The search for a missing College of Charleston student has ended in tragedy after police found video showing what happened to 19-year-old Owen Kenney. The teenager went missing in the early hours of Halloween morning, and his disappearance started a big search across South Carolina. What began as a rescue mission has now become an effort to recover his body.
According to TMZ, Owen was last seen on October 31, and people quickly became worried when he didn’t come back. His family, friends, and the College of Charleston community all came together to help look for him. The last photo taken of Owen showed him in a black jacket, black hat, light-colored jeans, and Nike sneakers.
Charleston Police found camera footage that showed Owen “walking onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway at 3:49 AM on Oct. 31 and taking his own life.” The bridge goes from Charleston to Mount Pleasant and crosses the Cooper River, and this is where Owen spent his last moments.
This isn’t the outcome anyone hoped for
After police found the video, everything changed. The team that was looking for Owen alive now had to switch to trying to find his body in the water. A special underwater recovery team is now searching the Cooper River below the bridge where Owen was seen.
Police officially listed Owen as missing on November 1, which was the day after he disappeared. They are now working with other groups to search the water under the Ravenel Bridge. This kind of search is hard work and needs special tools and people who know how to handle these situations.
The police have been staying in touch with Owen’s family during this whole time. Similar to another tragic case where warnings went unheeded, Charleston Police said the family is “living through unimaginable pain” while they wait for news about finding their son. The department has promised to help the family through every part of this difficult time.
This tragedy has hit the College of Charleston campus and the whole Charleston area hard. Owen had just started college, and his death has left his classmates, teachers, and many others sad about losing someone so young. While the underwater team keeps searching, everyone wants to help bring Owen back to his family so they can start to deal with their loss.
During such painful times, people often find ways to support each other, just like when one father’s kind act touched millions of people.
Published: Nov 7, 2025 04:00 pm