TRUCKEE, Nevada County – The massive search for a missing Truckee teenager continued Tuesday afternoon, with law enforcement officials appealing to the hundreds of teenagers and young adults who attended the party where Kiely Rodni was last seen Saturday morning. to provide information.
“Of the 200 to 300 people that were at the party, somebody knows something about Kiely,” Angela Musallam, a sheriff’s spokeswoman, said at a news conference and community meeting Tuesday afternoon at the Truckee Community Recreation Center.
While sheriff’s officials said they have received more than 100 tips — and are investigating each one — they have received little information from those who attended the party, an informal event that apparently grew out of a small gathering of friends at a wild party.
Some of those attendees may be afraid to come forward because drugs and alcohol were consumed at the party, and parents of some attendees may not have known they were there, law enforcement officials said. But Scott Alford, a detective sergeant with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department, said that’s not the focus of the investigation.
“We are not investigating their behavior that night,” he said, addressing some of the many teenagers in the audience. “We are not investigating you; we are partnering with you to find Keily.”
Hoping to drop some helpful tips from partygoers, Rodney’s friend Sami Smith, 18, was inviting the youngsters to informal “teen-to-teen” chats without parents, police or adults present. others. One was held immediately after the afternoon conference with about 15 to 20 teenagers, mostly girls, staying to talk.
“I see a lot of faces here. I know many of you. We go to school together,” Smith said as the conference call broke. “Please come talk to us now.”
Little new information was revealed at the news conference. Alford said the FBI, which is assisting in the case, determined that Rodney’s cell phone was last used at 12:33 p.m.
He also said that while the case is being described as a possible kidnapping, it is only being labeled that way because Kiely and her silver Honda CRX are still missing.
“Right now we have no evidence to support a kidnapping,” Alford said. “Because we don’t know, we’re not ruling out any possibility.”
Dozens of law enforcement officers, three helicopter crews and dozens of volunteers continued to clear the Lake Tahoe area and later Tuesday for Rodney.
She was last seen at the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. The party — which was promoted on social media, including Snapchat — drew more than 100 people, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and up to 250 from the far Bay Area, according to organizers.
“We just want her home,” Rodni’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, said in a video posted to the sheriff’s Twitter account. “We are very scared and miss him so much. And we love it very much.”
“I want nothing more than to hug you,” Rodney-Nieman added, speaking directly to her daughter.
A number of law enforcement agencies are assisting Placer County with the search, including the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Truckee Police, Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Three helicopters were searching for Rodney and her vehicle and 77 officers were assigned to the search.
Smith, who helped organize the party, is helping coordinate volunteer search efforts. She said she spent most of the night partying with Rodney and was the last known person to speak to him around 12:25 a.m.
Smith planned to leave the party, but said Rodney planned to stay. But no one saw her go to her car or leave, Smith said. Rodney’s cell phone has been out of service since the party, sheriff’s officials said.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned,” Musallam said, “and we’re exploring every option at this point. We’re really looking.”
After the conference, a community member gathered a large group of teenagers, parents and Truckee residents and led them in prayer.
“We’re praying for a miracle today,” she said as they stood solemnly in the parking lot of the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District office, hands clasped and eyes closed. Some parents hugged their teenage children and others huddled in small groups, whispering anxiously.
As they waited for the teenagers’ meeting to begin, some talked about Kiely.
“She was literally the worst person,” Mesh Depaoli, 16, said. She worked with Rodney at a local boba tea shop. “You can talk to him about anything,” she said. “She knows the solution to everything.”
Abby Bunker, another co-worker, said Rodney had a luminous presence. “She walks into a room and just makes the whole room brighter.”
“It’s a small town. Everyone is affected by it,” said Addy Carter, 17. She said she attended Friday’s party but left early to try volleyball.
“The town just doesn’t feel like Truckee anymore,” Bunker added. Depaoli called out: “The taps are off. Everyone is just on edge.”
Rodney was described by authorities as a white, blonde female with hazel eyes, about 5-foot-7 and 118 pounds. She has many piercings, including a nose ring and a tattoo of the number 17 on her ribs. She was last seen wearing green Dickies pants and a black T-shirt, according to reports. Her car, a silver 2013 Honda CRV, has California license plates 8YUR127.
There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to her finding. Officials have asked anyone with information to call the sheriff’s tip line at 530-581-6320 and press option 7. Anonymous tips are accepted, sheriff’s officials said.
Emma Talley and Michael Cabanatuan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Twitter: @EmmaT332, @ctuan
