Found Deceased CA - Kiely Rodni Missing From Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #6

[franker]

Yes, to repeat, I have AWD. My car is solid AWD and has no trouble handling our ridiculous snow and ice. There are SUVs with higher clearance but hers is probably similar to mine. I went on the road even though it said "not recommended" because I thought "but hundreds of kids drove this road." It is not flat. It is not wide. It is treacherous. I would prefer not to drive it again. It is not believable IMO that she would have been able to drive it at all and then "accidentally" drive off a beach into a lake.

Good post!

We have a new AWD Kona and I think it may be similar to a CR-V. From your description it sounds like it would have a very hard time as well!

 

[Gigi3]

Yes, to repeat, I have AWD. My car is solid AWD and has no trouble handling our ridiculous snow and ice. There are SUVs with higher clearance but hers is probably similar to mine. I went on the road even though it said "not recommended" because I thought "but hundreds of kids drove this road." It is not flat. It is not wide. It is treacherous. I would prefer not to drive it again. It is not believable IMO that she would have been able to drive it at all and then "accidentally" drive off a beach into a lake.

I agree it seems like a person wouldn’t normally choose a route like that. However, 16 year olds don’t always have the best judgment especially if intoxicated.

Perhaps she thought she could avoid vehicle traffic. It’s hard to know what her thought process might have been, plus we still don’t know for certain that was the route she took.

Another thing I learned from that video, depending on the circumstances with car, weight, tires, etc. it can float and sink over 200ft from entry point. Could that have happened here?

I know when something like this happens, we want answers- it’s hard to believe a simple, tragic accident can steal the life of a young, beautiful girl. There has to be more. I get it- my younger sister died tragically and it was accidental. To this day, I still can’t believe it. JMO.

 

[acutename]

they would be fools to disclose MOD and COD without having toxicology back first. MOO you don't make a determination about such things until you have all the information. Otherwise why even bother with tox?

The physical remains may not show any obvious signs of abuse or foul play. That much can be determined with an autopsy. We won't hear any more until that tox screen comes back. JMO

apparently decomposition actually produces ethanol, so assessing the source of alcohol found in a body is not simple.

Alcohol in decomposed bodies: postmortem synthesis and ...​

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › ...





by MG Gilliland · 1993 · Cited by 94 — Blood alcohol (ethanol) concentrations in decomposed bodies can mean drinking during life and/or endogenous production after death.

 

[Truckeeite]

Here’s one. I’ll look for others.

Murder Suspect Allegedly Caught on Tape Pushing Wife's Car Into Lake

Police in Florida charged a man with killing his wife and dumping her body in a lake, hours after he made a bleary-eyed appeal for the missing woman to return home. Police Tuesday recovered the remains of Surya Sari-Prihatin Toha, 41, from her car found at the bottom of a lake near her husband's...

abcnews.go.com

In this case, it wouldn't require another perp. Dump the car, body, and evidence, go home in your own car.

 

[Truckeeite]

Hypotheticals are interesting, but accident and crime investigators have better tools at their disposal: experience and statistics.

They come to a scene and, based on a wealth of data, make a determination about the most probable cause. If a teen is found in her car in a lake near a party where she’d been drinking, and their experience and extensive knowledge of similar situations points to an accident with no foul play, that will be the working theory of their investigation. They will be investigating a potential accident and drowning. If during the course of that investigation, evidence emerges that contradicts that working theory (COD wasn’t drowning, bruises or marks on body indicating a struggle, toxicology reports, witness statements, etc), then that and only that will change the direction of their investigation. It is an established process, a science, and it’s based on what has happened before in these situations, what is most likely rather than what is possible, and the evidence they’re presented with.

If investigators didn’t follow an established step-by-step procedure based in statistics and evidence, resolution of fatalities would be impossible. In this case, if the autopsy result is that Kiely drowned, had no marks indicating a struggle, and wasn’t drugged, and the final conclusion is that she therefore drove into the water by herself and drowned, someone raising questions could still say “How do we know she wasn’t drowned in a bathtub somewhere by a killer wearing cushioned oven mitts to avoid bruising, and then placed in the vehicle and rolled into the lake to make it look like an accidental drowning??” Well, LE investigators don’t suggest or entertain those kinds of hypotheticals because they prevent resolution. MOO

There are lots of cases that aren't prosecuted due to insufficient evidence. Sometimes many years later, a suspect turns out to be clearly guilty.

If she was dead before she went into the water, that'll be a pretty clear indication of foul play. If it was drowning, we may never know.

 

[getthefax]

I’ve just been on Google Earth looking at the terrain and roads there.
I went back through a zillion threads and could not find the helpful maps that others posted looking right at the roads (the satellite shots are recent, as there are LE vehicles pictures near the Prosser boat ramp).

Could folks help me confirm if I have the correct regions marked on this map? Specifically, the orange C to mark where her car was found, and the location of the yellow “party spot” text? I want to be sure I’m superimposing onto the correct spots before I go too far w/my mapping…

Not trying to be lazy here—just want to be sure. TIA for any confirmation/corrections.

 

[SteveP]

I agree it seems like a person wouldn’t normally choose a route like that. However, 16 year olds don’t always have the best judgment especially if intoxicated.

Perhaps she thought she could avoid vehicle traffic. It’s hard to know what her thought process might have been, plus we still don’t know for certain that was the route she took.

Another thing I learned from that video, depending on the circumstances with car, weight, tires, etc. it can float and sink over 200ft from entry point. Could that have happened here?

I know when something like this happens, we want answers- it’s hard to believe a simple, tragic accident can steal the life of a young, beautiful girl. There has to be more. I get it- my younger sister died tragically and it was accidental. To this day, I still can’t believe it. JMO.

So very sorry for your loss.

 

[SpideySense]

You mean like put the booze under water? where would she stash it?

Maybe, to keep it cold for the next day when she was coming back out with her friends. Or just on the beach out of sight of the people who remained at the party and might drink it.

 

[Truckeeite]

With the vehicle being found where it was, I find it incredibly unlikely that it was anything other than a tragic accident.

If someone had killed KR (accidentally or on purpose) and wanted to dispose of her body, this would be one of the worst ways to do it. Even if the killer were in a state of panic, it would have been far easier to dispose of the body in the lake without the vehicle -- and much less likely to draw unwanted attention. Even if a killer was driving it into the water themselves (trying to make it look like an accident), there was no way to ensure that it wouldn't just get stuck in the mud at the water's edge or that someone else wouldn't see and immediately call for help. Intentionally disposing of it so close to the party's location would have almost assured that someone would find it, when -- as mentioned throughout previous threads -- there are many, many other places around the area that a local could have dumped a body or deserted a vehicle where no one would have even known to look.

I respectfully disagree. Bodies float and wash up on shore. Water destroys evidence. If you have a body and a car full of evidence, why not get rid of both in a way that (as we know from many other cases) might never be found?

 

[acutename]

Climate control features require cars to have airflow and it would be very hard to seal those features off. Plus I would imagine given how few cases of this nature there are, it would not be cost effective for them to explore this option.

that might be an amphicar... pricey, slow, etc.

Videos​

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[SpideySense]

I don't know if it's the case here, but I've heard of people putting their alcohol/beer/whatever in some kind of basket or net, tying a rope to it for easy retrieval, and stashing it underwater. Supposedly they do it to keep the drinks cooler and/or to keep it out of sight of any cops (or game wardens or park rangers) that might show up.

I did it as a teen. In the Russian River, because we were coming back to the same beach the following day and didn’t want it in our cars. That’s why when I was trying to think what might get her down to the water, and remembering they went to her car to drink, I thought “You know, if she still had cans/bottles in her car…”

 

[SpideySense]

There is water closer to her home though? If Kiely was going to stash any leftovers for the next day, why would she hide them down a bone-jarring road/trail half an hour from home?

Recall she was coming back to the same spot the next day. Why risk getting pulled over on the way home with booze in her car?

 

[Truckeeite]

@SteveP, well written post. I particularly agree with your last paragraph RSBM here. What I am about to say has no direct bearing on KR or her family or friends. But since we are speaking in generalities, I'd like to react to your post with this.

I think the idea of educating teens and young adults and trying to control what they do with respect to alcohol and drugs is laudable. But it fails to address what I think is one (of perhaps many) root causes of high risk, self destructive behavior.

Having survived my own high risk and self destructive behavior age 16-26, many decades ago, I can share that the root of my heavy drinking, multi drug use, fast street driving, driving while very impaired, etc. was complex post traumatic stress syndrome (c-PTSD) from a childhood of repetitive and sustained emotional abuse. I had no sense of self worth .

So before we start putting more rules and controls on kids, I think childhood and adolescent mental health is a critical component to focus on as well. The emotional, sexual and physical trauma many, many children experience should be addressed long before the 22 year old version of such a kid drinks themselves into a stupor, drives and kills someone.

Agreed. And mods sorry if it's off topic yet it seems important to say. When we see these people online making horrible judgments of others and incredible nastiness, always take a moment to remember - that's how their parents and other loved ones spoke to them and they never got exposure to anything different. If people want to understand abuse, look at the worst trolls online. They are mimicking and modeling verbal and psychological abuse. It feels horrible and it drives all kinds of behaviors for teenagers and beyond.

 

[SteveP]

There are lots of cases that aren't prosecuted due to insufficient evidence. Sometimes many years later, a suspect turns out to be clearly guilty.

If she was dead before she went into the water, that'll be a pretty clear indication of foul play. If it was drowning, we may never know.

I know many have, but I still have not ruled out that she went in from the boat ramp. I know it does not seem likely, but from what you describe, I would say it is at least as likely as her having gone in the route you drove. I do think the CHP MAIT investigation will be able to clear that up hopefully. I know it is around a bend, but would love to know, in approximate feet, how far her car was found from the boat launch. Submerged vehicles have been found 100 feet or more from their point of entry JMO

 

[Truckeeite]

Recall she was coming back to the same spot the next day. Why risk getting pulled over on the way home with booze in her car?

where did you hear it was the same spot? I heard camping trip but no location. There are lots of campsites around Tahoe.

 

[SpideySense]

I was thinking for consumption during the party (sorry I didn't clarify), but that leads me to another thought. Wasn't she supposed to go camping the next morning? If so, I wonder if the camping area was anywhere near the party area? If if it was, maybe she was saving the rest for the next day. It would still be there, and she wouldn't have to drive home with it in the car. Hope that makes sense. I'm not caffeinated yet.

Yes!! That’s what I’ve been saying for 3 threads, lol. She was going back to that campground the next morning. That’s why SS just thought she would stay the night. A 16 yo probably doesn’t want to drive anywhere, especially if she’s been drinking, with open or closed bottles in her car.

 

[Truckeeite]

If I were LE and got all the cell data of people at the party that night, I'd hone in on the phones that did the mass exodus at 12:30 am and find out why they left and what they know.

Therein I suspect lies the answer of what actually happened to this poor beautiful girl. RIP.

 

[SpideySense]

I’ve just been on Google Earth looking at the terrain and roads there.
I went back through a zillion threads and could t find the helpful maps that others posted looking right at the roads (the satellite shots are recent, as there are LE vehicles pictures near the Prosser boat ramp).

Could folks help me confirm if I have the correct regions marked on this map? Specifically, the orange C to mark where her car was found, and the location of the yellow “party spot” text? I want to be sure I’m superimposing onto the correct spots before I go too far w/my mapping…

Not trying to be lazy here—just want to be sure. TIA for any confirmation/corrections.


View attachment 361516

That looks correct, and my thought is she drove down to that little fishtail/Y-intersection directly between the “C” and the “party spot”, followed the spur to the left towards the “C” to stop off at the beach before heading home, but encountered water on the shoreline earlier than expected.

 

[getthefax]

I agree it seems like a person wouldn’t normally choose a route like that. However, 16 year olds don’t always have the best judgment especially if intoxicated.

Perhaps she thought she could avoid vehicle traffic. It’s hard to know what her thought process might have been, plus we still don’t know for certain that was the route she took.

Another thing I learned from that video, depending on the circumstances with car, weight, tires, etc. it can float and sink over 200ft from entry point. Could that have happened here?

I know when something like this happens, we want answers- it’s hard to believe a simple, tragic accident can steal the life of a young, beautiful girl. There has to be more. I get it- my younger sister died tragically and it was accidental. To this day, I still can’t believe it. JMO.

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[Beekarina]

Yes!! That’s what I’ve been saying for 3 threads, lol. She was going back to that campground the next morning. That’s why SS just thought she would stay the night. A 16 yo probably doesn’t want to drive anywhere, especially if she’s been drinking, with open or closed bottles in her car.

All I remember reading is she had plans to meet her friend(s) she was camping with at Starbucks the following morning. I do not remember reading or hearing they were camping at Prosser. Were they? The only semi-related thing I recall is SS saying Kiely might sleep at the campground instead of driving home.