Charleston, SC — Authorities are searching for 19-year-old Owen Tillman Kenney, a college student from New Jersey who mysteriously vanished on Halloween night, just minutes away from his home in South Carolina.
Kenney, a College of Charleston student, was last seen around 2 a.m. Friday near King Street and Burns Lane, according to the Charleston Police Department. His friends said he was only a short distance from home but never made it back.
“He was mere minutes from his house but never made it home,” his family wrote in a Facebook post.
Disappearance Timeline
Police said Kenney’s disappearance was reported on Saturday after he failed to return home. Detectives later obtained surveillance footage showing him walking alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway shortly after 3 a.m. Friday.
His phone last pinged from the bridge, and has been inactive since. Investigators believe this may have been his last known location.
According to AOL News, police initially described Kenney as wearing a green-and-white Boston Celtics Halloween costume, but video footage later revealed he was instead dressed in a black hooded jacket, light-colored pants, and black Nike sneakers with white soles.
Kenney has several tattoos — one on his right forearm, left shoulder, left shin, and knee — which authorities say could help in identifying him.
Search Efforts Intensify
Police have launched an extensive search involving multiple specialized units, including the Underwater Recovery Team, Harbor Patrol, K9 units, and an Unmanned Aerial System Team.
“We would like to thank the countless people who have been looking for Owen and sharing his photos on social media,” police said in a statement.
“While we recognize the tremendous public interest and concern surrounding this case, it is important to remember that at the heart of this investigation is a family searching for their loved one.”
Kenney’s roommates told local outlet WCBD that they tried to track his phone, but it went dead around the same time he disappeared.
“It’s honestly really eerie on campus right now,” said College of Charleston student Holland Cartmill. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s definitely scary. And I just really pray that this doesn’t happen again.”
Who Is Owen Kenney?
Kenney, originally from Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is a graduate of Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank. His family described him as a bright, kind young man who was thriving in college and loved his friends deeply.
“Please share and pray for his safe return,” his family urged in their public statement.
The Charleston Police Department continues to coordinate search efforts and review digital evidence to retrace Kenney’s final movements.
Community Response and Ongoing Investigation
The disappearance has shaken both the College of Charleston campus and Kenney’s hometown community in New Jersey. Students have held prayer gatherings, while volunteers have joined local authorities in distributing missing person flyers across the Charleston area.
Investigators are urging anyone with information about Kenney’s whereabouts to contact Charleston Police at (843) 743-7200 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry.
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