The family chastised Flynn for putting forth a narrative that was an easy sell without considering alternative scenarios involving foul play. This is not like her, Dennis sister said at the press conference Friday, CNN affiliate WKBW reported. Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. Family said she handed in a school assignment before catching a bus to Niagara Falls. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "She was a good friend, a good person. Dennis was last seen on New York State Park Police cameras shortly after midnight walking toward Goat Island, where her phone last pinged, Flynn said. Katherine Conway-Turner, the president of Buffalo State College, expressed her support to Dennis' friends and family on Thursday. Dennis parents, multiple agencies and local residents had been involved in anearly two-week searchfor the student. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Equally, when she did not return to the campus on Saturday, the school bore a responsibility regarding her safety, the familys statement said. Dennis called her boyfriend, who was in New York City at the time, 59 times in the next several hours, but he didnt pick up. Missing SUNY Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis. She also spoke about dying by suicide with a male friend, he added. The male friend and Dennis' boyfriend did not immediately report her suspected disappearance, according to the DA. Dennis had not been in contact with her family, according to Carey. Her cellphone last pinged on April 25 at 1:23 a.m. in the area of Goat Island in Niagara Falls State Park, police said. Theyve been placing flyers on any available surface and calling for the publics help. Striking, his post is a screenshot of what is alleged to be a snapchat from Saniyya. Saniyya I. Dennis, a Bronx native, was last seen April. The teen spent hours on the phone with Dennis and talked her down from her plan at one point, but she apparently followed through on her threat after hopping on a bus to the Niagara Falls Visitor Center. HANAHAN, S.C. (WCSC) - Police in Hanahan are searching for a 15-year-old girl who was reported missing on Tuesday. Missing Bronx college student Saniyya Dennis (family/officials), by: Lauren Cook, Evan Anstey/WIVB, Mark Sundstrom. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Marianne Williamson opens long shot 2024 challenge, Officials provide update on fatal fire, cause still, Fix it! For nearly two weeks, search parties have combed through Niagara Falls in the hopes of finding Saniyya Dennis. appreciated. Flynn said she got into an argument with her boyfriend, which ended with him breaking up with her.. U.S. news Saniyya Dennis, missing Buffalo State College student, took her own life, DA says The 19-year-old was last seen leaving her dorm room at SUNY Buffalo State College on April 24,. Around Midnight, Dennis texted her mother, telling her she loves her and that shell call her the next day. I feel awful that I dont have a conclusion, obviously.. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Dennis, 19, was last seen leaving her dorm on April 24. Mr. Flynn purposefully placed Saniyya in a negative light as though she was a depraved stalker who harassed her boyfriend for attention, the family statement said. Saniyya Dennis, 19, is a sophomore who was. The family of a SUNY Buffalo State College student who has been missing since Saturday, April 24 is asking the public for help in finding her. The family accused Buffalo State University, police and Flynns office of not taking Dennis disappearance seriously, including a delay in responding to multiple requests for a wellness check on April 25. Prosecutors say Dennis' boyfriend was in New York City at the time and is not a suspect. Flynn said investigators will not definitively know what happened to Dennis until her body is found and an autopsy is conducted. Buffalo State College Police Chief Peter Carey, told reporters that a K-9 search took place Friday afternoon and due to weather conditions they could not fly a helicopter to help with the search. As she was there, she received a text from a friend telling her to call him or else hell call police. On Friday at 7 p.m., Mishealia Marie Meredith, 19, of Harrisburg, left a home where she. "It appears that this poor [] All rights reserved. She was last seen. "We've never had a missing person case such as this we're experiencing now with Ms. Dennis," Carey said. or redistributed. A Buffalo State College student missing since last month may have thrown herself from Niagara Falls after her boyfriend broke up with her, authorities said Thursday. THE BRONX, N.Y. The family of Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis, who disappeared from campus two weeks ago, released a scathing statement Friday night refuting the local district. "There is a possibility that if we believe what happened happened, we may never find her body," he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Saniyya Dennis, 19, was last seen leaving her dorm room at the SUNY Buffalo . However, Dennis family said on Friday they do not agree with Flynns narrative that she died by suicide and accused the district attorney of sharing details of her case without conferring with them first. It appears that this poor girl took her own life,Erie County District Attorney John Flynnsaidat a news conferenceThursday morning. This story has been shared 106,229 times. MORE | Family of missing Buffalo State student calls for communitys help, offers reward for students whereabouts. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. "The dogs came out yesterday, and today they had the helicopter for the search.". Desperate for any leads, her dad, also known as rapper 40 Cal,offered a cash rewardin a caption of one of his Instagram posts. If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. Authorities are continuing their search for a missing New York college student who disappeared more than a week ago. Minutes after that, her cell phone left the cellular network, meaning it was either powered off or destroyed. Dennis, of Bronx, New York, is a college sophomore. Multiple law enforcement agencies and numerous volunteers were involved in a search for Dennis following her disappearance. Byrd added that there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to his daughter. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. She was then spotted by park cameras along a trail at 12:17 a.m. on April 25 Flynn said this was the last time she was seen on video. The family of Saniyya Dennis, a Buffalo State College sophomore who's been missing for over a week, pleaded with authorities and the public to help them in their search. Anyone with information that may be of assistance to the investigation is asked to contact Buffalo States University Police Department at (716) 878-6333 or police@buffalostate.edu. Her family told police she may be in the Stall Road area, the Hawthorn Suites on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston or . "Temple's current leadership has consistently treated it as a PR problem first, safety second, and I think they have their priorities backward," said Brian Hart, a 2012 Temple graduate. Yesterday afternoon, members of my office met with the family of Saniyya Dennis to provide an update on the investigation into her disappearance. "Looking at Niagara Falls, the area is just filled with rocks," he said. At this time, we believe that Saniyya traveled alone from the Buffalo State College campus by NFTA bus to Niagara Falls State Park where the evidence suggests that she took her own life during the early morning hours of Sunday, April 25, 2021. Saniyya, originally from the Bronx in New York City, is described as a Black female who is 5-foot-3,weighs about125 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. Flynn said all of this information had been communicated to Dennis parents on Wednesday afternoon. Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found.. Shortly after throwing those personal items away, her bus card was swiped at a nearby bus. Saniyya Dennis, 19, has been missing since Saturday night. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Around 1 a.m., the teen took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument with Niagara Falls in the background, according to Flynn. Saniyya Dennis, a Buffalo State College student, has been missing since she was captured on surveillance video leaving her residence hall on April 24. BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a tragic update on a missing college student from the Bronx. She was very focused on her studies, she said. Market data provided by Factset. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) Thursday morning, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn provided an update on the disappearance of Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis. A large group of volunteers searched for Dennis over the weekend at Niagara Falls State Park near Goat Island, where police said her phone last pinged, the station reported. We're all baffled as to what's going on., Keyora Dennis, Dennis' sister, said this was "not of her nature. Investigators initially said she may have remained in the area or traveled to Yonkers, near New York City, a news release, updated on April 28, said. Campus police are working with a variety of local, state and federal agencies to locate Dennis, according to UPD. Saniyya Dennis was last seen on April 24. Hours later, Dennis told a friend she was going to jump off a bridge and took a selfie with Niagara Falls in the background. (for youth and family crises): (716) 882-4357. Heres a list of where to volunteer in NYC: Lex Lumpkin talks about new show The Watchful Eye, Debunking food safety myths with a chefs help, Fun, easy Holi-inspired crafts to try with kids, Spot warning signs of teens declining mental health, Simple spring break cocktails to make at home, Patrick Kane to make Rangers debut against Senators, Rangers KAndre Miller suspended 3 games for spitting, Kane incoming? May 3 (UPI) --Local, federal and collegiate authorities are ramping up efforts to find a student from New York state who's now been missing for more than a week, officials said Monday.Buffalo . If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. "I can't leave if I didn't say I looked at every inch of this park," he told "Good Morning America." Her family members reported her missing to Buffalo State police on April 26, which prompted a widespread investigation. All of this information was provided to Dennis parents on Wednesday afternoon. Why does it take so long to get subpoenas to cellphone records? said Dennis father, Calvin Byrd. Shortly after, Flynn said, she was captured on campus surveillance video leaving her dorm. Dennis parents were notified of the investigations findings Wednesday afternoon, the DA said. University police are continuing to ask anyone with information to come forward, and Saniyyas family has since offered a $10,000 reward for anything that could help bring her home. "We combed the whole park, even places where she was nowhere near, putting up flyers," Byrd said on Saturday. There is a possibility that we may never find a body, Flynn said, adding that Dennis may gotten caught in the jagged rocks near Niagara Falls. BUFFALO, N.Y. The family of a Buffalo State College student missing since late April will hold a balloon launch Monday to mark her 20th birthday. 2023 Cable News Network. "My mother always says shes a creature of habit When she comes to visit my mother in the city or comes to visit our family she lets her know when shes running late or lets her know who shes going to be with, what time she expects to be home.". "Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found. With all due respect, a star in the midnight sky is more visible than Saniyya appears in that purported video.. It appears this poor girl took her own life, Flynn says. What do the orange, green dots on my iPhone mean? Minutes after that text, her cellphone left the cellular network, meaning it was either powered off or destroyed, according to officials. He then called her, and they spoke for about 45 minutes. Authorities and volunteer search teams are still franticly searching for 19-year-old Saniyya Dennis. "It appears that this poor girl took her own life," Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told reporters during a morning news conference. A ping from her cellphone was detected aboute two hours later inNiagara Falls State Park, 17 miles from campus. May 7, 2021 / 11:13 AM Around 12:18 a.m., the male friend warned in a text that he would call police if she did not call him in 30 seconds. She also texted her friend, saying she wouldnt see him this summer. Dennis, 19, was last . Clothing items, a cell phone was found, a bracelet was found all of these could be the utmost importance because we have absolutely no information on what happened to Saniyya Dennis, added Stevens. Buffalo State Police said it obtained surveillance footage of Saniyya at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) bus terminal in downtown Buffalo, WGRZ reported. Saniyya Dennis, 19, was last seen on the SUNY Buffalo State College campus on April 24, the University Police Department (UPD) told CNN.