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.
I'd much rather play "Guess this whatever about Serenity" than to sit around thinking about what may have happened to her.
I pray she's safe but ya know...
