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. They asked Flynn not to use to words committed suicide. He slept on it and chose to say Saniyya took her own life.. Missing Buffalo State student's parents 'very concerned' about their 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. Cameras last captured 19-year-old Saniyya Dennis leaving her dorm room, last Saturday night 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. Flynn did not say what those items were, but said they would make someone believe she wasnt planning to return to her dorm. Authorities are continuing their search for a missing New York college student who disappeared more than a week ago. Missing NY college student: $10K reward offered after Niagara Falls Around 1 a.m., the teen took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument with Niagara Falls in the background, according to Flynn. Efforts to reach Dennis family at phone numbers listed for them were unsuccessful Thursday. Saniyya Dennis: Search for missing Buffalo college student ongoing We've received your submission. The 19-year-old was last seen leaving her dorm late at night on April 24 after having an argument with her boyfriend earlier in the day that led him to break up with her, Flynn said. There is currently no evidence of foul play, authorities 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. Why does it take so long to get video footage of buses? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Search party for missing Buffalo State student Saniyya Dennis says they Dennis parents, multiple agencies and local residents had been involved in anearly two-week searchfor the student. 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. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! It appears this poor girl took her own life, Flynn says. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The district attorney and officials indicated they believe Dennis never left Niagara Falls State Park. May 8, 2021 / 8:30 AM BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a tragic update on a missing college student from the Bronx. The teens parents, meanwhile, had demanded answers last week on why more wasnt being done to find the missing mechanical engineering major, the Buffalo News reported. The statement challenged or refuted more than a dozen assertions laid out by Flynn during his news conference. 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. This was around 11 p.m. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Police searching for missing NY college student Saniyya Dennis Dennis, a sophomore at Buffalo State College, disappeared after leaving her dorm on April 24. "That's a possibility.". 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. With all due respect, a star in the midnight sky is more visible than Saniyya appears in that purported video.. 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Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. Police say her cell phone was later pinged near Goat Island in Niagara Falls, which is why groups have narrowed their search to that area. Saniyya was last seen leaving her dorm. BUFFALO, New York (WABC) -- A SUNY Buffalo State College student from the Bronx who has. As a father of five, this is difficult.. Saniyya Dennis, a 19-year-old sophomore from the Bronx, was last seen leaving her college dorm on April 24. Katherine Conway-Turner, the president of Buffalo State College, expressed her support to Dennis' friends and family on Thursday. Missing SUNY Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis. I feel awful for the parents, he said. JSCO says if you see the vehicle or the missing women, then please call or text 911, and any information about their whereabouts should go to ECSO Dispatch at 541-776-7206. Legal Statement. Some are going to say without a body, do youdefinitelyknow that she took her own life? Flynn continued. 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. Dennis, a sophomore at Buffalo State College, disappeared after leaving her dorm on April 24. 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. 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. His screenshot of her alleged storyline is not dated and has no time, video or chat from her, the family statement said. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A firefighter died inside a burning commercial building in downtown Buffalo, New York, on Wednesday, where a fire and sudden blast sent flames and smoke billowing into the street . A Warner Bros. This story has been shared 106,229 times. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes. 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. Investigators initially said Dennis may have been in the Western New York area or traveled to Yonkers, just north of the Bronx. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) People in Western New York are not giving up their search for Saniyya Dennis, the college student who went missing last week. As she was there, she received a text from a friend telling her to call him or else hell call police. Prosecutors say Dennis' boyfriend was in New York City at the time and is not a suspect. They stopped picking up the scent near Goat Island, Flynn said. Campus police are working with a variety of local, state and federal agencies to locate Dennis, according to UPD. 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.. Dennis walked toward a garbage can on campus and threw away "personal items that would lead someone to believe that she was not returning to the dorm," he said. Efforts to reach Dennis' family by phone numbers listed for them were unsuccessful Monday. Missing Buff State student sought in Falls - Niagara Gazette Flynn said she got into an argument with her boyfriend, which ended with him breaking up with her.. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. On Wednesday community members continued to search for Dennis, a 19-year-old Buffalo State College student. Published: Mar. 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. 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. She was last seen. University Police has circulated her information statewide to police agencies and hospitals through the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse. "My daughter is a Black honor roll student at the college and has no tendency of doing nothing, Calvin Byrd, Dennis father, said. Dennis parents were notified of the investigations findings Wednesday afternoon, the DA said. Dennis, who is from the Bronx, is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, approximately 125 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. She then sent a text telling him she planned to kill herself, Flynn said. BUFFALO, N.Y. Family and friends of a missing Buffalo State student are hoping that she is found safely. It is impossible to prove the photo or image is of a person. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) The case of a missing Buffalo State student continues, it's been more than a week since Saniyya Dennis was last seen. 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 . 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. Dennis, 19, was last seen on April 24 leaving her residence hall around 11:30 p.m., according to University Police. Authorities and volunteer search teams are still franticly searching for 19-year-old Saniyya Dennis. Legal Statement. Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Buffalo State Police said it obtained surveillance footage of Saniyya at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) bus terminal in downtown Buffalo, WGRZ reported. 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! She was very focused on her studies, she said. Parents of missing Buffalo State student 'very concerned' about - MSN According to the WSP, 49-year-old Denell Kelly . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. 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"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.". The family chastised Flynn for putting forth a narrative that was an easy sell without considering alternative scenarios involving foul play. DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide Byrd added that there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to his daughter. UPD described Dennis as a 5 feet, 3 inches tall Black woman weighing 125 pounds. A 19-year-old SUNY Buffalo State College sophomore has been missing for more than a week, according to the university and her 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. 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. Wife of missing Wild 94.9 morning show host 'JV' shares update Police search for missing 15-year-old Hanahan girl She was last seen April 24 leaving her dorm at Buffalo State College. Saniyya Dennis, a Buffalo State College student, has been missing since she was captured on surveillance video leaving her residence hall on April 24. Flynn said investigators will not definitively know what happened to Dennis until her body is found and an autopsy is conducted. Around Midnight, Dennis texted her mother, telling her she loves her and that shell call her the next day. The family told reporters that they were alerted by one of Dennis' friends that she may have gotten on a bus to Niagara Park. Saniyya Dennis: Missing Buffalo State college student from the Bronx Buffalo State remains in close consultation with and is supporting the Dennis family," Carey said in a statement this weekend. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Shortly after, Flynn said, she was captured on campus surveillance video leaving her dorm. Hours later, Dennis told a friend she was going to jump off a bridge and took a selfie with Niagara Falls in the background. College student from Bronx missing from Buffalo State - ABC7 New York Dogs were trained to pick up her scent. CNN Authorities are searching for a New York college sophomore who disappeared over a week ago. For more information, visit CrisisServices.org. FBI JOINS SEARCH FOR MISSING VIRGINIA BOY, 2, LURED FROM CHURCH BY UNKNOWN ABDUCTOR, "Our one and only goal in this investigation is to locate Saniyya and reconnect her with her family. A missing 19-year-old from Hopkinton was found dead in a wooded area of Milford on Tuesday, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday evening. He is a native of Fremont. Prosecutors say it appears 19-year-old Saniya Dennis took her own life. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A portion of Rivers Avenue near Hayne Street is blocked off because of the crash . 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. Missing Hopkinton teen found dead in Milford woods During a news conference on Friday, Dennis family members said it was uncharacteristic of her to suddenly disappear. MORE | Family of missing Buffalo State student calls for communitys help, offers reward for students whereabouts. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. BREAKING: Missing Buffalo State student Saniyya Dennis died of suicide The 19-year-old was last seen on April 24. Milford . Striking, his post is a screenshot of what is alleged to be a snapchat from Saniyya. "The dogs came out yesterday, and today they had the helicopter for the search.". If this was somebody else's kid, I think it wouldve happened like this," Calvin Byrd, Dennis's father, said at the news conference. Niagara Falls was in the background. "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.". Saturday, the search for her continued, with family and friends again canvassing. Julia Stevens, with Allies for Black Justice, organized several search parties in recent days focused on Goat Island, where police said Saniyya's phone last pinged at 1:23 a.m. on April 25, WKBWreported. "Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found.". That video has not been made public. Multiple agencies have been involved in the search for Dennis, and the search will continue until shes found. The search continues for missing Buffalo State student Saniyya Dennis Dennis, 19, was. I also want to thank the Buffalo State community, members of the media, and residents from Western New York and beyond who have participated in the search and shared information about her case., Buffalo State Counseling Center: (716) 878-4436, Employee Assistance Program (EAP): (716) 878-6699, Reach Out SUNY NYS COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline: 1-844-863-9314, SUNY Crisis Text Line: Text GOT5U to 741-741, Crisis Services of Buffalo (24/7): (716) 834-3131, Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK), option 1, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK), Spectrum Health & Human Services: (716) 710-5172, C.A.R.E.S. . According to the DA, video from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority showed she rode two different buses going toward Niagara Falls. Wilson Wong. All of this information was provided to Dennis parents on Wednesday afternoon. "Looking at Niagara Falls, the area is just filled with rocks," he said. She was by herself. "There is a possibility that if we believe what happened happened, we may never find her body," he said. As NBC News reports, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told reporters during a news conference Thursday morning that he believes Dennis, 19, died of suicide. "We've never had a missing person case such as this we're experiencing now with Ms. Dennis," Carey said. Saniyya Dennis disappeared from SUNY Buffalo State College on April 24, officials said. Police search for missing Buffalo State College student Vandergrift is a radio host for Wild 94.9, where Yi is a host as well. 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. "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. 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. Her boyfriend was in New York City the entire time, and is not considered a suspect in her disappearance.