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

[Curious_in_NC]

I wonder if she went to the beach at Crissy Field for an early morning run. It looks like the park run is temporarily closed but maybe she didn't know that.

Also, I wonder how she got to Crissy Field. It doesn't sound like she had a car so Uber maybe? Public transportation in CA has been spotty due to COVID since the spring.

Her disappearance reminds me of Alex Holden who went missing in the early morning hours of January 1, 2020. Their personalities sound so similar - both very nice, upstanding young people who were very much loved by family and friends, who were both drawn to a bridge and water surrounding San Francisco.

It's just heartbreaking. 9 days is a long time.

I don't think someone would would take that much effort to travel that far for a run without bringing decent running shoes. All descriptions consistently say she was wearing Vans.

 

[Vail]

Cameras everywhere. Here are a few you can watch live (and that are watched live by someone)

Golden Gate Bridge LIVE Streaming HD Bridge Cam
Golden Gate Bridge Live Webcams
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District | Golden Gate scroll down for the live traffic cam of the bridge itself

I really don't think she jumped off the bridge, and sharing those fears isn't helpful to her family who may be reading here. If it turns out there is evidence of her walking up there, then we can go there, but until then I really think uncovering any potential online dangers is the best we can do other than wait for good news. The little I've read of her comments, seen of her interview - she'd disappear with someone before she'd kill herself. She just isn't in her head enough to do something that dramatic. JMO. In one of her reddit comments, she is giving advice to another teen that is depressed and stuck on college, and she tells them to just be a kid, not worry about pressure, do what feels right and get off the forum and go live life - granted that was only weeks before she left NC for California. I truly think that is the conclusion she came to for herself and I don't blame her. 2020 is not the right time to start university.

 

[dotr]

Parents of former UC Berkeley student missing from San Francisco make plea to find her
Updated 3 hours ago rbbm.
''Syd, as she liked to be called, was last wearing dark leggings, a teal sweatshirt, slip-on Vans, and had her hair in a bun. She is 5'10", weighs 130 pounds, and has blue eyes and light brown hair. She may have been carrying a black backpack.

Sydney lives with friends in San Francisco. Her parents said she has a way with children and that her 10-year-old sister adores her. Her father described Sydney as artistic and athletic.''

''Anyone with information on her whereabouts can contact the San Francisco tip line: (415) 575-4444''

 

[ocsalumni]

I came across this thread last night and started looking for Sydney's TikTok account, figuring it had more info than her Instagram or VSCO. I found one thing that I don't think has been discussed yet, which is that she apparently had a really difficult time making a decision about where to go to college. On 'decision day' she posted saying that it was 5 pm and she still hadn't made a decision yet. She was between UMass and Berkeley for D1 rowing.

Here's the link:
The Anti TikTokker on TikTok

Her last post was of her dog on July 23rd, and the sound playing in the background is of her singing (based on the comments on some of her posts)

Also, because of how people were speculating about her mental health and whether or not she may have gone to the bridge to jump, I thought TikTok could reveal something. Gen Z is very open about that topic, and more often than not make self-deprecating jokes on platforms like TikTok (rather than somewhere like Instagram). I took a look at her Instagram following to see if she was following any mental health related accounts and she was not, which is also pretty common among Gen Z.

MOO

 

[technicallymissing]

I wonder why the police are not releasing details about Syd's bank activity/non-activity, or her phone records and pings? I have been looking and looking for details and am coming up with nothing.

They seem to be keeping really quiet about this.

I guess it is possible that, just 4-5 days in, they are still collecting and reviewing these kind of records?
They don't seem to know if she has contacted any friends in NC, so I am presuming they don't yet have her phone records.

.

I wonder why the police are not releasing details about Syd's bank activity/non-activity, or her phone records and pings? I have been looking and looking for details and am coming up with nothing.

They seem to be keeping really quiet about this.

I guess it is possible that, just 4-5 days in, they are still collecting and reviewing these kind of records?
They don't seem to know if she has contacted any friends in NC, so I am presuming they don't yet have her phone records.

.

If police were thinking she had left of her own accord would they possibly be less likely to release that info?

 

[Lilibet]

If police were thinking she had left of her own accord would they possibly be less likely to release that info?

Hi and welcome! Yes, I think they would be less likely to release that info about her bank and credit card activity if they think Syd left of her own accord. But they might change their minds about whether she is free to spend her money (i.e. abducted or dead) if there is no activity after a period of time. Usually, LE takes awhile to consider a lack of bank activity to be a significant factor in the disappearance, in my experience.

 

[dotr]

 

[ocsalumni]

EDIT: I'll leave this here, but y'all should probably disregard my original comment (not bolded). I just realized the profile was made in May of 2019. That would be some serious and deliberate planning, which I just don't see as feasible. At first I assumed that the account was brand new because it only had the one comment on it, but it was made over a year ago.

Am I the only one feeling really curious about someone named "TechnicallyMissing" commenting (new profile, only post) and asking if police would be less likely to release info if they thought she went missing on her own accord..? I'm sure it's a long shot that it could even be her, but still..

 

[Lilibet]

DBM

 

[10ofRods]

I wasn't able to find the NSFW post from July 2019. Any tips on how to find it? When I searched her Reddit, there is a gap in posts from May 2019 to Dec 31 2019. Was this more alarming post deleted after it was posted about on here, or was it found as a deleted post to begin with?

I really wish info would be released on how they know what she was wearing when she was last seen. Who saw her? If it was a surveillance video, why not release it? Or at the very least, why not say they have a confirmed sighting of her on video at X:YZam on Oct 4? Could it be that she was with someone else in a video and LE doesn't want that other person to know that they are aware of him/her? a POI?

Also I'd like to know who last spent time with her and what was her mood? How was she feeling since withdrawing from college? After taking a gap year so she could have a better chance of getting into an Ivy League school, posting frequently about her desire to get into Ivy league schools during that gap year, getting rejected from the Ivy league schools a 2nd time, and ultimately withdrawing from a (likely) backup school, she must have been going through a LOT... and yet she chose to stay with her friends instead of going home? That's a red flag IMO. It suggests she felt more comfortable with her friends than her parents in a time of crisis. From aforementioned Reddit posts, it seems she felt her dad was disappointed in her college admissions "failures" so maybe she was too ashamed to come home. Maybe she really did just flee. I HOPE she just wanted to get away temporarily rather than permanently.

Edited to add: I noticed in the article accompanying the video with her parents' plea, it states "West was last seen or heard from early in the morning of September 30 in the Crissy Field area near the Golden Gate Bridge." This conflicts with the date of Oct 4 on the thread title -- error?

I think Oct 4 is the date that LE got the missing persons report, after the parents said they had last heard from her (or someone had) early morning Sept. 30

Adds 4 days to the timeline, I believe. I'm concerned that she was out there (in the mostly closed park) so early. And apparently alone. The park is known for its views of the bridge, it's about a mile to walk to the edge of the bridge.

She was likely not jogging in Van's. Was she staying near Crissy Field with a friend ? It's hard to believe she was gone from her dorm room for a while, but that no one has any idea where she was staying. She was very near the large wooded area of the Presidio, and if she had headed east, she would have gone through the Pacific Heights area/Marina area, towards Fisherman's Wharf. She surely would be on cameras if she made it to Pacific Heights/Wharf - but have SF police gone and gotten footage?

 

[LadyL]

Edited to add: I noticed in the article accompanying the video with her parents' plea, it states "West was last seen or heard from early in the morning of September 30 in the Crissy Field area near the Golden Gate Bridge." This conflicts with the date of Oct 4 on the thread title -- error?

I see some references to the date she went missing as being October 4, including the heading of this thread, but all other media and her parents' video state that she has not been seen since Sept. 30, which means she's been missing nine days, not five.

Am I missing something?

my mistake in creating the thread - I have messaged a mod to fix my error - thanks for pointing it out

 

[anneg]

my mistake in creating the thread - I have message a mod to fix my error - thanks for pointing it out

LadyL, forgive me for this nitpick suggestion--but if the thread title is changed, perhaps it could also be changed to read "Francisco"? Sorry, I'm a former editor! And thank you for starting this thread!

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Am I the only one feeling really curious about someone named "TechnicallyMissing" commenting (new profile, only post) and asking if police would be less likely to release info if they thought she went missing on her own accord..? I'm sure it's a long shot that it could even be her, but still..

I wondered that too. If it is, I hope she gets past the initial shock of seeing strangers analyze her life online, and realizes we're just people with too much free time on our hands, grasping at straws, and looking for a clue that could lead all this to a happy outcome.

 

[SouthAussie]

If police were thinking she had left of her own accord would they possibly be less likely to release that info?

My guess is that there is a 33/33/33 % chance of scenarios.

1. That Syd has disappeared because she dropped out of school and would prefer to not face up to that with those who care about her.

2. That foul play has befallen Syd.

3. That Syd became super depressed.

I think doing a full forensic examination of bank/phone/CCTV records is the primary way that the police will have any chance of determining which is the most likely scenario.
And unless/until they are doing that, important time is ticking away if it should be scenario #2.

If it is scenario #1, I hope that Syd gets word to her loved ones, even if she decides not to go home. She is an adult, and the world is her oyster. The police will not pursue it any further if she has chosen this path.

 

[LadyL]

LadyL, forgive me for this nitpick suggestion--but if the thread title is changed, perhaps it could also be changed to read "Francisco"? Sorry, I'm a former editor! And thank you for starting this thread!

can't believe I didn't notice that - have alerted a mod - thank you!

 

[Lilibet]

can't believe I didn't notice that - have alerted a mod - thank you!

LOL! I grew up in the San FranCisco Bay Area and didn’t notice it either. I think we read things the way we expect to see them...unless we’re an editor, of course.

 

[technicallymissing]

Hey guys! I’m a longtime lurker of the site (I think I created an account during the Mackenzie Lueck case last year? But not certain). My username is a reference to the book/movie “Gone Girl”. I am not Sydney West. I do however live in the Bay Area, just about twenty minutes from where she lives and am only a couple years older than her (22) so I’ve been following her case with a lot of concern as I feel sort of connected to her in those ways! I’ve never posted until now because I generally convince myself I don’t have anything worth contributing, haha.


I’m deeply sorry if I alarmed anyone! It didn’t even cross my mind how my choice of username could be misconstrued in this case. I would hate to think I’ve distracted anyone while this poor girl is still out there somewhere.

Thank you very much for the welcomes.

 

[dotr]

Hey guys! I’m a longtime lurker of the site (I think I created an account during the Mackenzie Lueck case last year? But not certain). My username is a reference to the book/movie “Gone Girl”. I am not Sydney West. I do however live in the Bay Area, just about twenty minutes from where she lives and am only a couple years older than her (22) so I’ve been following her case with a lot of concern as I feel sort of connected to her in those ways! I’ve never posted until now because I generally convince myself I don’t have anything worth contributing, haha.


I’m deeply sorry if I alarmed anyone! It didn’t even cross my mind how my choice of username could be misconstrued in this case. I would hate to think I’ve distracted anyone while this poor girl is still out there somewhere.

Thank you very much for the welcomes.

Welcome to Ws technicallymissing, everybody has something worth contributing, hope you keep posting here!

 

[Lilibet]

Hey guys! I’m a longtime lurker of the site (I think I created an account during the Mackenzie Lueck case last year? But not certain). My username is a reference to the book/movie “Gone Girl”. I am not Sydney West. I do however live in the Bay Area, just about twenty minutes from where she lives and am only a couple years older than her (22) so I’ve been following her case with a lot of concern as I feel sort of connected to her in those ways! I’ve never posted until now because I generally convince myself I don’t have anything worth contributing, haha.


I’m deeply sorry if I alarmed anyone! It didn’t even cross my mind how my choice of username could be misconstrued in this case. I would hate to think I’ve distracted anyone while this poor girl is still out there somewhere.

Thank you very much for the welcomes.

We’re really glad you stopped lurking @technicallymissing. It probably shows our wishful thinking that the hope you are Syd crossed a mind or two. So please keep posting. You definitely have a perspective worth hearing, especially for us oldies.

 

[10ofRods]

Hey guys! I’m a longtime lurker of the site (I think I created an account during the Mackenzie Lueck case last year? But not certain). My username is a reference to the book/movie “Gone Girl”. I am not Sydney West. I do however live in the Bay Area, just about twenty minutes from where she lives and am only a couple years older than her (22) so I’ve been following her case with a lot of concern as I feel sort of connected to her in those ways! I’ve never posted until now because I generally convince myself I don’t have anything worth contributing, haha.


I’m deeply sorry if I alarmed anyone! It didn’t even cross my mind how my choice of username could be misconstrued in this case. I would hate to think I’ve distracted anyone while this poor girl is still out there somewhere.

Thank you very much for the welcomes.

WELCOME! I used to live in the Bay Area too - when I was your age, and this case is concerning - we want it solved. These days, there's not a lot of coverage on such cases in SF but maybe we can pull the SF Chronicle/SFGate into some media coverage.

If she was living with friends, I'd love to hear a little bit about what they know. Did she go to Crissy Field regularly and at that hour? (I bet she did - but it would be so great if they confirm). Was it for a brisk walk?

Etc. Surely they must be the last ones to have seen her?