19-year-old College of Charleston student who disappeared on Halloween died by suicide: police

Police determined that a 19-year-old College of Charleston student who disappeared near his home on Halloween took his own life and are now searching for his missing body.

Owen Tillman Kenney, of New Jersey, was last seen by his friends near King Street and Burns Lane around 2 a.m. on Oct. 31, according to the Charleston Police Department.

His family said that the location was just “minutes from his house.”

After nearly a week of searching for the missing teen, police tragically uncovered “video evidence” that indicated Kenney “took his own life after walking onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway” above the Cooper River, Charleston cops announced Thursday.

The Ravenel Bridge is roughly three miles away from where Kenney was last spotted.

“Our priority has always been and will remain Owen’s family. This is a real case involving a real family living through unimaginable pain, and they deserve compassion, privacy, and support from all of us,” Chief Chito Walker said.

Multiple agencies, including the Charleston Police Department’s Underwater Recovery Team, Harbor Patrol, and an Unmanned Aerial System Team are still scouring the Cooper River and surrounding area for the student’s body.

Other federal, state, and local agencies are also assisting with the search, including teams from New Jersey.

Kenney was from Tinton Falls, New Jersey and graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School.

He was dressed in a green-and-white Boston Celtics jersey for Halloween, but was seen wearing a black hooded jacket, light-colored pants, and black Nike sneakers with white soles in footage that captured him approaching the bridge.

Kenney also has tattoos on his right forearm, left shoulder, left shin, and knee, his family said.

His phone was last pinged near the bridge, police said. His frantic roommate tried to track his location, but couldn’t because his phone died around the time he went missing.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.