Kiely Rodni's Cause Of Death Is Now Official

Kiely Rodni sparked national headlines when she went missing in Truckee in Nevada County, California. The 16-year-old had been out partying with a crowd of about 200-300 people at Prosser Family Campground in the Lake Tahoe region, per ABC 10. Rodni had texted her mother before leaving the get-together and told her that she was on her way home, per Fox 13. Federal agencies had stepped in to help local and state authorities trace Rodni and her missing car. Even Doug the Bounty Hunter had been approached to assist in the search, but he was hesitant to get involved. Two weeks after her disappearance, Adventures with Purpose announced that they had found Rodni's body and her vehicle. She was subsequently confirmed dead by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.

A local outlet, KCRA, reported that mourners gathered at the Truckee Regional Park amphitheater in celebration of her life. Social media users, such as Gabby Petito's father, also reacted to Rodni's death. Her mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman shared that she still did not have closure after her daughter's death. "I'm standing because they are holding me up," she said of the Truckee community. The U.S. Sun reported that the family had cremated Rodni's remains privately as they quietly grieved their loss. Now, it seems as if the teenager's loved ones may be able to start picking up the pieces, as officials have finally confirmed Kiely Rodni's cause of death.

Kiely Rodni's remains were found in a Honda CRV on August 21. Per Adventure With Purpose, the vehicle was 14 feet beneath the surface of Prosser Lake. However, her cause of death was only confirmed on October 13. NBC News reports that the Nevada County Sheriff's office shared that Rodni's death was accidental. A pathologist found that there was no foul play involved in the teen's death and that she had drowned. "As always, our office will continue to work with the family by evaluating any additional information related to this investigation," the statement said.

According to Fox News, 18 local, state, and federal agencies had been looking for Rodni for two weeks, using boats with sonars, helicopters, and divers to find her. However, Oregon-based divers, Adventures With Purpose, found Rodni after just 35 minutes of looking for her. Her vehicle was tipped upside down, and the deceased's remains were in the rear section of the Honda CRV. The car was 55 feet from the shoreline. In AWP's video footage, Rodni's dad could be heard, asking, "How in the f*** could they have missed it?" AWP's Nick Rinn told Fox News, "It was so shocking because I couldn't believe we came in after all that time and found it." He added, "It was also a sad moment ... No one wants to tell a parent, 'We found your daughter and she's not coming home.'"