Authorities believe they have found Kiely Rodni's body
TRUCKEE -- The body that was found inside of Kiely Rodni's submerged SUV is "more than likely her", the Nevada County Sheriff's Office says.
"We believe it is her," said Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon at a press conference Monday.
Authorities say they still have not been able to positively identify the body. An autopsy on the body will be conducted on Tuesday and the results of a toxicology report will be available in four to six weeks.
On Monday, Rondi's family issued a statement thanking those who helped in the search for Kiely. It read:
"Friends, Family, Law Enforcement, Media, and our Global Community:
"We are eternally grateful for the love and support you have shown us in the last couple of weeks. We have weathered a storm of unfathomable force, and it is purely thanks to the army of warriors, matriarchs, healers, and helpers holding us up that we continue to stand today. Mr. Rogers famously told a story of "looking for the helpers" whenever he saw scary things in the news. We have not had to look for the helpers, as you have all come to our rescue in full force. We are forever indebted to you.
"While we accept this sadness cast under death's shadow, the rising sun shines light upon us, reminding us not to mourn our loss, but to celebrate Kiely's spirit and the gift that we all received in knowing her. Kiely will surely remain with us even though we will not get her back.
"There are certain occasions when words fail. Perhaps this is why our human nature has given us art, dance, and music, which all are often more effective ways to connect us to each other and our rawest emotions. Kindly excuse us as we retreat and dance privately to life's song while we celebrate our daughter's spirit and heal our souls.
"In gratitude,
"The Rodni-Nieman Family"
Adventures with Purpose, a YouTube-famous dive team, posted Sunday on Facebook saying that they found Kiely Rodni's Honda CRV in 14 feet of water in Prosser Lake, near where the 16-year-old girl was last seen.
Officials from Placer and Nevada counties responded to the lake Sunday afternoon, and crews later pulled the vehicle from the water. Rodni, of Truckee, has been missing since the early morning hours of Aug. 6. She was last seen at a party with hundreds of other young people at the Prosser Family Campground, just north of Truckee.
The teenager's disappearance prompted a massive search and rescue effort, involving several local, state and federal agencies. For the last two weeks, teams of searchers have spent nearly 20,000 manhours looking for Rodni.
During this time, family members repeatedly requested that people share tips with law enforcement. Officials said they received more than 1,800 tips in the case, at times overwhelming investigators.
Authorities in nearby Placer County initially were investigating Rodni's disappearance as a possible abduction, as both her car and phone were also missing. However, there was never an Amber Alert issued in the case, as the California Highway Patrol said it didn't fit the criteria.
Adventures with Purpose began searching for Rodni on Saturday. Their investigation is separate from the one conducted by law enforcement.
WE JUST FOUND KIELY RODNI... 🙏🏻😭 ==== Car is upside down in only 14' of water. We have CONFIRMED Kiely is inside....
Posted by Adventures With Purpose on Sunday, August 21, 2022
Officials from Placer and Nevada counties responded to the lake Sunday afternoon, and crews later pulled the vehicle from the water. On Sunday night, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said that the identity of the body inside the vehicle has yet to be confirmed. They said a news conference on the latest developments would be held Monday morning.
Rodni, of Truckee, has been missing since the early morning hours of Aug. 6. She was last seen at a party with hundreds of other young people at the Prosser Family Campground, just north of Truckee.
The teenager's disappearance prompted a massive search and rescue effort, involving several local, state and federal agencies. For the last two weeks, teams of searchers have spent nearly 20,000 manhours looking for Rodni.
During this time, family members repeatedly requested that people share tips with law enforcement. Officials said they received more than 1,800 tips in the case, at times overwhelming investigators.
Authorities in nearby Placer County initially were investigating Rodni's disappearance as a possible abduction, as both her car and phone were also missing. However, there was never an Amber Alert issued in the case, as the California Highway Patrol said it didn't fit the criteria.
Sami Smith, Rodni's friend, told CBS13 in the aftermath of her friend's disappearance that she was with Rodni at the party. Smith said that Rodni was planning to sleep at the campground.
"I know that she wasn't in the right mindset or state to drive," Smith said. "And if she were to have driven, she wouldn't have made it far."
Adventures with Purpose, the dive team with more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, usually works to solve cold cases. But after many viewers reached out to the group about Rodni's case, they said that they wanted to help law enforcement as they specialize in underwater car searches, particularly in cold water.
Adventures with Purpose began searching for Rodni on Saturday. Their investigation is separate from the one conducted by law enforcement.
Adventures with Purpose started posting to YouTube in 2018. The group makes videos centered around finding things underwater, from treasure to stolen cars. Their most popular videos involve missing persons cases. In the last two years, they've solved more than 20 cold cases.