California police have released pictures of Kiely Rodni’s jewelry as the search for the missing 16-year-old enters its fifth day and investigators are no closer to getting answers as to her whereabouts.
During a press conference on Thursday, Placer County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Angela Musallam urged the public to contact authorities if they come across a gold chain Kiely is believed to have been wearing during the time of her disappearance on 6 August.
“We’re told she always wears this type of jewelry … We’d want anybody who comes across [this necklace] to please contact us immediately because this would certainly provide us a new tip, and a new direction,” Ms Musallam said during the press conference, KCRA 3 reported.
The sheriff’s department is struggling to find leads in the case despite receiving more than 500 tips from across the country, they said in a statement. Kiely was last seen at around 12.30am at the party on the Prosser Family Campground, where officials said around 200 to 300 teenagers had gathered in the woods.
Her phone went offline at around the same time. Police are investigating the case as an abduction because her car is also missing.
Keily’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, spoke to The Independent on Thursday. She said that Kiely had planned to go to a car show in Reno with her mother on Friday night but texted her during the day to say that she was going to go to a party instead.
“There was this classic car show in Reno – she’s so dynamic she loves everything from playing the violin to car shows – and so she was maybe going to see some drag races with us there,” she said.
The mother and daughter talked about the plan on Friday morning – the last time they saw each other.
“Later that day, Kiely then texted saying she was going to go to a party instead of going to the car show. She’d been to the car show already and there was this party in Prosser,” said her mother.
Samantha Smith, Kiely’s friend, told The Independent on Monday that she was the last person to speak to Kiely in a phone call at around 12.30am on Saturday. Earlier in the night, the two friends had arranged for Kiely to give Ms Smith a ride home from the party.
However, later Ms Smith said Kiely had been drinking and so “was in no state to drive”. They then spoke on the phone and told each other to get home safe.
“At 12.36am she called me … and this is the last call anybody had with her. We said ‘love you, good night. Get home safe,’ and that’s the last thing we heard of her,” Ms Smith said on Monday.
A $50,000 reward is being offered for information and the teen’s friends have also launched a GoFundMe to help in the search.
Anyone with information is asked to email Sheriff_TahoeInvest@placer.ca.gov, contact Detective Stephanie Frykberg at (530) 392-5609, or call the anonymous tip line at (530) 581-6320.
