ACTIVE SEARCH SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019 #2

[girlhasnoname]

Here are the Q and A's from the first interview that was with Serenity's cousin on her Mother's side. She lives in Nebraska and started the Serenity alert petition which has over 191,000 signatures. Questions were asked by Lynne DiSanto SD Senate. It is my understanding that the second interview will be with the adoptive Mother and will be shared sometime tonight on Lynne's FB account.

**Please excuse typos and I tried to grab the meat of the convo.**

Why was Serenity no longer with bio parents? Mom got incarcerated. S went to her father, her Father couldn't take care of her so S went to the Father's Mom, S's Grandmother, who didn't have the mental capacity to care for her. So she entered the system.

What kind of child is Serenity? Long time since she has seen her. Creative, Smart. Sweet and kindhearted. Cousin spoke with adopted Mom and Adopto Mom says she likes to swim, very active and sweet girl.

Does she have relationship with adopt family? Yes, Both before she did interview. Touched base with them before she did the interview states she wanted to see who cared for S and get to know them.

Why did you get engaged and involved in this? Hit close to home. They are related.

Back to day it happened, how did she get aware that Serenity was missing? Some people recognized her and reached out to family. Not the news.

Has Serenity had a history of running away or taking off? From what she has heard, yes. She has been told a mixture of things. Certain times she would run and other times she was very active. Recently in the last couple years she started to really run away. But she usually comes back.

So she may take off for a half an hour or an hour ? Yes, and or change her mind and come back.

Never before was she gone that the police had to find her or bring her back? She always brought herself back? Um, pretty much, I think I heard one time that someone saw her and an officer brought her home bought it hasn't been like this where she was missing for an extended period time that required a search.

On the day she walked away, where do you think she was trying to go? I think being away from people that cared about her and being in a facility like that, for a child that has a hard time making connections , so think she was looking for adoptive mother.

So time line of the event, how long was Serenity missing from time she walked away before the police started actively looking for her?
So I was told she left the Children' s Home at 1045, someone last saw her at 11 and police weren't called until 1230.

If police were called at 1230, do you know long until police were actually there looking?
Saw an article ... so I think 148?

What kind of communication getting from police? Cousin reached out and never heard back from them. She is hearing what everyone else is hearing.

Do you believe adopto parents are getting updates and are they sharing info with you? I believe so. I don't know anything more then what you guys know.

What is your worse fear? That she is up in the woods.

That's your worse fear, what does your gut tell you? Terrible thoughts at night, I think she is gone with someone else. Maybe someone grabbed her.

What more can people public do to help? Keep eye for her, let people know who she is. Not forgetting.

Some people are blaming bio family , your family, you should have done more- what would you say to those people?
That doesn't matter, regardless of the past. I don't believe that her family has taken her.Everyone biological is either incarcerated or has passed no one up here that I know could have done it. But that should not be the focus.

Bio Mom and bio Dad are aware of what is going on?
Not sure about father, but Mom saw it on the news and then talked to Pennington County Sheriff.

Just saw bio Mom yesterday, bio Mom, your cousin, what is she saying, what are her feelings?
She feels like, well, obviously she can't do anything bc she is incarcerated. She is devastated. But also very thankful for adopted family and everything they have done for her and continue to do for her so mixture of happy bc S was happy, but sad bc of the situation.

Thanks for posting that, it was nice to hear some perspective from the biological family. I'm sorry for all of SD's families and loved ones.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 7, 2019
National Organization Releases Video In Search For Serenity Dennard
The search for Serenity Dennard is getting national attention.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has put together a video to spread the word about her disappearance.

 

[Bugurl747]

Serenity Dennard's Adoptive Mother Speaks for the First Time

 

[Bugurl747]

MAR 7, 2019
National Organization Releases Video In Search For Serenity Dennard
The search for Serenity Dennard is getting national attention.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has put together a video to spread the word about her disappearance.

Interesting, the video states, " the air and ground search for Serenity is one of the biggest search and rescue efforts in local history."

That is great to hear. At least someone has dedicated themselves to this little girl.

Unfortunately, it seems a little too late and she will likely never realize how many people truly cared for her well being.

That is heartbreaking.

 

[Bugurl747]

Here are some highlights from the YouTube video posted by Lynn Disanto. If you have time, I would implore you to watch the video in its entirety.

-Adoptive Mom, Darcie, saw photo of Serenity on DSS website when she was 3-4 years old. They first met Serenity at the foster family's house. Her and husband Chad were married at the time.
-Serenity came to live with Darcie and Chad March 30 2014
-Adoption final October 23 2014 - it was closed adoption but had contact info from some of the birth family. Serenity had no relationship with bio fam.
-Chad and Darcie Divorced 2015
-Serenity had an adoptive brother, same age, adopted close to the same time. He too went with Chad as they were "buddies and had a great relationship. The divorce didn't seem to affect him as much as it did Serenity"

-3:55 Serenity did have Reactive Attachment disorder and was in counseling before adoption, during fostering, and needed continued services.

-8:50 After divorce of D and C, Chad took primary care of her "He had a bigger house and he knew how to discipline her better and she needed that. She had quite a few behaviors where she needed a stronger disciplinarian."

-9:19 As for custody of Serenity -Chad and Darcie weren't following any schedule, "Whatever worked. We passed her back and forth for quite some time. This was difficult for Serenity, she seemed to do ok for the most part, when I passed her back to Chad she would do the big crocodile tears and be upset . And she could do that though. She could really play her tears on you "

-Darcie had joint legal custody. Chad had physical custody.

-Chad moved away, and Darcie and him hadn't been keeping in touch. Darcie didn't know when he moved away or when he got back. He moved away for a period of time.

-11:29 Darcie found out Serenity was missing via text from a friend the night she went missing. Darcie was at work. (Nurse at Fountain Springs which looks to be a nursing home/assisted living facility)

-11:43 Darcie did Not know Serenity was placed in the Children's Home.

-12:10 Darcie speculated Serenity's behavior may have gotten worse and that was why she was placed in the Home.

-The Home didn't have Darcie's information. Darcie told the Home she didn't know Serenity was there.

-18:40 The Home told Darcie that Serenity was with other kids in the gym. Serenity displayed no unusual behaviors that they know of that day. Another girl in the gym distracted the workers and ran one direction, and Serenity ran the other direction outside of the gym.
19:25 Going into the gym was a main door, they are not sure if there was another door. They think the run was purposeful. Another child distracted the workers inside the gym and Serenity ran outside the gym door. No, they did not chase her. They searched the interior. She had done this before and hid under vanity sink in bathroom and under a bed in dorm room. The Home thought she disappeared internally. They knew she ran out of the gym but other worker couldn't leave gym bc of other kids.

20:50 Timeline when she was outside until 911 was called approximately 1 hr 45 minutes.

21:30 Darcie felt like Serenity was running away to look for her. Darcie had that feeling and one of first meetings during the investigation it was shared with Darcie that Serenity had asked about her and had talked about Darcie. Not that day but at some point. Darcie believes Serenity was looking to find her and she likes to believe that.

24:00 Where is Serenity? Darcie's thoughts and beliefs shared

26:00 Darcie responds to keyboard warriors

26:25 Serenity Alert Darcie /smiling " It may be too late, as people say, for Serenity but if it can save any other parent from going through the heart ache of not knowing where their child is and help out - it is 200% worth it." I keep replaying this....watching Darcie and listening to her make this comment. I don't know how I feel about it as she had no idea where her child was for months leading up to Serenity's disappearance. MONTHS. It could have been years since she knew where she was or even spoke to her.

 

[FruitSnack]

This poor girl has RAD and had no stable home? Poor baby.
Who had the baby? Adoptive dads wife?
There is so much going on here. Hope they find her soon. Heart breaks every morning there is still a active search

 

[Deleted member 158085]

That interview makes me even more sad for Serenity. How does one parent move and not tell the other? How does the other parent not track them down? Imagine having abandonment issues and then the woman you finally bond with disappears and the man you bond with leaves you at an institution. Imagine not even being able to write a letter to your mom at that age.

 

[Bugurl747]

It sounds like Serenity has always been a lost child. So vulnerable and let down by the majority of adults in her life from what I have seen. HEARTBREAKING.
MOO

 

[moonriverfarm]

This "mother" is just....I don't have the words. Serenity was FAILED by everyone in her life.
Why is this mother smiling? HOW did she not know where her child was? This speaks volumes for the system that allowed these people to adopt.

 

[bmacmillan1]

This poor, poor little girl. What an unfair deal she got in her short life. I wish we could hear from the adopted father. I don't understand the dynamics of the adopted parents either.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

I’m going to alert a mod to my post. Are we allowed to post about things that the official account posts at the Help Find Serenity Dennard Facebook page?

 

[PommyMommy]

This poor, poor little girl. What an unfair deal she got in her short life. I wish we could hear from the adopted father. I don't understand the dynamics of the adopted parents either.

Welcome to Websleuths, bmacmillan1. Thank you for joining us and caring about Serenity.

@Bugurl747, Thanks for the video and your amazing summary!

 

[ilovechili]

MAR 7, 2019
National Organization Releases Video In Search For Serenity Dennard
The search for Serenity Dennard is getting national attention.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has put together a video to spread the word about her disappearance.

Happy to hear this.

 

[Breezie]

This poor, poor little girl. What an unfair deal she got in her short life. I wish we could hear from the adopted father. I don't understand the dynamics of the adopted parents either.

They had joint legal custody so the father should have kept her informed when he moved and when SD was placed in the home. The mom thought the kids were okay with him. She may not have been emotionally or financially ready to go back to court even if she had been able to find out where he moved to or when he returned.

 

[human]

I wish people knew children who have RAD.

My heart goes out to any adoptive parents who have children with RAD.

The issues are incredible. I could not do it.

There is lots of info on it.

 

[SkipperKey3]

We are told there should be more information about the investigation later this week.

ETA: Link Search Continues For Serenity

Any more word on this "more information about the investigation"? Or were they only referring to the involvement of the NCMEC?

 

[CocoChanel]

Regarding Facebook “Help Find” pages, from our official TOS:

Public Pages
Mainstream Media (MSM)
Law Enforcement (LE)
Group support pages for victims, such as "Help Find..." and "Justice for...”
Legitimate non-profit organizations who provide assistance and support to victims and their families (e.g., Klass Kids, Texas Equusearch).

• Links may be used to direct members to a post by the owner or an admin of an approved social media page/profile.
• Posts by an owner or admin may be copied or quoted. This refers primarly to posts or tweets by MSM reporters, and announcements by law enforcement, the immediate family, or the admin of a group support page.
• Paraphrasing is okay.
• ***NOTE: Comments and posts by readers/visitors of these pages are not allowed to be quoted, copied or referenced. Just don’t mention them.
• Regarding group support pages, i.e., "Help Find..." and "Justice for...”: If at any time the WS staff determines a group support page to be inappropriate, a notice will be posted in the thread stating that the page is no longer approved.

 

[Caylee Advocate]

It sounds like Serenity has always been a lost child. So vulnerable and let down by the majority of adults in her life from what I have seen. HEARTBREAKING.
MOO

So horribly sad and I agree. It seems like every parental figure in this poor girls life failed her miserably. Prayers that she may know peace and love.

 

[cybervampira]

Pennington County Sheriff's Office

March 8, 2019 - UPDATE

Although we still have not found nine year old Serenity Dennard, there continues to be a lot of work behind the scenes. A team of investigators works on the case daily. Through the investigation, 256 interviews have been conducted. We’ve followed 57 leads in and out-of-state. The FBI and other agencies have assisted when the leads are out of state.

Someone from the FBI came in and reviewed our files, offered suggestions and some technical assistance in the search for Serenity. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) produced a video that is now being distributed nationally. It’s on our social media.
NCMEC on Instagram: “NCMEC ALERT 9-year-old Serenity Dennard was last seen on February 3, 2019 in Rapid City, #SouthDakota Anyone having information should…”

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office remains hampered by the weather. We really need most of the snow to melt in order to continue with the outdoors search/recovery. We are actively planning and preparing to resume the search once the weather breaks.

If anyone has some piece of information they think might help, we encourage them to contact the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at 605-394-6115.

 

[PommyMommy]

Frustration Mounting In Search For Serenity Dennard

[...]

Heavy snow cover is keeping crews from resuming their search for Serenity.

"What we need is the majority of snow gone, and of course we have more snow coming, so it's hampered our ability to get back into the woods to conduct the search using both K9s and people on the ground searching and so, until we get a break in the weather, that's suspended, but we continue to plan behind the scenes and coordinate so when the time does come, we're ready to go," Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom said.

Authorities are following up on 57 leads concerning Serenity and have interviewed more than 250 people since her disappearance.