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

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PommyMommy said:
Very helpful. Thanks to both you and @aegarner1.
From the link
Sunday, Feb. 3
10:45 a.m.
Serenity June Dennard, 9, runs out of gym at Black Hills Children's Home. Two staffers and four children were in the gym. One child "created a disturbance" and occupied one of the staffers. When Serenity ran off, the other staffer was occupied with the two other children.
11:00 a.m.
Serenity is last seen by the cattle guard on the driveway by "an individual dropping off another child" at the home.
12:26 p.m.
911 call placed to Pennington County dispatch.
12:46 p.m.
First deputy arrives on scene.
1:16 p.m.
Several deputies on scene. Lt. Sheriff Kraig Wood calls authorizes mobilization of Pennington County Search and Rescue teams that builds through the afternoon into a 35 person search effort.
(cont at the link)
Click to expand...
Spaces between times deleted by me.

From the above timeframe, it appears that it was almost two (2) hours from Serenity running out of the gym until the group gathered to begin the search.

In the frigid temperature, with no coat, gloves, or hat on, IMO, I don’t think she was still alive when the search began. How did everyone miss this little one? What way did she go?

She had a two hour head start on the searchers. However, the conditions were terrible. Was this a planned run away with someone waiting to pick her up down the road?

I am suspicious of the other child “creating a disturbance” requiring one of the two staff members to give attention to them and Serenity runs out. At the same time, the article says another parent is dropping a child off. Did Serenity climb into this vehicle unknown to the driver?

These little coincidences seem odd, however, a 9 year old child has disappeared in frigid weather out in the boon docks. Where are you Serenity?
 
Hmm I hope they are looking at everyone who works there in any capacity(cooks, cleaning and maintenance people, any and all staff members) as well as anyone who came there on a regular basis like vendors. Thinking maybe a predator talked her into running away and promised to be waiting outside for her.
 
1&2&3 said:
Spaces between times deleted by me.

From the above timeframe, it appears that it was almost two (2) hours from Serenity running out of the gym until the group gathered to begin the search.

In the frigid temperature, with no coat, gloves, or hat on, IMO, I don’t think she was still alive when the search began. How did everyone miss this little one? What way did she go?

She had a two hour head start on the searchers. However, the conditions were terrible. Was this a planned run away with someone waiting to pick her up down the road?

I am suspicious of the other child “creating a disturbance” requiring one of the two staff members to give attention to them and Serenity runs out. At the same time, the article says another parent is dropping a child off. Did Serenity climb into this vehicle unknown to the driver?

These little coincidences seem odd, however, a 9 year old child has disappeared in frigid weather out in the boon docks. Where are you Serenity?
Click to expand...
If the historical data I saw was correct, it was around 41F when she took off, but dropped all the way to zero that night. Especially if she was running, she could have been fairly warm the first couple hours, but if she didn’t get indoors somewhere by the time the temp tanked, she was in trouble. Unfortunately I think if she’d made it inside, someone would have found her by now.
 
I don't understand the delay in calling 911. Had Serenity done this before but was found on the property? Why would they wait that long to call? I don't understand. (I've been 100% supportive of the staff, but the gap in time isn't okay.)
 
MsFacetious said:
I don't understand the delay in calling 911. Had Serenity done this before but was found on the property? Why would they wait that long to call? I don't understand. (I've been 100% supportive of the staff, but the gap in time isn't okay.)
Click to expand...
Good question. The only thing I can think of is that the staff all went out and searched for her thoroughly- the other homes there, outside buildings/barns, dining room, etc. It can take a bit of time, especially if you have a runner- but we don't know if Serenity was normally a runner or if this was her first time. We don't even know how long she has been there, if she was familiar with the grounds. Also, children can be funny- they can hide in spots that an adult would miss easily, then wait for the workers to leave that area, before moving to another area- like a hide and seek game.

I am wondering if she has done this before, hence why she's in a low ratio group- 2 adults workers, 4 children. Ratios depend, as you know, upon the child's needs. Still, it does seem a bit of a long time to for the 911 call. I wonder if that town even has their own police station- some countrified areas share one with another town because they don't have one. That can delay in getting the police out to the home when calling 911.
 
1&2&3 said:
Spaces between times deleted by me.

From the above timeframe, it appears that it was almost two (2) hours from Serenity running out of the gym until the group gathered to begin the search.

In the frigid temperature, with no coat, gloves, or hat on, IMO, I don’t think she was still alive when the search began. How did everyone miss this little one? What way did she go?

She had a two hour head start on the searchers. However, the conditions were terrible. Was this a planned run away with someone waiting to pick her up down the road?

I am suspicious of the other child “creating a disturbance” requiring one of the two staff members to give attention to them and Serenity runs out. At the same time, the article says another parent is dropping a child off. Did Serenity climb into this vehicle unknown to the driver?

These little coincidences seem odd, however, a 9 year old child has disappeared in frigid weather out in the boon docks. Where are you Serenity?
Click to expand...
Is there a chance that she was in sight of a worker or two and they tried to coax her back, but she took off running again? LE might not mention this right now, but if she was seen by someone dropping off another child, they might have had to treat Serenity with care- meaning, not run after her, or she would bolt. If she was seen 15 minutes after she ran away from the gym, I can't imagine that someone else didn't see her in that area, as there's always someone around the property during the day doing something- from maintenance workers, staff going in and out of dining room areas back to the home, the school, etc. So we know she was still seen on the property 15 minutes later after running out of the gym.
 
Forpsy said:
I'm curious about what the traffic patterns were along that road?
Click to expand...
I would love to know this, too. The one I trained at was up a mountain road, only two houses on one of the roads (it was a long ride up that mountain- about 2 miles) and on the other, no homes, just straight up. So traffic was just only staff and family visiting or delivery trucks for food and supplies

Seeing that the couple was cutting wood, I would imagine that there is at least light traffic in that area.

I need to read up more on this place- I want to see the complete layout. Of course, not all homes are the same- for instance, ours had a mini zoo, a vegetable garden to which clients helped with along with flower gardens that they also helped plant and take care of, occupational and physical therapy building, dining hall for those clients that were able to go if their behaviors were suitable for a dining room setting, a medical facility, a barn with horses and of course, several homes.
 
This article has some info. about the facility.

Children's home focused on supporting children and staff | Local | rapidcityjournal.com

Four days after 9-year-old Serenity Dennard ran away from a residential youth facility in rural Pennington County, the facility is focused on supporting its grieving staff and youth.

"We continue to give our staff and the children we serve total support," Bill Colson, executive director of the Children's Home Society, said Wednesday.

Snip

"I'm very proud of our staff and I don't think anybody was negligent. They did what they needed to do," Colson said.

"Flight risk is a common concern but is a rare occurrence," he said.

Snip

A staff member can supervise up to six children at a time, but the Children's Home tries to have a lower ratio, Colson said. When Dennard ran away, it was a lower ratio of one staffer per two children.

SNIP

"Once this crisis has passed, we will review our practices to be certain they are what they need to be, and that is our typical approach," Colson said.
 
Praying for a good outcome for Serenity.

9 years old is so young and so vulnerable.

I'm wondering how "planned" this was - with the "disturbance" distracting the adults? I don't know. I can only hope that this young girl is alive and safe somewhere.
 
So how far away is the cattle guard from the children's home? She was spotted there 15 minutes after her escape. If she was blindly fleeing maybe she would have been way past the guard if it was close? Kind of sounds like she was waiting there for someone. Do they have security cameras in the driveway?? I hope they are able to talk to the other children. I think they might be the best bet to find out if she had plans to escape and where she would go or do. If not planned, maybe she fantasized about hitching a ride back home or something like that. Even just a casual comment to a friend could be helpful.

I also do hope they are able to question the SO that would have to drive right by the home if he ever goes into Rockerville or Rapid City. Is it legal to question someone for no reason other than being on the registry?
 
flashy09 said:
So how far away is the cattle guard from the children's home? She was spotted there 15 minutes after her escape. If she was blindly fleeing maybe she would have been way past the guard if it was close? Kind of sounds like she was waiting there for someone. Do they have security cameras in the driveway?? I hope they are able to talk to the other children. I think they might be the best bet to find out if she had plans to escape and where she would go or do. If not planned, maybe she fantasized about hitching a ride back home or something like that. Even just a casual comment to a friend could be helpful.

I also do hope they are able to question the SO that would have to drive right by the home if he ever goes into Rockerville or Rapid City. Is it legal to question someone for no reason other than being on the registry?
Click to expand...
I looked at Google Maps yesterday and the only cattle guard I saw was the one at the end of the driveway. I don't know the grounds, but it looks fairly large, but I would think a 9 year old could get to the cattle guard from any of the buildings in 5 minutes.
By one report, she apparently turned north on the road, which leads to Rockerville, which I think is roughly 6 miles away? But there is another road that comes out onto South Rockerville road just north of the Home. I wouldn't think she would go that way, as it is a small road, but who knows?
I wish we knew where the couple that was getting wood actually spotter her. But I'm sure LE knows that.
There was snow on the ground, so in the first few hours her footprints may have been visible if she left the road. But after that, with the additional snow and wind, that would no longer be the case. But just looking at the terrain, it's hard to see why she would have left the road. Not much there but trees and hills, at least for the first stretch, before finally getting to a few houses. (Of course, something like a bunny could have distracted her and caused her to leave the road, but I find that less likely at 9 years old than I would for a younger child.)
 
Last edited:
Hope this is okay to post (David Marshburn):

Search For Me Foundation‏ @SearchForMeFou1
Serenity June Dennard, age 9, last seen 11 a.m., Sunday, February 3, 2019, leaving the Children’s Home Society walking northbound on South Rockerville Road, near #Rockerville, #SouthDakota, approx. 16 miles southwest of #RapidCity, #SD. She is from #Sturgis #searchforme

Dy0EVyqW0AMeA1v.jpg


Search For Me Foundation on Twitter
 
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