Authorities in South Carolina are actively searching for a 19-year-old college student who vanished on Halloween, just a short distance from his home.
The Charleston Police Department has reported that Owen Tillman Kenney was last observed around 3 a.m. as he walked onto the pedestrian walkway of the Ravenel Bridge. Initially, it was believed Kenney was wearing a Boston Celtics jersey; however, police later clarified that he was actually dressed in a black hooded jacket, light-colored pants, and black Nike sneakers with white soles. The young man, who is a student at the College of Charleston, stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 155 pounds.
Police have tracked Kenney’s phone to the Ravenel Bridge, marking the last known location of the device.
In a heartfelt message shared on Facebook, Kenney’s family expressed their distress, noting that he was “minutes from his house but never made it home.” They mentioned that the Boston Celtics jersey was part of his Halloween costume and added that he might have been wearing a black zip-up hoodie on that fateful night.
The search continues for Owen Kenney, who disappeared during the early hours of October 31. Authorities and family members remain hopeful for his safe return.
Owen Kenney went missing in the early hours of Oct. 31. (Charleston Police Department)
“We want Owen to come home,” his mother wrote on Facebook.
A spokesperson for the College of Charleston told The Post and Courier that Kenney transferred to the institution in January and is a freshman from Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
The College of Charleston said in a Facebook post it’s working with authorities to locate Kenney. In a campus advisory, the college said there’s “no reason to believe that there is any danger to the campus community in relation to this case.”
Owen Kenney was wearing a Boston Celtics jersey on the night he went missing. (Charleston Police Department)
Kenney’s roommates told WCBD they tried tracking his phone, but it was dead when he disappeared.
Julie, a resident on a nearby street, told the outlet, “I was totally shocked.”
“I was walking my dog yesterday, and I saw some girls putting up this sign behind me,” she added. “And when I spoke with them, they didn’t even know the student. They had just heard and were concerned. So, I think everybody in the community is really concerned that this is such an unusual thing to happen.”
Owen Kenney recently transferred to the College of Charleston. (Charleston Police Department)
Holland Cartmill, a student at the College of Charleston, said there’s a “really eerie” feeling on campus after Kenney’s disappearance.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s definitely scary. And I just really pray that this doesn’t happen again,” Cartmill said.
The Charleston Police Department said it’s working with the FBI and New Jersey State Police to locate Kenney.
Anyone with information about Kenney’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Charleston Police Department at 843-720-2422 or send a tip via www.charleston-sc.gov/tips.
