Multi-Agency Ground Search Planned for Serenity Dennard

Authorities in western South Dakota plan another ground search this weekend for a girl who has been missing since she ran away from a residential youth home four months ago.

About 120 people are expected to gather Saturday to search for Serenity Dennard. Serenity was 9 when she went missing Feb. 3 from the Black Hills Children’s Home in Rockerville.

The team will be led by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and Pennington County Search and Rescue. Other agencies will join the search including police departments in Rapid City and Box Elder, the U.S. Air Force, South Dakota Civil Air Patrol and Wyoming Search and Rescue.

Authorities plan to continue searching a grid around the children’s home.

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom  shared some stats saying that they followed up on 155 leads, some of which have been completed, some are still in progress, some are in state, some are out of state.

Thom said they will continue the search until they run out of leads.

Thom said he hasn’t put the cost of the search together, but said they recently moved around some federal money to help pay the costs.

Serenity is a Caucasian female, 4 foot 7 inches, 96 pounds, with blue eyes and shoulder length dark blonde hair. She was nine years old when she went missing, last seen wearing a long sleeved grey shirt with flowers, blue jeans and black snow boots.

If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Serenity Dennard, please contact the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at (605) 394-6115.

(KOTA)