ACTIVE SEARCH SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019

[zencompass]

It doesn’t take long to succumb to hypothermia in temperatures below freezing. Two Kentucky brothers died of hypothermia last week when their truck got stuck in the mud only 1/2 mile from their house. They attempted to walk to their home. One brother was found dead in the driveway 1/3 mile from the home. The other brother made it all the way to the front porch where he died.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cincinnati.com/amp/2768280002

How deeply saddening. It is shocking just how little time it takes for hypothermia to set in. Such a short period of time and only 1/2 mile.

 

[Trudie]

How deeply saddening. It is shocking just how little time it takes for hypothermia to set in. Such a short period of time and only 1/2 mile.

Awful! I think the elements Serenity faced to be worse.
I’m only a few miles from the KY case. Awful to think the brothers couldn’t make it such a short distance.
IMO, Serenity couldn’t either.

 

[PommyMommy]

That's why I wanted to know where the people getting wood actually saw her. I've only read "last seen heading north on S Rockerville Rd." It didn't saw WHERE on S Rockerville Rd., although it had to have been within sight at that point, which likely makes it still south of that intersection.

Me too! The closest I can get is "near the children's home." (sigh) And, I know that road/path to the left was most likely not cleared of snow, but the snow was still falling and the wind was blowing that evening. Had they searched that path yet before possible footprints were covered up?
MOO

 

[darring21]

I think on the day that she went missing, it was around 46 degrees, so she may have been warm enough to travel further away than a mile, until it got dark or cold. Does anyone know how long this road is, in terms of miles, before you hit any traffic?

On February 3 at noon, it was 13 degrees in Rapid City with a 12 mph wind. By 6:00pm it was 5 degrees with 20 mph wind.

 

[Trudie]

On February 3 at noon, it was 13 degrees in Rapid City with a 12 mph wind. By 6:00pm it was 5 degrees with 20 mph wind.

She would not last long in such weather, imo.
Recently, we had an advisory to cover eyes to prevent freezing & to breathe as little as possible if outside. Deadly weather. Moo

Here’s a chart about hypothermia

CHART: Here's How Long You Can Stay Outside In Extreme Cold Temperatures Before Getting Frostbite

IMO, after a few hours S would be crying and lying down, after tripping or stumbling. Frostbite & hypothermia would have quickly taken her, sadly. Jmo
(Unless she’s inside somewhere)

 

[SkipperKey3]

I thought that they said that the day she ran, the temps were just above freezing, and only dipped down that evening?

 

[SkipperKey3]

Serenity Dennard: Children’s home staff WAITED to call cops after 9-year-old ran into woods

Staff at a South Dakota children’s home where a missing 9-year-girl vanished from late last week allegedly waited to call 911 after she ran away.

According to the Rapid City Journal, the Children’s Home Society waited for more than an hour-and-a-half after Serenity Dennard vanished before calling police. The facility’s executive director has since stepped back on prior comments that staff immediately contacted law enforcement after Dennard ran out of the gym and into some nearby woods.

“We have been reviewing the events of Sunday and have confirmed that the 911 call was placed at 12:26,” Bill Colson, executive director of the Children’s Home Society, wrote in an email to the news outlet on Thursday, revising his earlier statement that staff called 911 “right away.”

“When Serenity left staff sight on Sunday, we immediately conducted a thorough search of our grounds and buildings. When we were unable to find Serenity we called law enforcement,” Colson wrote in the email.

KELO reported that Dennard left the home at 10:45 a.m. and was last seen in the vicinity at around 11:20 a.m. Investigators have since determined that the 9-year-old was last spotted near the cattle guard in front of the home and that she was heading north on South Rockerville Road, according to the Rapid City Journal.

 

[Trudie]

I thought that they said that the day she ran, the temps were just above freezing, and only dipped down that evening?

Still, with exposed skin, probably crying & frightened, she didn’t stand a chance. Jmo
Unless there’s more to the story.

 

[SkipperKey3]

Don't let Google Maps navigation fool you. It looks like it was taken in warm weather, and a mile hike (actually a mile and a quarter, or perhaps a little more, if I am using the tool correctly) to the nearest house wouldn't have been too difficult in that weather.
But PommyMommy posted a video from later that day (post #37) on that road - I will see if I can attach it here. It shows the conditions, and it would be pretty slow going.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1152532674914827

Remember, though, that it wasn't quite as cold when she headed out, so I don't know how much snow would have actually been on the road.

Replying to my own post to give proper credit. CyberVampira first posted that link in post #2.

 

[YaYa_521]

Ok, something is weird here. All this back and forth over when she went missing, when the 911 call was made, when woodcutters saw her, when, when, when. To me this is starting to stink just a little too close to this "home" where Serenity was living. This story should not be so confuddled at the very beginning since according to the "supervisors/caretakers supervising the group of FOUR kids (I think that's correct..but pls correct me if not) they or one caregiver "watched Serenity run away" but couldn't chase her because she/he could not leave the other two children (another caregiver had run after the fourth child...I think).

Does this place have security protocols in place that allow for instantaneous action to take place or were these caregivers in a situation in which neither could get to Serenity or to someone else who could? I mean aren't there little alarms or bells or phones or any way to contact someone who would immediately be available to leave his/her post to handle emergencies involving the children or anyone else on their property for that matter?

I'm not one to usually be this suspicious about people doing their jobs the best they can but if I were in charge of this investigation, we'd be turning that place inside out and upside down to find the truth. Something doesn't jive here. I try to give teachers/adults supervising children the benefit of the doubt in these situations but history proves that not every person who is responsible for caring for children, the elderly and any other people dependent on their care has the best, most honest intentions or the wherewithal to overcome their extreme anger, fear, or panic that can come during stressful situations. I'm beginning to think that somethjng happened to Serenity on that home's campus and someone or some people are trying to cover their behinds. I'm not saying it was necessarily a nefarious act. We've seen very good people panic and do some really weird things when they are partially or completely responsible for another person's tragedy. I hope the investigators are allocating resources to checking the Society's property, employees, visitors, residents, delivery persons, neighbors, etc.

MOO of course.

Now having said all of that I have a question about a topic that I may have overlooked so forgive the redundancy if it has been discussed.

Could a large enough body of water (natural or manmade) been partially frozen, Serenity falls in, then it freezes solidly once the temps dropped and the snow thickened? Ice is very heavy and will hold a child's body down if the mass of ice/snow weighs enough. Cans, barrells, buckets, holes of any sort, swimming pools, dumpsters, abandoned truck beds, farming equipment, etc., basically anything in which water can accumulate and freeze should be checked carefully. Keep in mind that thick ice will not be as clear as water would be. I'd suggest taking a careful look at any large enough ice masses besides just ditches and ponds.

 

[mrbeansmom]

Ok, something is weird here. All this back and forth over when she went missing, when the 911 call was made, when woodcutters saw her, when, when, when. To me this is starting to stink just a little too close to this "home" where Serenity was living. This story should not be so confuddled at the very beginning since according to the "supervisors/caretakers supervising the group of FOUR kids (I think that's correct..but pls correct me if not) they or one caregiver "watched Serenity run away" but couldn't chase her because she/he could not leave the other two children (another caregiver had run after the fourth child...I think).

Does this place have security protocols in place that allow for instantaneous action to take place or were these caregivers in a situation in which neither could get to Serenity or to someone else who could? I mean aren't there little alarms or bells or phones or any way to contact someone who would immediately be available to leave his/her post to handle emergencies involving the children or anyone else on their property for that matter?

I'm not one to usually be this suspicious about people doing their jobs the best they can but if I were in charge of this investigation, we'd be turning that place inside out and upside down to find the truth. Something doesn't jive here. I try to give teachers/adults supervising children the benefit of the doubt in these situations but history proves that not every person who is responsible for caring for children, the elderly and any other people dependent on their care has the best, most honest intentions or the wherewithal to overcome their extreme anger, fear, or panic that can come during stressful situations. I'm beginning to think that somethjng happened to Serenity on that home's campus and someone or some people are trying to cover their behinds. I'm not saying it was necessarily a nefarious act. We've seen very good people panic and do some really weird things when they are partially or completely responsible for another person's tragedy. I hope the investigators are allocating resources to checking the Society's property, employees, visitors, residents, delivery persons, neighbors, etc.

MOO of course.

Now having said all of that I have a question about a topic that I may have overlooked so forgive the redundancy if it has been discussed.

Could a large enough body of water (natural or manmade) been partially frozen, Serenity falls in, then it freezes solidly once the temps dropped and the snow thickened? Ice is very heavy and will hold a child's body down if the mass of ice/snow weighs enough. Cans, barrells, buckets, holes of any sort, swimming pools, dumpsters, abandoned truck beds, farming equipment, etc., basically anything in which water can accumulate and freeze should be checked carefully. Keep in mind that thick ice will not be as clear as water would be. I'd suggest taking a careful look at any large enough ice masses besides just ditches and ponds.

These have been my very thoughts as well. My daughter is in one of these facilities right now. She is adopted and has reactive attachment disorder. She's been in and out of residential treatment facilities since she was 8 years old. Some have been more attentive than others. Four or five kids recently ran away from one of the facilities she was in in the past. They "weren't allowed" to chase them. They disappeared into the canyon behind the facility and were found far, far away. They literally swan across a river alone.

Five kids flee treatment center; witnesses help police find them all

I, too, worry that the staff at this place knows more than they're sharing.

 

[Trudie]

I hope LE checks phone records for the teachers/supervisors in charge of SD the day she fled.
Just to be certain nothing nefarious was going on.
Jmo

 

[zencompass]

Ok, something is weird here. All this back and forth over when she went missing, when the 911 call was made, when woodcutters saw her, when, when, when. To me this is starting to stink just a little too close to this "home" where Serenity was living. This story should not be so confuddled at the very beginning since according to the "supervisors/caretakers supervising the group of FOUR kids (I think that's correct..but pls correct me if not) they or one caregiver "watched Serenity run away" but couldn't chase her because she/he could not leave the other two children (another caregiver had run after the fourth child...I think).

Does this place have security protocols in place that allow for instantaneous action to take place or were these caregivers in a situation in which neither could get to Serenity or to someone else who could? I mean aren't there little alarms or bells or phones or any way to contact someone who would immediately be available to leave his/her post to handle emergencies involving the children or anyone else on their property for that matter?

I'm not one to usually be this suspicious about people doing their jobs the best they can but if I were in charge of this investigation, we'd be turning that place inside out and upside down to find the truth. Something doesn't jive here. I try to give teachers/adults supervising children the benefit of the doubt in these situations but history proves that not every person who is responsible for caring for children, the elderly and any other people dependent on their care has the best, most honest intentions or the wherewithal to overcome their extreme anger, fear, or panic that can come during stressful situations. I'm beginning to think that somethjng happened to Serenity on that home's campus and someone or some people are trying to cover their behinds. I'm not saying it was necessarily a nefarious act. We've seen very good people panic and do some really weird things when they are partially or completely responsible for another person's tragedy. I hope the investigators are allocating resources to checking the Society's property, employees, visitors, residents, delivery persons, neighbors, etc.

MOO of course.

Now having said all of that I have a question about a topic that I may have overlooked so forgive the redundancy if it has been discussed.

Could a large enough body of water (natural or manmade) been partially frozen, Serenity falls in, then it freezes solidly once the temps dropped and the snow thickened? Ice is very heavy and will hold a child's body down if the mass of ice/snow weighs enough. Cans, barrells, buckets, holes of any sort, swimming pools, dumpsters, abandoned truck beds, farming equipment, etc., basically anything in which water can accumulate and freeze should be checked carefully. Keep in mind that thick ice will not be as clear as water would be. I'd suggest taking a careful look at any large enough ice masses besides just ditches and ponds.

Dear @YaYa_521 ,

Thank you for this post.

The thought that went into your post is not only commendable but deeply compassionate towards finding Serenity.

I hope and pray that the police check every single nook and cranny in each building and around it.

What if Serenity hid somewhere in or around the buildings and got trapped? Every single possibility needs to be considered when a child is missing.

 

[zencompass]

God speed to these searchers this weekend.

Hoping and praying for answers as to where this little girl is. I still have hope that she is alive somewhere. I know that goes against all of the odds here but there's still a bit of hope stuck on me and I can't shake it off.

 

[Monkey boy]

Ok, something is weird here. All this back and forth over when she went missing, when the 911 call was made, when woodcutters saw her, when, when, when. To me this is starting to stink just a little too close to this "home" where Serenity was living. This story should not be so confuddled at the very beginning since according to the "supervisors/caretakers supervising the group of FOUR kids (I think that's correct..but pls correct me if not) they or one caregiver "watched Serenity run away" but couldn't chase her because she/he could not leave the other two children (another caregiver had run after the fourth child...I think).

Does this place have security protocols in place that allow for instantaneous action to take place or were these caregivers in a situation in which neither could get to Serenity or to someone else who could? I mean aren't there little alarms or bells or phones or any way to contact someone who would immediately be available to leave his/her post to handle emergencies involving the children or anyone else on their property for that matter?

I'm not one to usually be this suspicious about people doing their jobs the best they can but if I were in charge of this investigation, we'd be turning that place inside out and upside down to find the truth. Something doesn't jive here. I try to give teachers/adults supervising children the benefit of the doubt in these situations but history proves that not every person who is responsible for caring for children, the elderly and any other people dependent on their care has the best, most honest intentions or the wherewithal to overcome their extreme anger, fear, or panic that can come during stressful situations. I'm beginning to think that somethjng happened to Serenity on that home's campus and someone or some people are trying to cover their behinds. I'm not saying it was necessarily a nefarious act. We've seen very good people panic and do some really weird things when they are partially or completely responsible for another person's tragedy. I hope the investigators are allocating resources to checking the Society's property, employees, visitors, residents, delivery persons, neighbors, etc.

MOO of course.

Now having said all of that I have a question about a topic that I may have overlooked so forgive the redundancy if it has been discussed.

Could a large enough body of water (natural or manmade) been partially frozen, Serenity falls in, then it freezes solidly once the temps dropped and the snow thickened? Ice is very heavy and will hold a child's body down if the mass of ice/snow weighs enough. Cans, barrells, buckets, holes of any sort, swimming pools, dumpsters, abandoned truck beds, farming equipment, etc., basically anything in which water can accumulate and freeze should be checked carefully. Keep in mind that thick ice will not be as clear as water would be. I'd suggest taking a careful look at any large enough ice masses besides just ditches and ponds.

The staff did not watch serenity run away she ran out of the gym door into a hallway in the building. Staff called for help immediately. Some of these kids are known to run and hide in the building. I'm thinking they don't call 911 every time a child runs and hides. I have worked in many childcare settings and kids like to play hide and seek games...it seems that the staff looked for her in the building not knowing she had left the building and went outside. The parent or individual that saw her outside should have known it wasn't normal for a child to be outside by herself. This is such a heartbreaking situation

 

[Trudie]

God speed to these searchers this weekend.

Hoping and praying for answers as to where this little girl is. I still have hope that she is alive somewhere. I know that goes against all of the odds here but there's still a bit of hope stuck on me and I can't shake it off.

If she’s in the elements, she could not survive. Hopefully, she was picked up per some prearranged agreement, for some reason. If so, wth happened next?

 

[cybervampira]

Pennington County Sheriff's Office

Expanded weekend search for missing child

Pennington County, SD – The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is gathering resources from around the region to look for Serenity Dennard, last seen Sunday, February 3, 2019, near the Black Hills Children’s Home in Rockerville. Over the weekend, seven specialized scent and cadaver dogs and their K-9 handlers from South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming and Colorado will be looking for the missing nine year old.

The dog teams will set up in the Black Hills Children’s Home parking lot at 7 am Saturday and Sunday and hope to be searching the area from 7:30 am until 5 pm each day. Given the snow and cold, the dogs will be shuttled back and forth from the parking lot all day to stay warm and rested.

Rushmore Helicopters owned by Mike Jacobs will by flying with two spotters from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. They will expand the search from the air. The helicopter will start the search at 9 am Saturday and Sunday from a field turned into a landing pad at the Black Hills Children’s home. They hope to fly roughly five hours each day depending on the weather and cloud cover.

About 35-40 people will be involved with the weekend searches on the ground including the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Pennington County Search and Rescue, North Haines Volunteer Fire Department, Box Elder Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Game Fish and Parks and US Forest Service law enforcement. Incident commander Lieutenant Kraig Wood or Chief Deputy Willie Whelchel will be available for the media on Saturday at 10 am and Sunday at 2 pm.

Serenity Dennard is described as a Caucasian female, 4 foot 9 inches, 90-100 pounds, with blue eyes and shoulder length dark blonde hair. She was last seen Sunday at 11 am on South Rockerville Road wearing only a long sleeved grey shirt with flowers, blue jeans and snow boots. She had no coat at the time she left the Black Hills Children’s Home.

Finding Serenity remains a top priority of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. We have an active investigation with investigators from the Sheriff’s Office and detectives from the Police Department dedicated to following up on all leads. If anyone has seen or had contact with Serenity, do not communicate that information via social media. Please contact the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at (605) 394-6115.

 

[Rachel1]

I honestly think that by now, if she had prearranged someone to pick her up, that they'd have figured this out.
I know some little kids can be smart but it's been days now. I think the police would've been able to put together the pieces if she had arranged for an adult to pick her up . There would've likely been a trail left behind ( not an actual trail .I mean evidence that she had been in contact with someone) or they would've likely interviewed other kids at the home to see if Serenity told them about going to meet up with someone .
We have only heard about searches, which indicates to me that police believe she didn't make it very far and that they believe that there's a good chance of her remains being outdoors still .
This is only my opinion and I have no fact to prove my theory. I just think police would've figured it out by now if she prearranged a pickup outta there.

My heart goes out to the family. I'm sure they were only trying to do what they thought was best for serenity by placing her there. I feel for them. Fwiw I don't know anything about them and haven't sleuthed them at all but I'm sure they are devastated. Sending prayers their way .

 

[Trudie]

I honestly think that by now, if she had prearranged someone to pick her up, that they'd have figured this out.
I know some little kids can be smart but it's been days now. I think the police would've been able to put together the pieces if she had arranged for an adult to pick her up . There would've likely been a trail left behind ( not an actual trail .I mean evidence that she had been in contact with someone) or they would've likely interviewed other kids at the home to see if Serenity told them about going to meet up with someone .
We have only heard about searches, which indicates to me that police believe she didn't make it very far and that they believe that there's a good chance of her remains being outdoors still .
This is only my opinion and I have no fact to prove my theory. I just think police would've figured it out by now if she prearranged a pickup outta there.

My heart goes out to the family. I'm sure they were only trying to do what they thought was best for serenity by placing her there. I feel for them. Fwiw I don't know anything about them and haven't sleuthed them at all but I'm sure they are devastated. Sending prayers their way .

Ita. I was being optimistic.
I also don’t believe she could have kept a secret, so any prearranged plan would need to involve an adult & I dont believe that happened, nor am I implying or suggesting, to be clear. Moo

 

[Rhenish]

Ok, something is weird here. All this back and forth over when she went missing, when the 911 call was made, when woodcutters saw her, when, when, when. To me this is starting to stink just a little too close to this "home" where Serenity was living. This story should not be so confuddled at the very beginning since according to the "supervisors/caretakers supervising the group of FOUR kids (I think that's correct..but pls correct me if not) they or one caregiver "watched Serenity run away" but couldn't chase her because she/he could not leave the other two children (another caregiver had run after the fourth child...I think).

Does this place have security protocols in place that allow for instantaneous action to take place or were these caregivers in a situation in which neither could get to Serenity or to someone else who could? I mean aren't there little alarms or bells or phones or any way to contact someone who would immediately be available to leave his/her post to handle emergencies involving the children or anyone else on their property for that matter?

I'm not one to usually be this suspicious about people doing their jobs the best they can but if I were in charge of this investigation, we'd be turning that place inside out and upside down to find the truth. Something doesn't jive here. I try to give teachers/adults supervising children the benefit of the doubt in these situations but history proves that not every person who is responsible for caring for children, the elderly and any other people dependent on their care has the best, most honest intentions or the wherewithal to overcome their extreme anger, fear, or panic that can come during stressful situations. I'm beginning to think that somethjng happened to Serenity on that home's campus and someone or some people are trying to cover their behinds. I'm not saying it was necessarily a nefarious act. We've seen very good people panic and do some really weird things when they are partially or completely responsible for another person's tragedy. I hope the investigators are allocating resources to checking the Society's property, employees, visitors, residents, delivery persons, neighbors, etc.

MOO of course.

Now having said all of that I have a question about a topic that I may have overlooked so forgive the redundancy if it has been discussed.

Could a large enough body of water (natural or manmade) been partially frozen, Serenity falls in, then it freezes solidly once the temps dropped and the snow thickened? Ice is very heavy and will hold a child's body down if the mass of ice/snow weighs enough. Cans, barrells, buckets, holes of any sort, swimming pools, dumpsters, abandoned truck beds, farming equipment, etc., basically anything in which water can accumulate and freeze should be checked carefully. Keep in mind that thick ice will not be as clear as water would be. I'd suggest taking a careful look at any large enough ice masses besides just ditches and ponds.

Have been following and trying to catch up on this thread and this missing girl's story. I too feel a bit suspicious about the circumstances surrounding her missing status. I sadly know from experience how challenging it can be for two adults supervising only 4 "disturbed-troubled-whatever their individual cases may be" children so I do not doubt that if Serenity saw an opportunity to flee she did so. But, I would think the gym doors would be locked so that a child could not "get out or take off" given the residents of this home are "troubled children."

ETA, has information regarding the gym doors being locked or unlocked been addressed? tia