Saniyya Dennis, missing Buffalo State College student, took her own Dennis had not been in contact with her family, according to Carey. 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. 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. The Buffalo State College sophomore was last seen leaving her dorm room on April 24th, but. 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. She also spoke about dying by suicide with a male friend, he added. It appears this poor girl took her own life, Flynn says. "I think time is of the essence When it happens like this, it's a very time sensitive matter.". But Flynn says her body may not be able to be recovered. "An exhaustive search and review of the evidence has. "She was a good friend, a good person. Katherine Conway-Turner, the president of Buffalo State College, expressed her support to Dennis' friends and family on Thursday. They stopped picking up the scent near Goat Island, Flynn said. Around Midnight, Dennis texted her mother, telling her she loves her and that shell call her the next day. Hours later, Dennis told a friend she was going to jump off a bridge and took a selfie with Niagara Falls in the background. 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. She was last seen. He then called her, and they spoke for about 45 minutes. While authorities have not located the 19-year-old's body, they were able to reach that conclusion based on a timeline of her last hours. DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide - NEWS10 ABC If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. 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 State Police said it obtained surveillance footage of Saniyya at the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) bus terminal in downtown Buffalo, WGRZ reported. 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. 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. University Police has circulated her information statewide to police agencies and hospitals through the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse. 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. The 19-year-old was last seen on April 24. Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found," Carey said in an updated statementreleased Saturday, after family expressed frustration about the pace of the investigation. Missing Buff State student sought in Falls - Niagara Gazette I feel awful that I dont have a conclusion, obviously.. 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. My thoughts and prayers remain with Saniyyas family and friends during this difficult time. BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a tragic update on a missing college student from the Bronx. 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. 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. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Buffalo State student is still missing, a week after she was last seen on campus. She was last seen leaving her . 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Around 1 a.m., Dennis took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. UPD and campus officials are in close consultation with Saniyyas family and are providing support during this difficult time, the campus police department said. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text a crisis counselor at 741741, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital. 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. 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.. 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. Police search for missing 15-year-old Hanahan girl DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide "This is not like her. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Officials. On Friday at 7 p.m., Mishealia Marie Meredith, 19, of Harrisburg, left a home where she. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Saniyya Dennis was last seen on April 24. A college sophomore, Dennis was last seen leaving her dorm on April 24. IE 11 is not supported. "We've never had a missing person case such as this we're experiencing now with Ms. Dennis," Carey said. Multiple law enforcement agencies and numerous volunteers were involved in a search for Dennis following her disappearance. We will be out here every single day for you until we find you because you deserve that.. "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.". 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. Shortly after throwing those personal items away, her bus card was swiped at a nearby bus. / CBS News. 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. Missing New York College Student Died by Apparent Suicide: Officials Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Cameras last captured 19-year-old Saniyya Dennis leaving her dorm room, last Saturday night This was around 11 p.m. 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 University Police says. Missing woman found alive after more than 30 years; family reacts 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. 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. Understandably, emotions are high right now, but I want to be clear that our department will not rest until Saniyya is found.. Equally, when she did not return to the campus on Saturday, the school bore a responsibility regarding her safety, the familys statement said. BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's a tragic update on a missing college student from the Bronx. Buffalo firefighter dies while battling downtown blaze - ABC News Around 1 a.m., the teen took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument with Niagara Falls in the background, according to Flynn. Our one and only goal in this investigation is to locate Saniyya and reconnect her with her family, UPD Chief Peter Carey said in a statement Saturday. FIRST ALERT: N. Charleston Police respond to crash near Trident Tech Dennis threw away "personal items" that led investigators to believe she would not return to the dorm and took a bus to Niagara Falls State Park by herself, Flynn said. 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. 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. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also available 24 hours a day: 1-800-273-8255. 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. All evidence indicates that Saniyya ended her own life, but the investigation into her disappearance will not be closed until she is found. 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 . Saniyya Dennis, 19, was last seen leaving her dorm room at the SUNY Buffalo State College more than a week ago on April 24, authorities said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In the meantime, the family of Saniyya Dennis has traveled to Buffalo from New York City, and expressed their frustration Friday over the investigation so far. It appears that this poor girl took her own life,Erie County District Attorney John Flynnsaidat a news conferenceThursday morning. Minutes after that, her cell phone left the cellular network, meaning it was either powered off or destroyed. Saniyya Dennis, 19, was last seen on the SUNY Buffalo State College campus on April 24, the. Odd, Flynn held his conference days before Mothers Day without any regard for the Dennis family, the statement said.