Sheriff releases new details after missing Jefferson Co. 7-year-old found dead
Serenity Kinsey, the 7-year-old at the center of an AMBER Alert, was found dead in Douglas Lake Thursday morning.
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The body of a missing girl with autism in Jefferson County was found in Douglas Lake, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey.
Serenity Kinsey was reported missing around 5:15 a.m. Thursday after her family noticed she had left her home on Indian Creek Road in the night.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER Alert for Kinsey, elevating the search.
Coffey said a ground search began immediately and drones were used as well as Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopters and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators found the 7-year-old had left the home two other times in the past but was quickly found both times. Family noticed she was missing at the time of the call and said they hadn’t seen her since 1 a.m.
“One of the first responding deputies deployed his K-9 partner which lead him to the area of a dock on Douglas Lake,” officials said. “The Sheriff’s Office and TWRA boats responded to that area and following a scan of the area both observed a suspicious signature on radar near a dock.”
Divers and an underwater device from the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency began searching the water.
They recovered her body and took it to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for an autopsy.
“We want to send our condolences to her family and ask everyone to keep this family in your thoughts and prayers,” officials said. “We also want to thank all of the agencies who responded and assisted with this incident.”
Copyright 2024 WVLT. All rights reserved.
