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

[Forpsy]

1 hour, 45 minutes before a police call, roughly. A determined 9 yo could walk at least 3 miles in that if we figure in bad terrain, running could easily get 6-10 miles. I'm wondering if they are searching too close in.

Was a reason ever given why LE wan't summoned for 1 hour and 45 minutes?
I apologize for asking the question when it has already been answered. I think

 

[zencompass]

Not villianizing a family. Things happen. Things change. But a normal child in a normal family isn't in a residential treatment facility.

Dear Mickey2942,

I'm jumping into this conversation because I am so familiar with your compassion and care for children on this thread and others. You've shared your experience working at a facility similar to this.

When you use the word "normal" in your post, do you mean "normal or average circumstances" wherein a child is able to function within a family setting by attending out-patient or therapy sessions or whatever treatment they may require? I am thinking that you mean "normal" circumstances.

I understand what you are saying about the extremely high level of care a child would require to be referred to a residential treatment facility.

The placement of a child in a residential treatment facility is far from the average family counselling sessions with a child - about as far as you can get. It's very serious and the children require extensive therapy.

Sometimes a child's stay there is temporary and the child can return home, continuing out-patient treatments. Sometimes a child is not able to function within a family setting.

I had a look at the "admissions process" packet to be completed by whomever is referring a child there.

"The State Review Team will request documentation for review that may include the following child assessments and evaluations:
 Psychological evaluation
 Psychiatric evaluation
 Discharge summary and notes from psychiatric hospitalization
 Education records
 Counseling records and history
 Medical records
 Form 534/Child Profile (DSS referrals need to use this form for residential placements)"


https://chssd.org/pdfs/BHCHAdmissionsPacket.pdf

 

[zencompass]

I just feel sick hearing that Serenity has not been found yet.

9 years old is so young and vulnerable. This is heartwrenching.

 

[TwoDogNight]

I just feel sick hearing that Serenity has not been found yet.

9 years old is so young and vulnerable. This is heartwrenching.

I agree. I lived and worked in this area. A man I went to church with went missing in this general location. His car was found, but even with multiple searches, his remains were found by loggers...five years later. I pray this is not the case for Serenity, if indeed she succumbed to inclement weather. It is rough terrain.

 

[Steelslady]

I cannot for the life of me understand why this couple did not approach Serenity and ask if she was alright. Here we have a nine year old girl, on her own, in an isolated area, without a coat, on a freezing cold day - and they didn't think anything was suspicious about it? What did they think she was doing, going for a morning stroll?

Somehow this just doesn't sit right with me. Hoping and praying that Serenity is alive and well somewhere.

See, LE hasn't said anything about this couple, other than when talking to them, it helped the time line. Maybe the couple did try to talk to her, but she ran off- we don't know. The couple went to the Children's Home and asked a staff member if the child belonged there- so they must have found something not right with a child walking on her own. For whatever reason, the staff member didn't take the couple's names, phone numbers, license plate, etc down, so by the time they knew that LE wanted to talk to them, a couple of days had passed. This couple was obviously aware of this Children's Home, as they knew enough to go there and inquire if a child was missing.

I would like to know specifically where this couple was chopping and carrying wood- how far was it from the home, how close to the SO's home was it?

I wonder if the staff member who talked to them wasn't aware that Serenity was missing from the home, hence their lack of reaction- but who's child did they think was roaming the street that day?

Why wouldn't they send several workers out to that area to look for her, knowing she was missing? Even if this staff member didn't think a child was missing from the home, why didn't they alert a higher up, just in case? They obviously talked to this couple, because LE was begging for them to come forward, and they did a couple of days later- so that much is true. I know the place I trained at, if this happened, word got out fast that a child ran off- it was spread all over the rehab, and workers went out and searched right away and didn't stop until the child was found.

 

[Steelslady]

The gym is located inside the building. They were not outside. Also there is not cell service in the area. Serenity ran out a door that led to a hallway. Yes a lot of unanswered questions.

That's what I thought- the gym was inside, hence why she didn't have a coat.

Thanks for clearing up the lack of cell phone service- we live in an area like that unfortunately. Family and friends have to walk off of our street to get service to make a phone call on theirs- that's why I will always have a landline in our home.

Do you know if the first child that ran off went down the same hallway as Serenity? I was just wondering if she ran in the opposite direction of that child. I take it there were no other workers in the gym at that time to help the two workers out with this situation.

 

[Steelslady]

What about the parent bringing a child to the place that saw Serenity? That parent certainly should have been alarmed before the couple!

Also, there were 2 staff with 4 kids. Two kids took off and Serenity was the second. So one staff followed the first but the second staff had to stay with the remaining 2 kids.

I know! It seems like the only one concerned about Serenity was the couple gathering wood- they knew enough that there was a children's home there and asked a staff member if a child was missing. Unless the lady assumed Serenity was going elsewhere, say into the dining hall, for example- but unsupervised without an adult? Wouldn't she find that odd?

 

[Forpsy]

The wood cutting couple and the SO that lives 8 minutes away and would drive right past the children's home to get anywhere both concern me.

Where do the wood cutters live? If nearby, surely they are aware of Black Hills? There is not much else around. Yes - they say they saw her when approached, but did they call the home to ask if anyone was missing? They just let her walk on by? Which I guess is fine, except if the child seems to vanish into thin air and then it becomes suspicious.

There is a SO that lives 8 minutes away?
Wait, what???

 

[zencompass]

I agree. I lived and worked in this area. A man I went to church with went missing in this general location. His car was found, but even with multiple searches, his remains were found by loggers...five years later. I pray this is not the case for Serenity, if indeed she succumbed to inclement weather. It is rough terrain.

Welcome TwoDogNight !

Thank you so much for bringing your insight and knowledge of the area to this thread. Greatly appreciated!

 

[Steelslady]

There is a SO that lives 8 minutes away?
Wait, what???

This is what's been worrying me since Forpsy found this information out after I inquired about it (thanks, Forpsy!). I am hoping LE has checked him out, just in case.

I also was trying to figure out how far away the couple chopping wood was from the home- and by the time LE came on board, how far away could she have walked or ran from where she was last seen by this couple?

 

[TwoDogNight]

Welcome TwoDogNight !

Thank you so much for bringing your insight and knowledge of the area to this thread. Greatly appreciated!

I actually worked with at risk youth there, so this case really hit home.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I actually worked with at risk youth there, so this case really hit home.

Welcome! TwoDog Night!

Your inside knowledge could be invaluable!

 

[MsFacetious]

This is what's been worrying me since Forpsy found this information out after I inquired about it (thanks, Forpsy!). I am hoping LE has checked him out, just in case.

I also was trying to figure out how far away the couple chopping wood was from the home- and by the time LE came on board, how far away could she have walked or ran from where she was last seen by this couple?

What was the SO convicted of?
They checked him out, that's the first thing they do. I'm just curious how dangerous the guy is.

 

[PommyMommy]

The gym is located inside the building. They were not outside. Also there is not cell service in the area. Serenity ran out a door that led to a hallway. Yes a lot of unanswered questions.

Welcome to Websleuths, Monkey boy!

That's what I thought- the gym was inside, hence why she didn't have a coat.

Thanks for clearing up the lack of cell phone service- we live in an area like that unfortunately. Family and friends have to walk off of our street to get service to make a phone call on theirs- that's why I will always have a landline in our home.

Do you know if the first child that ran off went down the same hallway as Serenity? I was just wondering if she ran in the opposite direction of that child. I take it there were no other workers in the gym at that time to help the two workers out with this situation.

I could swear I remember reading or hearing that Serenity ran in the opposite direction but I can't seem to find it, so JMO. It may have been in the video with the director of the children's home. ?

In any case, it could be possible that the staff didn't even know Serenity went outside and they spent some time looking inside the building before their search turned outdoors.

Children's home focused on supporting children and staff | Local | rapidcityjournal.com
Dennard and three other children were being supervised by two staff members when one of the other children ran away but stayed inside the building, Colson said. As a staffer ran after that child, Dennard then took off herself, running outside. Because the remaining staff member was still supervising two other children, the staffer stayed put and called for help rather than follow Dennard and leave the others behind.

 

[Eleanor Rigby]

The wood cutting couple and the SO that lives 8 minutes away and would drive right past the children's home to get anywhere both concern me.

Where do the wood cutters live? If nearby, surely they are aware of Black Hills? There is not much else around. Yes - they say they saw her when approached, but did they call the home to ask if anyone was missing? They just let her walk on by? Which I guess is fine, except if the child seems to vanish into thin air and then it becomes suspicious.

Has it been determined and reported that the SO is not the male half of the wood-cutting couple? If the male of that couple was the SO that lives 8 minutes away, it would make sense why they did not approach Serenity, and instead went to the facility to report having seen her. I'm sure SO's are prohibited from approaching children, especially a child not accompanied by an adult. MOO.

 

[Forpsy]

What was the SO convicted of?
They checked him out, that's the first thing they do. I'm just curious how dangerous the guy is.

Do we know for a fact that the SO exists? My original post on the subject was me asking a question about the possible presence of one. Other than the post I read here, I haven't seen any independent information about whether there even is one? I still haven't had that question answered.

 

[Jim_M]

What was the SO convicted of?
They checked him out, that's the first thing they do. I'm just curious how dangerous the guy is.

First SO is 10 Minutes away from CHS Pennington:

Crimes Convicted: RAPE-1ST DEGREE
Crime Description: SUBJECT RAPED A 9 YEAR OLD FEMALE.

Second SO is 11 Minutes away:

Crimes Convicted: POSSESS/MANUFACTURE/DISTRIBUTE CHILD *advertiser censored*

Crime Description: CONVICTED OF POSSESS, MANUFACTURE OR DISTRIBUTE CHILD *advertiser censored*.

Third SO is 17 minutes away:

Crimes Convicted: RAPE-1ST DEGREE

Crime Description: 32 YEAR OLD SUBJECT RAPED 15 YEAR OLD FEMALE.

Fourth SO is 20 minutes away:

Crimes Convicted: CA - LEWD/LASCIVIOUS ACTS

Crime Description: 20 YEAR OLD SUBJECT WAS CONVICTED OF LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS ACTS. THE VICTIM WAS A 7 YEAR OLD FEMALE.

Fifth SO is 31 minutes away:

Crimes Convicted: WA JUVENILE-CHILD MOLESTATION 1

Crime Description: SUBJECT WENT THROUGH JUVENILE COURT IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR CHILD MOLESTATION WHICH INVOLVED AN 11 YR OLD GIRL.

(Source: South Dakota Sex Offender Registry)

The website is glitchy. You will also fill in a capcha to acknowledge understanding usage rules.

ETA: Additional SO's & Note: I would certainly hope they looked into all SO's in the area!

 

[Forpsy]

First SO is 10 Minutes away from CHS Pennington:

Crimes Convicted: RAPE-1ST DEGREE
Crime Description: SUBJECT RAPED A 9 YEAR OLD FEMALE.

Second SO is 11 Minutes away:

Crimes Convicted: POSSESS/MANUFACTURE/DISTRIBUTE CHILD *advertiser censored*

Crime Description: CONVICTED OF POSSESS, MANUFACTURE OR DISTRIBUTE CHILD *advertiser censored*.

(Source: https://sor.sd.gov/mapSearch.aspx)

The website is glitchy. You will also fill in a capcha to acknowledge understanding usage rules.

ETA: Additional SO's

Sweet Jesus.

 

[Jim_M]

Sweet Jesus.

My feelings exactly! I added a note that I hope they checked all of them out. There are more in Rapid City proper. Ugh!

 

[Forpsy]

What was the SO convicted of?
They checked him out, that's the first thing they do. I'm just curious how dangerous the guy is.

MsFacetious--read the post above by Jim_M re SO