Boone County, Kentucky — Authorities have confirmed the tragic death of Jenny Din, a 9-year-old girl from Florence, Kentucky, whose disappearance prompted a large multi-agency search effort in Boone County.
According to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the child was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on Friday near the area of Macintosh Lane and Afton Drive.
Jenny Din, who had autism and was nonverbal, was reported missing shortly afterward, triggering an extensive search involving law enforcement agencies, volunteers and specialized rescue teams.
After approximately 25 hours of searching, members of the Hamilton County Underwater Search and Recovery team located and recovered Jenny Din’s body from a pond near the area where she had disappeared.
Officials said dive teams had already been searching the same pond earlier during the investigation, but locating someone underwater can be extremely difficult.
Lt. Anthony Theetge of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office explained that visibility in the water is often extremely poor, which complicates recovery efforts.
“It’s very dark and there is practically no visibility depending on the depth of the water,” Lt. Anthony Theetge said while speaking to reporters. “Many times search teams must rely almost entirely on touch rather than sight.”
Earlier Saturday afternoon, authorities announced that the case had been transferred to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, though officials later confirmed the discovery of the child’s body roughly two hours after that announcement.
Investigators said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the official cause of death.
At this stage, the case remains under investigation as authorities continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding Jenny Din’s disappearance.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the Boone County non-emergency line as the investigation continues.
The death of Jenny Din has deeply affected the community of Florence, Kentucky, where residents had joined authorities in searching for the missing child.
Community members and volunteers who participated in the search effort have expressed their condolences to the family as they mourn the loss of the young girl.
