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. A 19-year-old SUNY Buffalo State College sophomore has been missing for more than a week, according to the university and her family. Missing SUNY Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis. Erie Countys Crisis Hotline is available 24 hours a day: 716-834-3131. My office and our partners in law enforcement have found no evidence of any criminality in this case. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. That evening, Dennis and her friend stayed on the phone together for about four hours. 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. ET, Dennis was seen leaving her dorm room at State University of New York College at Buffalo. My thoughts and prayers remain with Saniyyas family and friends during this difficult time. Hours later, Dennis told a friend she was going to jump off a bridge and took a selfie with Niagara Falls in the background. What do the orange, green dots on my iPhone mean? University Police is working with police agencies at the local, stateand federal level, Carey said. 2023 Cable News Network. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Saniyya Dennis, a Buffalo State College student, has been missing since she was captured on surveillance video leaving her residence hall on April 24. 2:18 AM EDT, Mon May 3, 2021. While the Erie County District Attorneys Office does not typically become involved in missing person cases unless there is evidence of criminality, we assisted in this multi-agency effort to find Saniyya at the request of SUNY Buffalo State College University Police. Katherine Conway-Turner, the president of Buffalo State College, expressed her support to Dennis' friends and family on Thursday. 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. MORE | Family of missing Buffalo State student calls for communitys help, offers reward for students whereabouts. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Equally, when she did not return to the campus on Saturday, the school bore a responsibility regarding her safety, the familys statement said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. He added authorities may never find her body because of the rocks below the area where her scent was last picked up. She was last seen. / CBS News. Agencies working the case include: New York State Police, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Clearinghouse, NYS Park Police, City of Buffalo Police, City of Niagara Falls Police, Erie County Sheriffs Office, Erie Crime Analysis Center, Erie County District Attorneys Office, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Police, Niagara Regional Police, Amtrak Police, and the United States Secret Service. Flynn said all of this information had been communicated to Dennis parents on Wednesday afternoon. 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. Family and supporters of missing Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis have been looking for leads in the case in Niagara Falls. 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Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found.. In the meantime, volunteers, friends and family have formed search parties to help find Dennis. Discovery Company. New pill cuts cholesterol, heart, In Chicago, adapting electric buses to winters challenges, Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold, Ohio derailment tests Sen. Browns push to buck Dem, Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured, Capitol rioter from Buffalo admits to stealing badge, How to donate to the family of the fallen Buffalo, Patriots and Heroes Park vandalized overnight, Questions linger about legal aspects of Main Street, Building that caught fire had expired work permit, First responders honor Firefighter Jason Arno, Buffalo firefighter who died Wednesday identified, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Multiple law enforcement agencies and numerous volunteers were involved in a search for Dennis following her disappearance. A ping from her cellphone was detected aboute two hours later inNiagara Falls State Park, 17 miles from campus. UPD and campus officials are in close consultation with Saniyyas family and are providing support during this difficult time, the campus police department said. N.Y., federal police search for college student Saniyya Dennis, who CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Legal Statement. DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide In that conversation, Dennis said she was going to jump off a bridge. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Desperate for any leads, her dad, also known as rapper 40 Cal,offered a cash rewardin a caption of one of his Instagram posts. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Buffalo State student is still missing, a week after she was last seen on campus. "It appears that this poor girl took her own life," Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told reporters during a morning news conference. Dennis continued to attempt contacting him, and said she was going to kill herself. Dennis, a sophomore at Buffalo State College, disappeared after leaving her dorm on April 24. Thats where a search party gathered early Wednesday evening in the latest hopes to find the young woman. She may be caught in the jagged rocks there.". His screenshot of her alleged storyline is not dated and has no time, video or chat from her, the family statement said. All rights reserved. She was very focused on her studies, she said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Prosecutors say it appears 19-year-old Saniya Dennis took her own life. We've received your submission. All evidence indicates that Saniyya ended her own life, but the investigation into her disappearance will not be closed until she is found. "I think time is of the essence When it happens like this, it's a very time sensitive matter.". A missing New York college student who disappeared last month is believed to have died by suicide, authorities said Thursday. / CBS New York. 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. The family told reporters that they were alerted by one of Dennis' friends that she may have gotten on a bus to Niagara Park. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. 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. She was last seen. MASON COUNTY, Wash. - The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is asking the public for help in finding a missing Indigenous woman considered to be at-risk. Her father, a former member of the Harlem-based hip-hop group The Diplomats,used his social media presenceto get the word out about his daughters disappearance. Around 1 a.m., Dennis took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument. She was last seen leaving her . The investigation found no evidence of criminality in the case. Saniyya Dennis is seen in this undated released by Buffalo State University Police to help locate, on May 1, 2021. Minutes after that text, her cellphone left the cellular network, meaning it was either powered off or destroyed, according to officials. Theyve been placing flyers on any available surface and calling for the publics help. Multiple agencies have been involved in the search for Dennis, and the search will continue until shes found. It appears this poor girl took her own life, Flynn says. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. She will forever be a member of our Buffalo State family," Conway-Turner added. Saniyya Dennis, 19, has been missing since Saturday night. Niagara Falls was in the background. 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. 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 on the SUNY Buffalo State College campus on April 24, the. "The dogs came out yesterday, and today they had the helicopter for the search.". 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. Dennis parents were notified of the investigations findings Wednesday afternoon, the DA said. Julia Stevens, who is part of the activist group, Allies for Black Justice, led a search party Friday and distributed posters around the area of the park where the cellphone ping took place. According to the DA, video from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority showed she rode two different buses going toward Niagara Falls. Family pleads to police, public for help in finding missing Buffalo If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. Just before the news conference ended, the police acknowledged they had security video from the bus depot that showed Dennis and they were only able to get her cellphone records on April 27. However, cellphone records showed that to not be true. Later that day, in another conversation with a male friend in New York City, she said she was planning to die by suicide, Flynn said. or redistributed. It is impossible to prove the photo or image is of a person. The family of a Buffalo State College student missing since last weekend has put up a $10,000 reward for information that leads to her safe return. Continued search for missing Buffalo State student Saniyya Dennis - WGRZ Family of missing Buffalo State student to hold birthday balloon launch Missing College Student Was Found Slain After Telling Mom on Phone She 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. This is not of her nature," Saniyyas sister, Keyora Dennis, said at a recent press conference Friday. Saniyya Dennis: Search for missing Buffalo college student ongoing Public's help sought in finding missing SUNY Buffalo State student 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. About 11 p.m. Julia Stevens has been searching for Saniyya, Its important to show up as a community and show this family that we care, that we will continue to be out here and we wont stop until we find Saniyya Dennis., #HappeningNow: a search party has gathered near Cave of the Winds in the effort to find missing 19-year-old Buff State student Saniyya Dennis. Saniyya was last seen leaving her dorm. Buffalo State University Police says. There is currently no evidence of foul play, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to contact (716) 878-6333. pic.twitter.com/9saaPYPeOv. Investigators said her cellphone left the network about 1:20 a.m. April 25, which means it was either destroyed or powered off. Carey said during a news conference Friday that investigators have found no cell phone, electronic or financial activity since Dennis disappeared.