Kiely Rodni divers say her death 'reeks of foul play' after her body was found in unusual position in her submerged car
Olivia House
Published Sep 17, 2026
A DIVER that found a teen's body suspects foul play may have been involved in her death.
Kiely Rodni, 16, vanished on August 6 following an end-of-school bash in California before her body was discovered in the back of her submerged Honda SUV weeks later.
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Divers from the search and recovery group Adventures with Purpose found her remains on August 21.
Lead diver Doug Bishop, 38, suspects foul play may have been involved in Rodni’s death.
He told FOX News Digital: “It doesn’t add up. It reeks of foul play.”
The divers chronicled their search for Rodni in a YouTube documentary and one confirmed that her body was not in the driver’s seat.
They said: "It looks suspicious to me. The vehicle's upside down, some of the — one window’s halfway down. One window is all the way down."
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Rodni’s cause of death has not been confirmed by coroners.
A former medical examiner suspects the delays may have been caused by marine-life challenges.
Barbara Butcher claimed that temperatures and conditions may make an autopsy more difficult.
During an appearance on the online crime show DutyRon, she said: "Unfortunately, 80 degrees is not ideal for preservation of a body.
"This is a freshwater reservoir. I’m going to assume there were fish in it.
"And, you know…fish and crabs and other marine life nibble at the body. So, there is some degree of mutilation."
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The official coroners’ report has also not been released.
When approached by The Sun, cops said: “The [Nevada County] Sheriff's Office does have possession of records responsive to your request.
"It should be noted, however, [that] the investigation is not complete and is considered ongoing at this time.
"Once the investigation is complete, [the] release will be pursuant to all privileges and/or exemptions that may apply.
"We expect the investigation, review, and redaction processes to be completed by November 1, 2022."
Rodni’s remains and car were found in the Prosser Creek Reservoir.
A web sleuth, who is part of the group CheckitTV, claimed to have found an Apple Mac laptop covered by stickers on the bank.
The device was covered in stickers that read: “Drugs are bad” and “virginity rocks”.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Checkit TV, who said Kiely's belongings were confirmed by her grandpa, David Robertson.
A duffel bag, hairbrush, charge cord, and gift box were also reportedly retrieved from the scene.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
Rodni vanished without a trace after attending an end-of-school bash near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee.
One of her friends Sami Smith compared the party to Lord of the Flies.
In an interview with The U.S. Sun, she claimed partygoers engaged in illegal activity.
She also claimed that there were “sketchy, older guys” at the party.
Rodni's family paid tribute to the teen after she was positively identified.
It said: “My sweet sweet girl. My love. My heart. An ocean of grief that I will cry, tear by tear, for the rest of my life. Or however long it takes to cry an ocean.
"Our fierce, brilliant muse. A ballad composed of joyous melody and sorrowful harmony.
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“No sound will ever lay so sweet on our ear; no lyrics will ever dance so gracefully from our tongue. Hers was a song we know by heart. Hers was life all her own.”
The grieving family signed off: "Goodnight dear child. Sleep well."
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