Missing teen located deceased, cause of death appears self-inflicted

In the morning hours of August 17th, the Rapid City Police Department received a report of a missing teenager. Information gathered in the investigation indicated that the teen may have gone to the area of M-Hill.

 Officers of the RCPD, along with deputies of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and members of the Pennington County Search and Rescue conducted an exhaustive search of the area. In the afternoon hours of August 17th, the missing teen was discovered deceased in a wooded area just south of I-90 near Harmony Height’s Lane.

 At this point in the investigation, the death appears self-inflicted. There is no reason to believe the teen’s death was criminal in nature.

 Out of respect for a victim’s loved ones, it is not a common practice of the RCPD or the PCSO to issue information publicly about deaths that are self-inflicted. However, due to a number of public inquiries about this particular investigation, along with its public location, we have decided to address the basic facts surrounding the incident.

 The collective sympathies of the RCPD and the PCSO go out to the teen’s family and friends during this difficult time.