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DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide
A $10,000 reward for information has been offered by her family.
www.wivb.com
DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide
A $10,000 reward for information has been offered by her family.
www.wivb.com
DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Thursday morning, we received an update on the disappearance of Buffalo State College student Saniyya Dennis.Dennis, 19, was last seen leaving her dorm on April 24. In the middle of that day, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn says Dennis had been in an argument with her boyfriend that ended with him breaking up with her.
Dennis continued to attempt contacting him, and said she was going to kill herself.
Her boyfriend was in New York City the entire time, and is not considered a suspect in her disappearance.
Later that day, in another conversation with a male friend in New York City, she said she was planning to commit suicide.
That evening, Dennis and her friend stayed on the phone together for about four hours. In that conversation, she had said she was reconsidering what she said about suicide, and was feeling better than she was earlier.
About an hour after that phone conversation ended, Dennis threw personal items into a garbage can. Flynn did not say what those items were, but said they would make someone believe she wasn’t planning to return to her dorm.
This was around 11 p.m. Shortly after throwing those personal items away, her bus card was swiped at a nearby bus.
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. Around Midnight, Dennis texted her mother, telling her she loves her and that she’ll call her the next day.
She also texted her friend, saying she wouldn’t see him this summer.
The last time Dennis was seen on video was around 12:17 a.m. She was seen on park cameras on the bridge along Goat Island Road.
As she was there, she received a text from a friend telling her to call him or else he’ll call police.
He then called her, and they spoke for about 45 minutes. In that conversation, Dennis said she was going to jump off a bridge.
Around 1 a.m., Dennis took a Snapchat selfie near the Nikola Tesla monument. Niagara Falls was in the background.
About 20 minutes after this, she texted a male friend, and said that she spoke with her mom and was on her way back to Buffalo. But that was not true, according to cell phone records.
Minutes after that, her cell phone left the cellular network, meaning it was either powered off or destroyed.
All of this information was provided to Dennis’ parents on Wednesday afternoon.
“It appears this poor girl took her own life,” Flynn says.
Multiple agencies have been involved in the search for Dennis, and the search will continue until she’s found. But Flynn says her body may not be able to be recovered.“Yesterday afternoon, members of my office met with the family of Saniyya Dennis to provide an update on the investigation into her disappearance. 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.
While the Erie County District Attorney’s 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.
My office and our partners in law enforcement have found no evidence of any criminality in this case. All evidence indicates that Saniyya ended her own life, but the investigation into her disappearance will not be closed until she is found.
My thoughts and prayers remain with Saniyya’s family and friends during this difficult time.
Thank you to all who have assisted in the search to find Saniyya. 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 Sheriff’s 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.
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.”
ERIE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN FLYNN
Watch the full conference below:
Evan Anstey is a digital content producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.Depression and suicidal thoughts are often exhibited in many ways. Warning signs for suicide can include, but are not limited to, talking about wanting to die; conveying feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness or being a burden; and displaying extreme moods.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). It is a free, 24/7 service that offers support, information, and local resources. You can also click here for additional hotlines within your state.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention advises that you do not leave the person alone, call a prevention hotline, and take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
For more information on suicide prevention, including additional resources and warning signs, you can visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website.
For resources specific to police officers, click here.
INFORMATION SHARED BY NEXSTAR CONTRIBUTOR PIX 11
DA: Missing Buff State student appears to have died of suicide
A $10,000 reward for information has been offered by her family.
www.wivb.com
DA Press conference
LOCAL NEWS
Missing Buffalo State student's parents 'very concerned' about their daughter
Police say there was nothing suspicious about the way she left her room, and that there's no indication of a criminal investigatiAuthor: Jeff PrevalPublished: 5:19 PM EDT April 29, 2021
Updated: 5:41 PM EDT April 29, 2021
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Family and friends of a missing Buffalo State student are hoping that she is found safely.
Saniyya Dennis, 19, has been missing since Saturday night. She was last seen leaving her residence hall on campus.
"I'm very concerned about Saniyya," said Saniyya's mom, Latisha Dennis.
Saniyya is a sophomore, an honor and engineering student from the Bronx. Her parents traveled to Buffalo to search for their daughter, who they say they haven't heard from in six days.
"We just want our daughter back. We love her and miss her very much, and this is really hard," Latisha said.
An elevator surveillance picture shows the last time she was seen – Saturday around 11 p.m., leaving her dorm room in Bishop Hall. Saniyya's mom says she talked to her the previous day.
"She's more of a home body, and if she was to go out, it was a big event going on, she would be happy to share it. She often shared things with me that she was doing, so I have no idea where she was going," Latisha said. "It was reported that she hadn’t shown up to work, and she didn’t show up to class, and she’s not like that. She’s very studious."
University Police say they've talked to friends of Saniyya, who say they saw her earlier in the day Saturday, but don't know where she was going. Because of COVID restrictions, students don't have roommates.
"It does provide us with less information than you would have with a situation where a student was residing with a roommate," University Police chief Peter Carey said.
Police say there was nothing suspicious about the way she left her room, and that there's no indication of a criminal investigation.
"I'm offering a reward out of my own money, $10,000, $20,000, whatever. I swear I'll pay, just give details. You don't even have to tell your name, just details that connect. I swear I'll pay you, I just want to get my daughter back, that's it," said Calvin Bird, Saniyya's dad.
Added Latisha: "If anybody seen her if anybody heard from her no matter what just call."
University Police say they're working with NFTA Police and police downstate to find Saniyaa. If you have any information about her whereabouts you're asked to call University Police at 716-878-6333.
Police say they do have information on which way she left campus, but that hasn't led to any substantive leads.
Missing students are rare at Buffalo State.
"We’ve never had a missing person case such as this we’re experiencing now with Ms. Dennis," Carey said.
Latisha Dennis says she will put up signs around campus Friday hoping that lead to her daughter being found.
Missing Buffalo State student's parents 'very concerned' about their daughter
Police say there was nothing suspicious about the way she left her room, and that there's no indication of a criminal investigation.
www.wgrz.com
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