A body discovered in South Carolina coastal waters is that of a missing college student who vanished on Halloween, according to local police.
Owen Tillman Kenney, 19, was last seen early on October 31, according to the Charleston Police Department.
Kenney, who was attending the College of Charleston at the time of his abduction, was reported missing on November 1, according to authorities.
According to a news release, around 8:45 a.m. ET on November 8, the agency’s Harbor Patrol units responded to a report of a body in the water near Patriots Point, with assistance from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston County Rescue, and the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. The location is at Mount Pleasant, east of downtown Charleston.
The victim’s corpse was removed from the water, and the Charleston County Coroner’s Office recognized him as Kenney, according to a news release issued on November 8.
Kenney, according to detectives, was traveling alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway before going missing. The walkway connects downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant.
How do the police believe Owen Kenney died?
Although Kenney’s official cause and manner of death was awaiting postmortem results, police stated detectives determined “he had taken his own life after walking on the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway at 3:49 a.m. on October 31.”
What was Owen Kenney’s last known location?
Police say Kenney was last seen by friends around King Street and Burns Lane downtown at 2 a.m. ET before being caught on camera walking.
According to authorities, Kenney’s cell phone’s last recorded position was on the Ravenel Bridge.
Kenney attended and graduated from a high school in Red Bank, New Jersey, according to the Asbury Park Press, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
“I would like to thank everyone who took part in the effort to get Owen back to his family,” stated Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker. “We hope that this recovery gives some kind of closure to a family that has suffered unthinkable tragedy. We urge that everyone continue to respect the Kenney family’s privacy at this difficult time.”
Following Kenney’s abduction, the College of Charleston announced on its Facebook site that support was available to anyone affected by the case.
“Students can receive assistance by contacting the Counseling Center, and faculty and staff may contact AllOne Health,” according to the message.
