Community response after child found dead at AMBER alert centre

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER Alert Thursday morning for missing 7-year-old Serenity Kinsley.

At 10:23 a.m., AMBER alerts were sounded throughout Tennessee to alert residents of the ongoing search operation.

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But less than an hour later, Kinsley’s body was discovered in Douglas Lake.

“The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was here helping us, and all the departments in the county were helping and assisting us,” said Sheriff Jeff Coffey. “There were hundreds of personnel in neighboring counties involved in this search. It’s just a sad day.”

Kinsley was autistic and non-verbal, and this wasn’t the first time she had been reported missing. The sheriff’s office said that in the other two incidents, Kinsley was found quickly and nearby.

The community around Dandridge responded to the death and tried to understand the situation.

“It’s pretty annoying,” said the Indian Creek dock owner. “It’s the Fourth of July, the time when families want to go out and have fun. But then they wake up and see helicopters flying around and boats with scuba gear moving quickly through the water. It just makes me sad that something like this is happening today.”

According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death among children with autism spectrum disorders.

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