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Missing 7-year-old with autism found dead in lake near home, Tennessee police say

Serenity Kinsey, 7, was reported missing from her home in Tennessee hours before divers discovered her body, investigators say.
Serenity Kinsey, 7, was reported missing from her home in Tennessee hours before divers discovered her body, investigators say. Photo by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

The search for a missing 7-year-old girl came to a tragic end on the Fourth of July, Tennessee authorities said.

Serenity Kinsey’s body was found hours after she disappeared from her family’s home in Dandridge, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

“A dive team located her body in the lake near her home a short time ago,” the agency said on Facebook. “Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time.”

Serenity, who was autistic and nonverbal, went missing at about 1 a.m., prompting a statewide Amber Alert, investigators said.

She enjoyed playing in water, WVLT reported, citing authorities.

Investigators didn’t release additional details.

Dandridge is about a 30-mile drive east from Knoxville.

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This story was originally published July 4, 2024 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Missing 7-year-old with autism found dead in lake near home, Tennessee police say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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