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

[caido47]

Yes, I completely understood what you meant.
I very much understand that there is a strong indication of the reason why Syd was seen in the bridge area.

I really am not trying to push back on that line of thinking. But wouldn't it be good if that wasn't what happened? So I am trying to explore alternatives.

I am more than curious to know what the tips are that Syd's parents have received, as stated in their most recent video. And they are calling for more tips "no matter how small". Perhaps these tips have led Syd's parents to not be as resigned to her fate as they could be?

I think a really good indicator might be if there was any significant return of tuition money and, if so, who it went to. Syd or her parents. Because if it went to her parents, they likely knew that Syd withdrew. And if it went to Syd, where is it?

Also, if the tuition was in the form of a student loan, would Syd's parents have received a notification/verification that the loan was terminated, once Syd withdrew?

Regarding tips that Syd's parents are pushing for -- when they emphasize "tips no matter how small", I believe they mean anything from if a jogger, fellow bridge walker, biker, etc. may have seen Syd on the bridge to call in. This may provide a great amount of info i.e. was Syd walking towards the Marin side, did she have her head down/hood on, was she herself jogging, was she glaring out at the view facing Alcatraz, what specific part of the bridge may they have spotted her, etc.

Even though it seems small these tips could provide a lot of insight into Syd's last known presence/state of mind.

 

[amethystcrystal]

Not sure if this is relevant, but I noticed today on her Instagram that she's following 4 less people than last week? Unless they deleted their accounts or removed themselves.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Not sure if this is relevant, but I noticed today on her Instagram that she's following 4 less people than last week? Unless they deleted their accounts or removed themselves.

Excellent find.

 

[ElizabethAnne]

ITA regarding OCD having the potential for causing much anxiety...(as it STEMS FROM anxiety)...
that can lead to breakdowns...

Her web postings which vary from being on top of the world/high confidence then just a few weeks later in the depths of depression/exhausted remind me of a friend of mine who had rapid cycling bipolar disorder along with OCD. Rapid cycling BP is more common in women than in men and can sometimes have to do with thyroid imbalances. Very sad situation.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

1) Is it too early for someone to start a wiki page on “The Disappearance of Sydney West” and 2) would it help raise awareness and ensure that credible info (the tiny amount that there is) is in one place?

After the election tomorrow, Trump/Biden will be the main focus and I worry that Syd’s story will be forgotten.

My opinion is that it's too soon. She won't be forgotten. But her parents still have hope she'll come home. And just maybe she will, and she'll want this thread gone and not to be on Wiki...

 

[Spartygirl]

KTVU [URL='https://twitter.com/KTVU']@KTVU 7h[/URL]
It's been nearly a month since Sydney West went missing from San Francisco. Her parents released a new video.
[URL='https://t.co/o7rxbG13Qr?amp=1'][URL='https://t.co/o7rxbG13Qr?amp=1']Parents of San Francisco woman who went missing release new video
It will be one month this Friday since Sydney West went missing from San Francisco.
ktvu.com
Parents of San Francisco woman who went missing release new video[/URL][/URL]

[URL='https://t.co/o7rxbG13Qr?amp=1']
So sad.
Sydney is a beautiful young lady with her whole life ahead of her.
My heart goes out to her family and friends.
I hope they can find out what happened to her and/or find her soon.[/URL]

 

[elisimo]

abduction seems like a total non-starter. No reports of the police using dogs to track her (standard procedure), no volunteers asked to register and join search efforts, no BOLO for a car with #### license plate if she was taken from the bridge, no reward, and absolutely no language from parents or police to suggest abduction.

I hope they’re correct. Because if the first 48 hours after an abduction are the most critical to finding the victim alive, we are well past that.

Abduction does seem like the least likely of the three scenarios, but only because there seems to be no evidence to suggest it.

 

[SouthAussie]

I hope they’re correct. Because if the first 48 hours after an abduction are the most critical to finding the victim alive, we are well past that.

Abduction does seem like the least likely of the three scenarios, but only because there seems to be no evidence to suggest it.

I think we were well past the first 48 hours by the time Syd was reported missing, weren't we? IIRC it was several days after 30th September that Syd was reported missing. At least, the first alerts came out on 4th October.

For some reason, the friends that Syd lived with may not yet have been concerned. I wonder where people thought Syd was.

National Center For Missing and Endangered, Inc.

 

[owleye]

Why, then, would they go to the trouble of organizing vigils, creating pages on social media, and designing “Find Sydney West” t-shirts and face masks?

Because they are trying to reach Sydney directly, is my guess. Have you seen the t-shirts? When was the last time you saw a Missing Person's t-shirt that didn't feature the face of the missing person? Or a tip line, or email address? The t-shirt contains only a hashtag, in a professionally designed logo. They create videos because they won't do media interviews, which is why there is no media presence on this. It seems to me they are trying to reach Sydney directly because she left intentionally and they want her to come back. I can't imagine their pain, I hope they reach her and she comes home. But there is no evidence to suggest they want the public actively searching for her. At least that's how I am reading this situation.

 

[LadyL]

Yes, the push out policy leaves the college students with no place to go. If they go for help to the counseling center, then they can be put on the street with nowhere to go. The New York Times article is here Feeling Suicidal, Students Turned to Their College. They Were Told to Go Home. (Published 2018)

Here is a quote: "The Stanford lawsuit says that students who were placed on leave were effectively banished from the university and stripped of their privacy and autonomy. Their own doctors were second-guessed by the university’s, the suit says, and the students were required to immediately withdraw from all classes, programs and housing. To return to campus, they had to write personal statements “accepting blame” for their behavior."

that's disgusting
I hope this being reported on is an impetus for them to change their policies

 

[SouthAussie]

Because they are trying to reach Sydney directly, is my guess. Have you seen the t-shirts? When was the last time you saw a Missing Person's t-shirt that didn't feature the face of the missing person? Or a tip line, or email address? The t-shirt contains only a hashtag, in a professionally designed logo. They create videos because they won't do media interviews, which is why there is no media presence on this. It seems to me they are trying to reach Sydney directly because she left intentionally and they want her to come back. I can't imagine their pain, I hope they reach her and she comes home. But there is no evidence to suggest they want the public actively searching for her. At least that's how I am reading this situation.

Yes, I am reading it similarly. No answering reporters questions. No giving out of information. Just "give us or our private investigator or the police your tips. This is what Syd looks like. If you happen to be working alongside her, or socialising with her, or live next door to her, or sit near her on a bus, give us a call."

I can't imagine that they think people will remember crossing the bridge over a month ago and seeing someone in a teal sweatshirt. All we ever knew until very recently was Crissy Field.

They don't even appear to be seeking dashcam video from that time, from bridge commuters.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Yes, I am reading it similarly. No answering reporters questions. No giving out of information. Just "give us or our private investigator or the police your tips. This is what Syd looks like. If you happen to be working alongside her, or socialising with her, or live next door to her, or sit near her on a bus, give us a call."

I can't imagine that they think people will remember crossing the bridge over a month ago and seeing someone in a teal sweatshirt. All we ever knew until very recently was Crissy Field.

They don't even appear to be seeking dashcam video from that time, from bridge commuters.

Even with the news about the bridge sighting, I'm still cautiously optimistic that Syd is still out there. I'm maybe not quite as optimistic as I was before the bridge news, but I agree with both of you, there's something odd in the muted call for tips and limited interactions with media so far.

 

[10ofRods]

Yes, I am reading it similarly. No answering reporters questions. No giving out of information. Just "give us or our private investigator or the police your tips. This is what Syd looks like. If you happen to be working alongside her, or socialising with her, or live next door to her, or sit near her on a bus, give us a call."

I can't imagine that they think people will remember crossing the bridge over a month ago and seeing someone in a teal sweatshirt. All we ever knew until very recently was Crissy Field.

They don't even appear to be seeking dashcam video from that time, from bridge commuters.

I believe that's because they already have accepted that Syd is no more. They know what it means for a person in Syd's situation to be seen early in the morning on GG Bridge.

She was depressed, the family knows this. I agree that there's no way that random people (with or without dashcam) will remember Syd or check the video for Syd.

I hope we all become more aware of suicide prevention, in any case.

 

[SouthAussie]

I believe that's because they already have accepted that Syd is no more. They know what it means for a person in Syd's situation to be seen early in the morning on GG Bridge.

She was depressed, the family knows this. I agree that there's no way that random people (with or without dashcam) will remember Syd or check the video for Syd.

I hope we all become more aware of suicide prevention, in any case.

Yes, although there is a difference between suffering from depression and being depressed. If Syd was being treated for the illness, she may have been fairly equalised.

And there are too many unanswered questions for my liking.
Eg: They have received tips. What tips? And why do they want more tips?

Either way, I hope Syd shows up - one way or another - so this family can deal with this emotional journey.

A famous now-retired detective in my country, who dealt with high profile missing person cases, once said "The worst thing is not finding a body, the worst thing is never finding a body". (No closure, ever.)

 

[Lilibet]

I used to be able to count on one hand the number of cases I had followed on Websleuths that ended in suicide or suspected suicide. Now I’ve lost count. It saddens me deeply each time. They have come from both genders and many walks of life and ages from late teens to 50ish. Each one had gifts and talents and goals and people who loved them. From the outside they had everything to live for, but on the inside they apparently didn’t believe it. It’s impossible to know if each suicide could have been prevented, even though in most cases family was aware of the victim’s depression. But mind-reading is impossible and it’s impossible to know from the outside how bad it really is and if there is a danger of suicide. Getting emergency treatment for a likely suicide is often very difficult. My heart goes out to Syd’s loved ones and the loved ones of all who have gone before and are yet to come.

 

[trackcaliforniasleuther]

I believe that's because they already have accepted that Syd is no more. They know what it means for a person in Syd's situation to be seen early in the morning on GG Bridge.

I could truly see it going 2 ways.

I think either they believe Syd is no longer with us, and from some evidence (possibly lack of cam footage of her leaving the bridge alive, a note, or something she said to a friend of family member), they are just holding out for physical evidence of her death or a lucky appearance.

I do think however that their lack of a request for public help suggests that she may have left San Francisco voluntarily, and the information that suggests this is very personal to the family (maybe in something she said to her Dad or a roommate, or her location leading up to the ping).

Do we know if the SF bridge location was concluded from a cell ping or possibly a text/call?

 

[ElizabethAnne]

I believe that's because they already have accepted that Syd is no more. They know what it means for a person in Syd's situation to be seen early in the morning on GG Bridge.

She was depressed, the family knows this. I agree that there's no way that random people (with or without dashcam) will remember Syd or check the video for Syd.

I hope we all become more aware of suicide prevention, in any case.

This is a long read but includes a lot of information on suicide prevention. The Best Way To Save People From Suicide

 

[NSamuelle]

Because they are trying to reach Sydney directly, is my guess. Have you seen the t-shirts? When was the last time you saw a Missing Person's t-shirt that didn't feature the face of the missing person? Or a tip line, or email address? The t-shirt contains only a hashtag, in a professionally designed logo. They create videos because they won't do media interviews, which is why there is no media presence on this. It seems to me they are trying to reach Sydney directly because she left intentionally and they want her to come back. I can't imagine their pain, I hope they reach her and she comes home. But there is no evidence to suggest they want the public actively searching for her. At least that's how I am reading this situation.

I completely agree.

 

[Lilibet]

This is a long read but includes a lot of information on suicide prevention. The Best Way To Save People From Suicide

That’s an amazing article. I think the connection of sending a message to a suffering person is profound. I’m no therapist, but I’ve done this twice myself with two friends whose husbands had walked out on them. Neither one was suicidal (to my knowledge, at least). Every morning for the first month or so I sent a short email just saying I was thinking of them and hoped they were doing as OK as possible and that they didn’t need to answer. Over time, as I could see they were feeling less raw, I backed off. And personally, I still treasure cards and notes sent to me during a rough time I went through over 20 years ago. Connection is so very important during any kind of crisis and I wonder if it would have helped Syd had anyone known what she was feeling.

 

[kelsie]

Her web postings which vary from being on top of the world/high confidence then just a few weeks later in the depths of depression/exhausted remind me of a friend of mine who had rapid cycling bipolar disorder along with OCD. Rapid cycling BP is more common in women than in men and can sometimes have to do with thyroid imbalances. Very sad situation.

I have rapid cycling manic depression and I think that's why I am so invested in Syd. I feel for her. She may not even be properly diagnosed yet. It so often gets misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety or even borderline personality.