbing to the back to try to stay up out of the water. They’re chasing the air," Watters said”

...and what percentage of the time is one front window down all the way and one back one half way? We already know the controversy of AWP's Murder or Accident presentation, do we really need to observe an industry spat between two sonar teams?

 

[RedHaus]

I believe that is because of the toxicology report timeframe

And the CHP / MAIT report, IIRC.

 

[Sundog]

...and what percentage of the time is one front window down all the way and one back one half way? We already know the controversy of AWP's Murder or Accident presentation, do we really need to observe an industry spat between two sonar teams?

I think it's good to hear from another sonar search and recovery team, even though this organization has a different point of view, probably because they work with LE as their client, not necessarily the families of the victims.

Sonar Search and Recovery, it was reported, have worked on over 100 cases with LE, so they have lots of experience that we can also learn from, IMO. I'd like to see more interviews with them, but we probably won't, since their mission is so different and they defer to LE once the submerged vehicle and occupants are recovered.

Edited to correct typo in name of search and recovery organization

 

[MomMommyMom2]

The vehicle wouldn't necessarily flip until it was entirely submerged. If you look on YouTube under a search for cars sinking you'll see what I mean. She could've made it into the back, and then got stuck behind the backseat as the CR-V went upside down below the surface.

The thing is, the driver’s side rear window was halfway down and the passenger front window was either down or broken. If that window was down before entering the water, wouldn’t the car tip that way from the water rushing in? I’m also not so sure there would really be any “air bubble” considering two windows were open and how rapidly it was sinking. I am having a tough time visualizing it.
In a way I’m glad nothing else has been released. I just hope that everything, every little detail, has been gone over with a fine toothed comb and then gone over again.

 

[Sparx]

The thing is, the driver’s side rear window was halfway down and the passenger front window was either down or broken. If that window was down before entering the water, wouldn’t the car tip that way from the water rushing in? I’m also not so sure there would really be any “air bubble” considering two windows were open and how rapidly it was sinking. I am having a tough time visualizing it.
In a way I’m glad nothing else has been released. I just hope that everything, every little detail, has been gone over with a fine toothed comb and then gone over again.

I see what your saying, and it might not be that an actual "bubble" was there, but just a space without water. Something like what you'd see in this News14 clip.

 

[303gmf]

I agree and many mountain towns are the same. Durango CO and a few others come to mind. There’s an interesting mix of wealth, poverty and a great amount of tension. You have people who come from other areas and states and bring their money w them, opening businesses etc, which does help move the town forward and create more tourism (that’s really what they count on). With that, there’s a great amount of pushback from those who just want a sleepy town. Unfortunately, that is just not an option anymore. You also have a lack of jobs most of the time, high drug use, addictions and high crime rates. I’m sure Truckee was hit hard in 2020 and continues to fluctuate with fires slowing tourism like many other mountain towns

Agree
Party towns in Colorado resorts are a tough place to raise teens and foster healthy families
Temptation and money abound

 

[Dotta]

Diver who found missing Kiely Rodni says death 'reeks of foul play'

Diver Doug Bishop, who found the body of missing California teen Kiely Rodni in the backseat of her car submerged in a reservoir, has doubled down on his claims that he believes her death is suspicious.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[Sundog]

Hmmm...
It takes time and money I think.
AWP can film during their actions.
LE should educate the public about safety.
Where I live there are educational films about safety funded by Government.

Just my opinion.

Do they have educational films about how to survive a car submerging in water? And, if so, how do they roll them out so that people watch them?

 

[lonetraveler]

I think they’re stalling to let some hype die down too. why else would they say they’re waiting til November to release anymore info on the case

Maybe a toxicology report is the reason to wait until November. It does seem that drowning could be ruled in or out by this time though.