In fact, we specifically addressed that issue with law enforcement days before Mr. Flynn took over the case, the statement said of the video. University Police said it is working with the family and several other agencies in its search, including the City of Niagara Falls Police, Erie County Sheriffs Office and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Police. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. UPD and campus officials are in close consultation with Saniyyas family and are providing support during this difficult time, the campus police department said. I commend SUNY Buffalo State College, Buffalo State College University Police, New York State Park Police, Niagara Frontier Transit Authority Police, New York State Police, Mayor Byron Brown, Buffalo Police Department, Niagara County Sheriffs Office, Niagara Regional Police, New York Police Department, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies who have dedicated their time and resources to this ongoing investigation. About an hour after that phone conversation ended, Dennis threw personal items into a garbage can. His screenshot of her alleged storyline is not dated and has no time, video or chat from her, the family statement said. The district attorney said Dennis had multiple conversations about suicide the day she disappeared and was captured by park cameras inside Niagara Falls State Park that night. It is unconscionable that he presented a speculative narrative as a factual one by calling a national press conference and falsely asserting he shared his findings with the family.. 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. Saniyya Dennis, 19, was last seen leaving her dorm room at the SUNY Buffalo State College on April 24, the University Police Department said in a news release. Desperate for any leads, her dad, also known as rapper 40 Cal,offered a cash rewardin a caption of one of his Instagram posts. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A Pennsylvania woman who has been missing for more than 30 years is found alive in an adult care home in Puerto Rico. She has a good heart.. Despite the evidence, the DA said the search for Dennis will continue. Her boyfriend was in New York City the entire time, and is not considered a suspect in her disappearance. 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,. Missing SUNY Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis. Flynn said she got into an argument with her boyfriend, which ended with him breaking up with her.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - North Charleston Police are responding to a crash with serious injuries Saturday afternoon. May 7, 2021 / 11:13 AM Authorities are continuing their search for a missing New York college student who disappeared more than a week ago. Anyone with information is asked to contact Buffalo State Police at (716) 878-6333. This is not of her nature," Saniyyas sister, Keyora Dennis, said at a recent press conference Friday. "We combed the whole park, even places where she was nowhere near, putting up flyers," Byrd said on Saturday. / CBS New York. 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. The Buffalo State College sophomore was last seen leaving her dorm room on April 24th, but. Flynn said dogs searching the area in Niagara Falls State Park lost Dennis' scent near the water's edge. She also spoke about dying by suicide with a male friend, he added. Dogs were trained to pick up her scent. In the meantime, volunteers, friends and family have formed search parties to help find Dennis. 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 attorneys assertion that the Bronx teen died by suicide. About 20 minutes later, she texted a male friend, telling him that she spoke with her mom and was on her way back to Buffalo. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. She then sent a text telling him she planned to kill herself, Flynn said. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Missing students are rare at Buffalo State. Dennis texted her mother at Niagara Falls, telling her she would call her the next day, but also sent a message to a friend indicating she wouldnt see him this coming summer, Flynn said. Around 1:20 a.m, Dennis texted a male friend and lied, saying she had talked to her mother and was on her way back to Buffalo, he said. This is not of her nature.. Upon careful review and consideration of the allegations presented by District Attorney Flynn regarding the issues surrounding the disappearance of Saniyya Dennis, we respectfully disagree with his presentation and were shocked by his assertion that he shared information with our family regarding her disappearance and his findings of suicide.. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Dennis, who is from the Bronx, is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, approximately 125 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. The statement challenged or refuted more than a dozen assertions laid out by Flynn during his news conference. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. (WIVB) Thursday morning, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn provided an update on the disappearance of Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis. Authorities are continuing their search for a missing New York college student who disappeared more than a week ago. Ive finally had enough.. Officials. 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. With all due respect, a star in the midnight sky is more visible than Saniyya appears in that purported video.. "My daughter is a Black honor roll student at the college and has no tendency of doing nothing, Calvin Byrd, Dennis father, said. 2:18 AM EDT, Mon May 3, 2021. Katherine Conway-Turner, the president of Buffalo State College, expressed her support to Dennis' friends and family on Thursday. "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.". 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Minutes after that, her cell phone left the cellular network, meaning it was either powered off or destroyed. Warning: The content may be triggering. 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 . BUFFALO, N.Y. Nearly two weeks after the disappearance of Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis, officials announced Thursday they believe the Bronx teen might have taken her own. An Illinois college student who was last seen leaving a residence on Friday night has been found dead. "I think time is of the essence When it happens like this, it's a very time sensitive matter.". You can watch DA Flynns full news conference below. Also missing is 20-year-old Talia Esther Rosenbloom of Eugene, described as 5'7" tall, weighing 140 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. Dennis family also alleged the college minimized her disappearance as nonurgent conflicting with the district attorneys assertion she died by suicide and accused Flynn of misrepresenting evidence during his news conference, including the video confirming she was in Niagara Falls State Park. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Anyone with information about the search for Vandergrift is asked to call SFPD Tip Line at 415-575 . BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Buffalo State student is still missing, a week after she was last seen on campus. I feel awful for the parents, he said. Phillys zombie drug tranq already in NYC, How to report no heat in NYC: Resources for tenants, Rising rent in NYC: Heres what tenants need to know, Suicide prevention and mental health resources, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Buffalo State Police said it obtained surveillance footage of Saniyya at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) bus terminal in downtown Buffalo, WGRZ reported. 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. "This is not like her. The family also raised issues with the Snapchat post Flynn referenced and suggested it could have been doctored. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. But Flynn says her body may not be able to be recovered. Dennis, 19, was last seen on April 24 leaving her residence hall around 11:30 p.m., according to University Police. Hours later, Dennis told a friend she was going to jump off a bridge and took a selfie with Niagara Falls in the background. It appears this poor girl took her own life, Flynn says. University Police is working with police agencies at the local, stateand federal level, Carey said. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. @DAErieCountyNY says #saniyyadennis parents are unaccepting their daughter committed suicide. "It appears that this poor girl took her own life," Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told reporters during a morning news conference. Information can also be shared through the University Police anonymous tip line at (716) 878-3166, or by calling the NYS Missing Persons Clearinghouse at (800) 346-3543. We're all baffled as to what's going on., Keyora Dennis, Dennis' sister, said this was "not of her nature. "I understand the desire for new details about this case is high, but to ensure the integrity of this multi-agency investigation, we are limited in our ability to share further information at this time.". He added authorities may never find her body because of the rocks below the area where her scent was last picked up. Dennis, 19, was last seen on April 24 leaving her residence hall around 11:30 p.m., according to University Police. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. John Flynn, the district attorney in Erie County, said officials have not discovered the body of 19-year-old Saniyya Dennis but said "evidence suggests" she took her own life. Family said Saniyya is an honor student studying mechanical engineering. Dennis continued to attempt contacting him, and said she was going to kill herself. She was last seen April 24 leaving her dorm at Buffalo State College. Byrd added that there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to his daughter. For more information, visit CrisisServices.org. At 12:19 a.m., the male friend called her and they spoke for 45 minutes, Flynn said. She also texted her friend, saying she wouldnt see him this summer. Im so done with my own life, and living it, the text read, according to WIVB. The body, believed to be that of a missing Buffalo State College student, was found in a shallow grave Friday morning in a wooded area near Snow's Marina on the Lake Erie shoreline, police said . They asked Flynn not to use to words committed suicide. He slept on it and chose to say Saniyya took her own life.. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. On Wednesday community members continued to search for Dennis, a 19-year-old Buffalo State College student. 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 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. On the first bus, Flynn said Dennis was alone, but she eventually got onto another bus and got off at a stop near the Niagara Falls Visitor Center. Milford . Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found.. Several minutes later, her phone left her cellular network. During a news conference on Friday, Dennis family members said it was uncharacteristic of her to suddenly disappear. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. My office and our partners in law enforcement have found no evidence of any criminality in this case. Saturday, the search for her continued, with family and friends again canvassing. All evidence indicates that Saniyya ended her own life, but the investigation into her disappearance will not be closed until she is found. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. According to the DA, video from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority showed she rode two different buses going toward Niagara Falls. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "We want to make sure that her face is everywhere," Stevens told ABC Buffalo affiliate WKBW, "that everywhere you go in Niagara Falls you know to look out for this girl.". "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. It is impossible to prove the photo or image is of a person. 14. Carey said during a news conference Friday that investigators have found no cell phone, electronic or financial activity since Dennis disappeared. Investigators believe that she may need medical attention and may still be in the western New York area or may have traveled to Yonkers, New York, just north of New York City. Contact Crisis Services 24-hour hotline for support: 716-834-3131. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Flynn said Dennis was troubled by the breakup and later contacted another male friend in New York City, also telling him she had planned to commit suicide. Buffalo State University and its police did not perform a wellness check until almost two calendar days after Saniyyas disappearance and more than a business day after our formal request. Dennis, of Bronx, New York, is a college sophomore. The day she disappeared,Dennishad an argument with her boyfriend that led to him breaking up with her,Flynnsaid. Family said she handed in a school assignment before catching a bus to Niagara Falls. Courtney Gabamonte has also been helping in the search, she tells us, being a woman and having a girl missing is just heartbreaking so why not come out and help look if were not far from where she might be found?. The 19-year-old was last seen leaving her dorm room at SUNY Buffalo State College on April 24, authorities said. Dennis, a sophomore at Buffalo State College, disappeared after leaving her dorm on April 24. However, cellphone records showed that to not be true. "An exhaustive search and review of the evidence has been done and it appears that this poor girl took her own life," Flynn said in a news conference Thursday morning. After talking for about an hour, Dennis later told him she was on the bus returning home, which, according to phone records, the DA said was not true. There exists no evidence that it came from Saniyya A person named Keith K posted it via social media days later. 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. The family chastised Flynn for putting forth a narrative that was an easy sell without considering alternative scenarios involving foul play. "There is a possibility that if we believe what happened happened, we may never find her body," he said. That video has not been made public. A college sophomore, Dennis was last seen leaving her dorm on April 24. (Buffalo State College) Her. BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a tragic update on a missing college student from the Bronx. Saniyya Dennis, a Buffalo State College student, has been missing since she was captured on surveillance video leaving her residence hall on April 24. Equally, when she did not return to the campus on Saturday, the school bore a responsibility regarding her safety, the familys statement said. This story has been shared 106,229 times. Julia Stevens went on to say, If Saniyya is out there and shes watching these efforts, if shes in danger or incapacitated we would say dont give up hope, we are leaving no stone unturned. ET, Dennis was seen leaving her dorm room at State University of New York College at Buffalo. During a news conference Friday, Dennis' family criticized police for not moving fast enough and stalling a search party. 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! A missing New York college student who disappeared last month is believed to have died by suicide, authorities said Thursday. According to investigators, her boyfriend broke up with her that day. She also defended the University Police Chief Peter Carey, saying he and his officers have been working tirelessly to locate Saniyya. Latisha Dennis says she will put up. The crash was reported around 2:30 p.m. near Trident Tech on Rivers Avenue. Market data provided by Factset. "Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found. If this was somebody else's kid, I think it wouldve happened like this," Calvin Byrd, Dennis's father, said at the news conference. Authorities are searching for a New York college sophomore who disappeared over a week ago. Yesterday afternoon, members of my office met with the family of Saniyya Dennis to provide an update on the investigation into her disappearance. The male friend and Dennis' boyfriend did not immediately report her suspected disappearance, according to the DA. Shortly after, Flynn said, she was captured on campus surveillance video leaving her dorm. Prosecutors say it appears 19-year-old Saniya Dennis took her own life. Saniyya Dennis was last seen on April 24. Dennis, 19, was last . Given these variables and the fact that Saniyyas body has not been discovered, we express great concerns about the handling of this case and the suicide narrative. She attempted to call him 59 and talked about killing herself, Flynn said. University Police has circulated her information statewide to police agencies and hospitals through the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. The 19-year-old was last seen on April 24. IE 11 is not supported. Ivy Marie Gilbert added, posting it on Facebook is absolutely helpful and stuff but being local, its really helpful to actually get out here and do it.. Theyve been placing flyers on any available surface and calling for the publics help. (for youth and family crises): (716) 882-4357. No evidence of foul play was immediately detected, the University Police Department (UPD) at Buffalo State College said. Around Midnight, Dennis texted her mother, telling her she loves her and that shell call her the next day. Efforts to reach Dennis' family by phone numbers listed for them were unsuccessful Monday. 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? ", Saniyya worked two jobs. "An exhaustive search and review of the evidence has. The investigation found no evidence of criminality in the case. A Warner Bros. Around 1 a.m., the teen took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument with Niagara Falls in the background, according to Flynn. BUFFALO, New York (WABC) -- Police and family are searching for a missing SUNY Buffalo State College student from the Bronx who has been missing for more than a week. Dennis, of Bronx, New York, is a college sophomore. Dennis Family via Buffalo State University Police, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Saniyya was last seen leaving her dorm on Buffalo States campus on April 24, but her cell phone was later pinged near Goat Island in Niagara Falls. Updated: 9:14 AM EDT May 6, 2021. All Rights Reserved. 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! No all I can do is present you everything I have.. The district attorney and officials indicated they believe Dennis never left Niagara Falls State Park. All of this information was provided to Dennis parents on Wednesday afternoon. BUFFALO, New York (WABC) -- A SUNY Buffalo State College student from the Bronx who has. We will be out here every single day for you until we find you because you deserve that.. University Police first reported her disappearance on Wednesday and posted her picture on its website and social media pages. IE 11 is not supported. Investigators said her cellphone left the network about 1:20 a.m. April 25, which means it was either destroyed or powered off. 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. She was a mechanical engineer major. (Courtesy Dennis family) Flynn said on the afternoon of April 24, Dennis got into an argument with her boyfriend in New York City. "Why does it take so long to get subpoenas to cellphone records? Why does it take so long to get subpoenas to cellphone records? said Dennis father, Calvin Byrd. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Multiple agencies have been involved in the search for Dennis, and the search will continue until shes found. Striking, his post is a screenshot of what is alleged to be a snapchat from Saniyya. 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. Flynn said she got into an argument with her boyfriend, which ended with him breaking up with her. 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. Saniyya Dennis, a Buffalo State College student, has been missing since she was captured on surveillance video leaving her residence hall on April 24. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text a crisis counselor at 741741, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Cameras last captured 19-year-old Saniyya Dennis leaving her dorm room, last Saturday night