Kiely Rodni’s cause of death may remain a mystery due to ‘complex’ autopsy after her body lay underwater for two weeks.
16-year-old Kiely Rodni mysteriously disappeared last month after reportedly being seen drunk at an end-of-school party near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee, California.
It wasn’t until a volunteer dive group joined the search days later that she was found inside her vehicle at the bottom of Prosser Reservoir, and Kiely Rodni autopsy report is yet to be released.
READ ALSO :Ares Muse: Missing Toddler found dead after vanishing while his parents slept
Jennifer Shen, Crime Laboratory Manager for the Chula Vista Police Department, revealed the autopsy is being delayed because authorities are waiting for toxicology results.
In an exclusive chat with The U.S. Sun, she said: “This particular case is compounded by the complexity of the samples required from a body submerged in water for two weeks.
“Decomposition can cause drugs and alcohol to redistribute within the body, a condition which can be exacerbated by submersion in water for a significant period of time.
“Therefore, the sample types collected are more complex, and require a high level of expertise to interpret any findings, and then to relate those findings to a potential cause of death. All of this takes time.
“It is not surprising the toxicology results are taking months to be released, and a cause of death cannot be ascertained without them, barring some significant injuries on the body that leave no doubt (i.e. shooting, stabbing, bludgeoning etc.
READ ALSO :Mother of 8-year-old killed in shooting from unsecured gun, charged
“There has been no indication that type of injury is present in this case. It may be a cause of death will not be something that can be absolutely determined.”
Shen, who has more than three decades of experience in the forensics field, said the police investigation would be centered on how she came to be in her car in the lake.
“Did she drive herself? Was she driven by someone else, who then escaped leaving her behind?” Jen asked.
“Are there any indications of self-defense wounds, damage clearly inflicted by another party, or unreasonably high levels of drugs/alcohol that would have precluded her from driving herself into the lake?
“These are all questions requiring answers through the investigative process, answers that cannot come without the results from the toxicology laboratory.”
READ ALSO ;Kayjuan Taylor : Woman chased down and shot to death by unknown gunman (video)
Shen added that toxicology laboratories suffer the same fate as many government entities, in that they have large backlogs and lengthy turnaround times.
“One of the things most frustrating for families of victims, is the length of time they often must wait for information about their loved one,” she went on.
POLICE INVESTIGATION
“This includes the investigation overall, and in some cases, the cause of death.
“In this case, the cause of death may well be related to ingestion of alcohol and/or drugs, either voluntarily or forcibly.”
READ ALSO :Pieper Lewis: Teen who killed her rapist ordered to pay $150K to his family
Adventures with Purpose traveled to the area and used state-of-the-art sonar technology to locate her car at the bottom of the lake, with her remains tragically found in the back on August 21.
Nevada County Sheriff’s previously said there will be a delay in releasing the cause of death as they await toxicology results and wrap up their ongoing investigation.
Many have suspected someone else may have been involved, but law enforcement is yet to confirm they feel her death involved foul play.
In a statement, a spokesman for Nevada County told The U.S. Sun: “The Sheriff’s Office does have possession of records responsive to your request.
“It should be noted, however, [that] the investigation is not complete and is considered ongoing at this time.
READ ALSO :Teryn Johnson stalked by hooded suspect moments before her fatal shooting in horrifying video
“Once the investigation is complete, [the] release will be pursuant to all privileges and/or exemptions that may apply.
“We expect the investigation, review, and redaction processes to be completed by November 1, 2022.”
They explained that if the records are still not available in November, they will further advise the media of a new date they may be released.
GRISLY DISCOVERY
When pressed further on the time frame, a spokesman added: “The toxicology report, which has not come back yet, will be included with the entirety of what we will release when the investigation is complete, and the records are ready for release.”
The diver who found Kiely Rodni speculated whether or not foul play was involved during the footage released this month, which is titled ‘How We FOUND Kiely Rodni: MURDER or ACCIDENT?’
Nick Ring can be heard saying: “She’s in the back of the vehicle,” while underwater checking her submerged car in an emotional video watched by thousands.
“She’s not in the driver’s seat. It looks suspicious to me. The vehicle’s upside down, some of the — one window’s halfway down. One window is all the way down.”
READ ALSO :Kasey DeBat death , Obituary, Funeral, Children, Husband, Parents
Read all the Latest News, Entertainment News and gossips here. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.
