CA CA - Sydney “Syd” West, 19, Univ of CA student, San Francisco, 30 Sep 2020 #2

[ElizabethAnne]

Quote RSBM.
How would they be expected to know this? I imagine if my child went missing in San Francisco, I (or my spouse) would contact law enforcement there and try to go there and work with them on finding my child. Who else would you know to call, if not the local law enforcement?

The father's last phone call with Sydney was Tuesday, Sept 29th. A missing person's report was not filed until Friday, Oct 2nd at approximately 2PM at the Central Police Station with the SFPD according to the SFPD press release. This was 3 days after their last contact with her (i.e., the phone conversation).

The parents (mother) say she was staying with friends in Livermore, thus Livermore was the local law enforcement agency. The PI said on a podcast she was couch surfing in Pleasanton thus Pleasanton was the local law enforcement agency.

I'm not sure why there was a delay of 3 days from their last contact with her before she was reported missing. If they had reported it Wednesday, September 30th with urgency after they could not contact her or locate her rather than waiting until the afternoon of Friday, October 2nd, things may have progressed differently. Maybe a coordinated effort of the Golden Gate Recreation Area personnel, the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies could have done search and rescue efforts and canine searches on September 30th to track her path on Crissy Field and the GGB. That didn't happen. Would you have waited 3 days?

Time is of the essence, and I did see the Good Morning America story on missing 19 year old college student Saniyya Dennis from upstate New York that aired on ABC. You can Google Saniyya Dennis gma to find it or this Family pleads for help in finding missing Buffalo State College student . And this happened about 3,000 miles away from where I live. I saw more coverage from the missing Buffalo State student in the media in the last week or so than the Sydney West case in the last several months where the parents rely on self-made videos and a PR firm called Weiss Public Affairs.

 

[Bridger]

I'm not sure why there was a delay of 3 days from their last contact with her before she was reported missing. If they had reported it Wednesday, September 30th with urgency after they could not contact her or locate her rather than waiting until the afternoon of Friday, October 2nd, things may have progressed differently. Maybe a coordinated effort of the Golden Gate Recreation Area personnel, the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies could have done search and rescue efforts and canine searches on September 30th to track her path on Crissy Field and the GGB. That didn't happen. Would you have waited 3 days?

Maybe I’m missing some detail, like she talked to her parents every day, but even if she did, that’s only a two day delay in reporting her missing. In my mind, that’s a pretty tight leash on an adult child. I think it could easily be much longer before even very good parents would realize they hadn’t had contact with their child.

 

[NSamuelle]

Maybe I’m missing some detail, like she talked to her parents every day, but even if she did, that’s only a two day delay in reporting her missing. In my mind, that’s a pretty tight leash on an adult child. I think it could easily be much longer before even very good parents would realize they hadn’t had contact with their child.

They had tracking software on her phone, so they would’ve realized her phone went dead on September 30. When they first announced that she was missing, they said they hoped it wouldn’t inconvenience people. They didn’t seem to take it seriously at first.

 

[NSamuelle]

The father's last phone call with Sydney was Tuesday, Sept 29th. A missing person's report was not filed until Friday, Oct 2nd at approximately 2PM at the Central Police Station with the SFPD according to the SFPD press release. This was 3 days after their last contact with her (i.e., the phone conversation).

The parents (mother) say she was staying with friends in Livermore, thus Livermore was the local law enforcement agency. The PI said on a podcast she was couch surfing in Pleasanton thus Pleasanton was the local law enforcement agency.

I'm not sure why there was a delay of 3 days from their last contact with her before she was reported missing. If they had reported it Wednesday, September 30th with urgency after they could not contact her or locate her rather than waiting until the afternoon of Friday, October 2nd, things may have progressed differently. Maybe a coordinated effort of the Golden Gate Recreation Area personnel, the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies could have done search and rescue efforts and canine searches on September 30th to track her path on Crissy Field and the GGB. That didn't happen. Would you have waited 3 days?

Time is of the essence, and I did see the Good Morning America story on missing 19 year old college student Saniyya Dennis from upstate New York that aired on ABC. You can Google Saniyya Dennis gma to find it or this Family pleads for help in finding missing Buffalo State College student . And this happened about 3,000 miles away from where I live. I saw more coverage from the missing Buffalo State student in the media in the last week or so than the Sydney West case in the last several months where the parents rely on self-made videos and a PR firm called Weiss Public Affairs.

I agree that it’s very strange that they haven’t done any public interviews. I don’t think they have been fully forthcoming, and there are questions they would be unwilling to answer. Check out the comments on the “Until They Are Found” YouTube video sponsored and produced by her family - they are quite enlightening (details that cannot be discussed here).

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Maybe I’m missing some detail, like she talked to her parents every day, but even if she did, that’s only a two day delay in reporting her missing. In my mind, that’s a pretty tight leash on an adult child. I think it could easily be much longer before even very good parents would realize they hadn’t had contact with their child.

The father had said their last phone conversation was 'emotional' (the one on the 29th) and he expected to talk to her the very next day. But it sounds like even though it sounds like her phone was not picking up, there sounds like was no report to law enforcement. When that happens, people can call the police and have them do a 'wellness check' or 'welfare check' to visit and make sure they are okay. Sounds like that did not happen on September 30th. Or if it did, no one is disclosing it.

The last contact happened Sept 29th, the missing persons report was filled out at SFPD on Oct. 2nd and missing persons press releases from law enforcement did not appear in the public domain until Sunday Oct. 4th. That's quite a gap in time.

When the North Carolina missing press release came out, it said Sydney was living with friends in San Francisco. Months later, the mother said Sydney was living with family friends in Livermore, a suburb of San Francisco/Oakland in the outer part of the East Bay. Recently, the PI said Sydney was couch surfing in Pleasanton, but stayed in a Hilton hotel in San Francisco the night before she was missing. The fact that she stayed in the hotel and the disclosure of the hotel name just was announced months after she was missing. Also Sydney taking a rideshare in the pre-dawn hours from the hotel to the GGB area was only disclosed to the public again around 5-6 months after she was missing. It is still unclear where she was actually living when she became missing in the time between the UC dorm exit (parents still have not identified the dorm name). At one point the father said his daughter was playing gigs in the Bay Area; however, that seems strange because this was during the time of shelter-in-place lockdowns for COVID when the health departments throughout the Bay Area shut down all restaurants, bars, wineries and concert venues. They have never discussed why there are discrepancies between what various press releases and family members or family member representatives say regarding the city or cities she resided in after the UC dorm exit. There has been no disclosure concerning the actual date she moved out of the residence hall. No one in the public knows the timeline.

 

[NSamuelle]

The father had said their last phone conversation was 'emotional' (the one on the 29th) and he expected to talk to her the very next day. But it sounds like even though it sounds like her phone was not picking up, there sounds like was no report to law enforcement. When that happens, people can call the police and have them do a 'wellness check' or 'welfare check' to visit and make sure they are okay. Sounds like that did not happen on September 30th. Or if it did, no one is disclosing it.

The last contact happened Sept 29th, the missing persons report was filled out at SFPD on Oct. 2nd and missing persons press releases from law enforcement did not appear in the public domain until Sunday Oct. 4th. That's quite a gap in time.

When the North Carolina missing press release came out, it said Sydney was living with friends in San Francisco. Months later, the mother said Sydney was living with family friends in Livermore, a suburb of San Francisco/Oakland in the outer part of the East Bay. Recently, the PI said Sydney was couch surfing in Pleasanton, but stayed in a Hilton hotel in San Francisco the night before she was missing. The fact that she stayed in the hotel and the disclosure of the hotel name just was announced months after she was missing. Also Sydney taking a rideshare in the pre-dawn hours from the hotel to the GGB area was only disclosed to the public again around 5-6 months after she was missing. It is still unclear where she was actually living when she became missing in the time between the UC dorm exit (parents still have not identified the dorm name). They have never discussed why there are discrepancies between what various press releases and family members say regarding the city or cities she resided in after the UC dorm exit. There has been no disclosure concerning the actual date she moved out of the residence hall. No one in the public knows the timeline.

There were 2 people from her Berkeley class commenting here that had some info but their posts were reported and they were kicked off. It’s very hard to share info. Always happy to respond if ppl have questions that I can answer through DM.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

They had tracking software on her phone, so they would’ve realized her phone went dead on September 30. When they first announced that she was missing, they said they hoped it wouldn’t inconvenience people. They didn’t seem to take it seriously at first.

In Pleasanton, they lived in the Valley Trails neighborhood just 4 courts away (Kings Canyon Ct) from the family of a Foothill High girl who was murdered and that has been in the headlines for years because it was unsolved for decades (Tina Faelz on Virgin Islands Ct murdered by Steven Carlson). Also, a young woman who was a 22 year old college student and murder victim, Vanessa Samson, was kidnapped and snatched from the sidewalk and put in a van while walking to work on Singletree Way in the early morning hours literally a block north of the Valley Trails neighborhood.

Because of these two horrific murders, parents in Pleasanton generally don't dilly dally and delay contacting local law enforcement when they can't find or contact their child or adult offspring.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

I'm not sure why the parents in this case chose to report the missing persons report for Sydney to the SFPD in the first place that is known to put little to no effort in putting together an investigation.

RSBM

I'm not sure if they filed it directly with SFPD or if the Orange Co, NC Sheriff reached out to them. The OC Sheriff was initially listed as the LE contact. Since she went missing from Crissy Field (and as we know now, the GGB), there's also a National Park jurisdiction to consider. As she was also staying at a hotel in SF, then SFPD still makes more sense than Pleasanton.

That said, several months ago I dug up info on early AM exercise classes near Crissy Field (this was before we knew she'd been on the GGB). Another WS member urged me to call it in. I called the provided number, and SFPD had no idea who or what I was calling them about.

 

[kccorona]

RSBM

I'm not sure if they filed it directly with SFPD or if the Orange Co, NC Sheriff reached out to them. The OC Sheriff was initially listed as the LE contact. Since she went missing from Crissy Field (and as we know now, the GGB), there's also a National Park jurisdiction to consider. As she was also staying at a hotel in SF, then SFPD still makes more sense than Pleasanton.

I could’ve sworn there was information early on about why the NC sheriff’s office was the investigating/primary LE agency on the case ... something about how she was reported missing to SFPD (or another local SF LE agency) but because her residence was listed as NC, the initial agency (in this case, SF) then contacts and transfers the case to the jurisdiction of her official, permanent residence. I’ll try to dig and find this later.

ETA: Here is the original FB post from SFPD (of note, it says a family member reported her missing to SFPD on 10/2/2020): San Francisco Police Department

And here is the Orange Co Sheriff’s Office (NC) FB post: Log into Facebook

 

[ElizabethAnne]

RSBM

I'm not sure if they filed it directly with SFPD or if the Orange Co, NC Sheriff reached out to them. The OC Sheriff was initially listed as the LE contact. Since she went missing from Crissy Field (and as we know now, the GGB), there's also a National Park jurisdiction to consider. As she was also staying at a hotel in SF, then SFPD still makes more sense than Pleasanton.

That said, several months ago I dug up info on early AM exercise classes near Crissy Field (this was before we knew she'd been on the GGB). Another WS member urged me to call it in. I called the provided number, and SFPD had no idea who or what I was calling them about.

It said in early press releases a family member filed the missing persons report with the Central precinct on Oct 2nd at 2 PM (which is the precinct where the Hilton hotel on 750 Kearny was located and not even adjacent to Crissy Field). I'm not sure what sense of urgency any police would put on an adult missing person who could have just simply checked out of a hotel even if they were deemed 'at risk.' Here is the map of the precincts ---https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/your-sfpd/sfpd-stations/station-finder.

Since there was never any BART photos showing her travel from the Pleasanton/Livermore area to SF, I have to wonder whether she did actually at any time stay in Pleasanton or Livermore. As far as I know, the family has not released photos of her after she moved out of the dorm at Berkeley. Those current photos would show what she looked like more so than photos taken prior to her high school graduation in 2019 or early 2020 photos.

If she did hypothetically stay in Livermore or Pleasanton, the local law enforcement agency (Livermore/Pleasanton) could have presumably quickly found some personal items, gather some canine search dogs and started searching the Presidio property to find her path of travel with the canines, perhaps as early as Oct. 1 if there had been a timely report to the police. Also they could have organized helicopter/boat searches in conjunction with other agencies, similar to what happened when Allison Bayliss was reported missing.

I'm not aware of the public being asked to participate in any organized searches in the Sydney West case. Instead there were two vigils....one in Chapel Hill and one in Pleasanton. There were none done on the UC Berkeley campus or in San Francisco.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

I could’ve sworn there was information early on about why the NC sheriff’s office was the investigating/primary LE agency on the case ... something about how she was reported missing to SFPD (or another local SF LE agency) but because her residence was listed as NC, the initial agency (in this case, SF) then contacts and transfers the case to the jurisdiction of her official, permanent residence. I’ll try to dig and find this later.

ETA: Here is the original FB post from SFPD (of note, it says a family member reported her missing to SFPD on 10/2/2020): San Francisco Police Department

And here is the Orange Co Sheriff’s Office (NC) FB post: Log into Facebook

The NC Facebook shows it issued a statement twice because they first said Sydney was a UC Berkeley student. The second said she was no longer a student which corrected their first announcement. In the meantime the UC Berkeley PD said she was no longer a student https://twitter.com/ucpd_cal/status/1313270863458791424?lang=en

If she had been a current student, usually the UC Police Dept is the lead agency or the Berkeley Police Department when a student is missing, then they get other agencies involved. That is what happened at least a few years ago in another tragic missing persons case from UC Berkeley --- when a recent graduate student majoring in Statistics disappeared after failing a class and her vehicle was found at Point Reyes. She was scheduled to take a flight to China, but never did board an airplane. Missing persons reports from the local media were issued a day after (1/8) she was last seen (1/7). Vehicle of missing UC Berkeley graduate student Shuqin Zhang found | The Daily Californian and Skeletal Remains Identified As Missing UC Berkeley Student and Bones of missing UC Berkeley student found in Marin

 

[Protectwomenandgirls]

I can only hope that her parents gave law enforcement all of the details that we are missing.

According to the Facebook page ran by her family, they are now airing a television advertisement "broadly across US and Canada." I also saw that they purchased billboard ads on freeways in San Jose and Berkeley. Hopefully these new ads will help spread the word.

I really wish they would do media interviews. The videos they are producing don't reach a wide enough audience.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Haven’t checked in here for a while, but in the last 2 weeks have been seeing dominant primetime TV ads for Syd here in Sav, GA. At first I thought odd from Nat’l Ctr for Missing & Exploited Children- because I’ve never seen 1 person featured so prominently by this org- usually several at a time in a blip at the end of a show. So now wondering if Syd’s parents funded this to appear as if by NCMEC?
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/O5r4/national-center-for-missing-and-exploited-children-sydney-west

Also catching up on 3/31/21 press release with “updates”. “Her family believes she could be anywhere by now, such as Oregon, Nevada, Colorado or Utah.” Why those states & why now? Do we know where this comes from? New leads or Syd’s old fav places?

“The FAQ page clarified that West made the decision to take a break from UC Berkeley after suffering a concussion in summer 2020 that made it difficult for her to engage with virtual classes. She decided to hold off on returning until she could make a more complete recovery.” This seems like PR to me- as if to dispel ideas that Syd dropped out altogether- or due to depression, dislike of virtual courses, etc. I don’t see how this new ”fact” has bearing on finding Syd. So why mention it? Did Syd withdraw from courses & get tuition refund before telling her family of her choice or after? Or did they find out after she went missing?

“She had a long phone call with her dad on the evening before her disappearance, according to the website.” What was the tone of this call? Did Syd feel pressured to get back in classes? Did they argue? Was this a source of family tension- like the internship she didn’t want to complete?

Reward increased to 25K from 10K- with expiration date June 1. This isn’t a carton of milk- why the expiration date? If someone knows something, they’ll talk- or not- on their own time. Doubt the deadline will change that- imo.

I can’t get findsydneywest.com FAQs to open & site has almost no info- was info recently taken down? Or you must “subscribe” to get access? Unclear… Findsydneywest.org, referenced by mom in vid seems to not exist.
Missing Woman Living In SF: Family Increases Reward To $25K

Whether this lovely young woman took her own life or broke ties with fam intentionally- either way- very sad. Not getting kidnap/foul play vibe. Imho. What I am getting are undertones of conflict/control issues. From internship to college choice to dropping out. Plus reward expiration date, requirement to “subscribe” to access info that might help find Syd? It’s an unusual approach, imho.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

Haven’t checked in here for a while, but in the last 2 weeks have been seeing dominant primetime TV ads for Syd here in Sav, GA. At first I thought odd from Nat’l Ctr for Missing & Exploited Children- because I’ve never seen 1 person featured so prominently by this org- usually several at a time in a blip at the end of a show. So now wondering if Syd’s parents funded this to appear as if by NCMEC?
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/O5r4/national-center-for-missing-and-exploited-children-sydney-west

“The FAQ page clarified that West made the decision to take a break from UC Berkeley after suffering a concussion in summer 2020 that made it difficult for her to engage with virtual classes. She decided to hold off on returning until she could make a more complete recovery.” This seems like PR to me- as if to dispel ideas that Syd dropped out altogether- or due to depression, dislike of virtual courses, etc. I don’t see how this new ”fact” has bearing on finding Syd. So why mention it? Did Syd withdraw from courses & get tuition refund before telling her family of her choice or after? Or did they find out after she went missing?

The concussion was brought up months after she was missing. Typically around here when people have concussions and are missing, that is mentioned in the Missing Person report released by law enforcement. An example is Matthew Abraham Scotts Valley Man Missing after Head Injury who was found about 48 hours after being reported missing. He took a bus from San Francisco to Salt Lake City in a confused state of mind, but was found quickly.

The NC press release #1 claimed Sydney was a UC Berkeley student, then the UC Berkeley police issued a tweet saying she was recently a UC Berkeley student but not one anymore so NC press release #2 corrected the status to say she was no longer a UC Berkeley student.

So your question: "Did Syd withdraw from courses & get tuition refund before telling her family of her choice or after? Or did they find out after she went missing?" is relevant and I wish I knew the answer and basic info like when she withdrew. I know she is no longer in the public UC Berkeley online student directory and wasn't listed in it when the media reported her missing Oct 4th. The reason I looked that day was because I was wondering why the UC Berkeley police or the Berkeley Police Dept weren't issuing the Missing Persons announcements like they normally do for missing Cal students. The News and Observer article that initially reported her disappearance stated she had moved into a Berkeley dorm. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article246239320.html It is unknown if she canceled before instruction began, withdrew after instruction began, or left under some other circumstances.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

They had tracking software on her phone, so they would’ve realized her phone went dead on September 30. When they first announced that she was missing, they said they hoped it wouldn’t inconvenience people. They didn’t seem to take it seriously at first.

I'm not sure why there was a delay. Usually in the Bay Area, if a young person goes missing even if they are young adults and 18 or older, parents notify law enforcement right away, and law enforcement utilizes multiple agencies, bring multiple K-9 units to search, do aerial searches, and go all out to find the missing person. Often times there is a fast resolution. The parents appear on camera and are interviewed by the media. There are local search parties organized. It is usually well covered by the Bay Area television stations who then interview the parents.

I'm still so impressed that when a young man living near UC Santa Cruz with a mountain bike fall went missing, and with law enforcement, some grainy video in a gas station camera, combined with a good samaritan were able to bring this young man home. He left from San Francisco and was found in Utah less than 48 hours after he became missing.

Scotts Valley Man Found Safe in Salt Lake City

 

[Protectwomenandgirls]

IMO
I can't help but think of Dane Elkins, who is still missing. His mom disclosed his mental illness and paranoia. She even released the last video he made which shows him in a state of psychosis. Due to his paranoia, he's believed to be living in or around unsheltered encampments, so that's where people are focusing searches...

Sydney's status with the university and a clear timeline of her withdrawal and subsequent actions after the withdrawal would give us some insight into her state of mind. Her financial transactions with the university would help as well.

She stopped posting on her social media accounts long before her disappearance, so we don't have any current information to go off of from those avenues (I think this is very odd, especially for someone in her age group and to me it signals that something was off).

A recent video or recording of her demeanor right before she went missing would be so helpful in this search. What about that phone call right before she went missing? As many others have mentioned, it would be useful to know what was discussed and what her emotional state was.

I feel like so much information is being withheld. It's so frustrating not to have any details on the emotional/mental state Sydney was in when she disappeared, especially taking the concussion into account.

I feel like there are barely any breadcrumbs here. Sadly it seems like we are trying so desperately to make progress with what little information we've been given, but mostly grasping at straws.

Where should we even be looking for her?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

IMO let's go easy on her parents.
I don't think most people would report their adult child missing in 1 day just because they can't reach them by phone. If they had thought they needed to, they would have.
Maybe her dad thought she was taking a little time to herself after their conversation.

Maybe they are prioritizing the outcome they hope for, or the background facts that are most favorable for that outcome, but they must be going through the hardest time possible, and it would be expected that they remain open to the possibility that she is alive.

This isn't the first time I've heard of a time limit on a reward; that is not suspicious to me. Read enough cases, and you will see it sometimes. They just are trying to encourage someone to come forward with information, information they are understandably desperate for.
JMO.

 

[NSamuelle]

IMO
I can't help but think of Dane Elkins, who is still missing. His mom disclosed his mental illness and paranoia. She even released the last video he made which shows him in a state of psychosis. Due to his paranoia, he's believed to be living in or around unsheltered encampments, so that's where people are focusing searches...

Sydney's status with the university and a clear timeline of her withdrawal and subsequent actions after the withdrawal would give us some insight into her state of mind. Her financial transactions with the university would help as well.

She stopped posting on her social media accounts long before her disappearance, so we don't have any current information to go off of from those avenues (I think this is very odd, especially for someone in her age group and to me it signals that something was off).

A recent video or recording of her demeanor right before she went missing would be so helpful in this search. What about that phone call right before she went missing? As many others have mentioned, it would be useful to know what was discussed and what her emotional state was.

I feel like so much information is being withheld. It's so frustrating not to have any details on the emotional/mental state Sydney was in when she disappeared, especially taking the concussion into account.

I feel like there are barely any breadcrumbs here. Sadly it seems like we are trying so desperately to make progress with what little information we've been given, but mostly grasping at straws.

Where should we even be looking for her?

Regarding social media, the last public post I’m aware of was in July 2020 when she did a TikTok video and sang “I’m dying deep down, I’m not as happy as I seem” to the tune of “row, row, row your boat.” She was smoking what appeared to be pot but could’ve been a cigarette. The deleted Medium poem about depression was written October 2, almost a year to the day before she went missing. I wonder if that time of year has some significance for her.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Regarding social media, the last public post I’m aware of was in July 2020 when she did a TikTok video and sang “I’m dying deep down, I’m not as happy as I seem” to the tune of “row, row, row your boat.” She was smoking what appeared to be pot but could’ve been a cigarette. The deleted Medium poem about depression was written October 2, almost a year to the day before she went missing. I wonder if that time of year has some significance for her.

BBM. Excellent thought about time of year as a trigger. What do we know about late Sept/early Oct? Grandparent’s death? Start of school year? Specific trauma unknown?

 

[genuineusa77]

I think I asked before, was it mentioned anywhere if she was on antidepressants. They give you suicidal thoughts. I had a relative take them and tried suicide 3 times! He got off them and has been fine ever since and that was 27 years ago!! He's not the only one this has happened to.