CHARLESTON, SC - Authorities have confirmed that the body of a missing college student from New Jersey was recovered Saturday morning, November 8, in waters off Charleston.
Charleston Police said Harbor Patrol units located a body around 8:45 a.m. at Patriots Point with assistance from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston County Rescue, and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, NJ.com reported. The Charleston County Coroner's Office later identified the male as Owen Kenney.
Kenney was reported missing on November 1. During the investigation, detectives determined he took his own life after walking on the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway around 3:49 a.m. on Halloween. He was 19 years old. "I would like to thank everyone who took part in the effort to get Owen back to his family," Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker said in a statement.
"We hope this recovery brings some measure of closure to a family experiencing unimaginable loss. We ask that everyone continue to respect the privacy of the Kenney family during this difficult time," he added. Police said Kenney was captured on surveillance footage walking alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway about three miles from where he was last spotted and his phone last pinged him from the same area around 3:00 a.m., the New York Post reported.
Kenney, of Tinton Falls, was a 2024 graduate of Red Bank Catholic High School who transferred to the College of Charleston in January, a school spokeswoman said. "There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young and so full of promise," College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu said in a statement.
"Now is the time to surround his family with love, to support the friends and classmates who are grieving, and to remind each other that no one in our campus family carries this weight alone. We encourage students who have been impacted to seek support through the Counseling Center," he added.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to support Kenney's family following the news of his death. "Owen's infectious smile, kind heart, and joyful spirit touched everyone who knew him," the campaign description reads. "He will never be forgotten, and his memory will live on in the love of his family and friends."
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeLine.org.
Charleston Police said Harbor Patrol units located a body around 8:45 a.m. at Patriots Point with assistance from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston County Rescue, and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, NJ.com reported. The Charleston County Coroner's Office later identified the male as Owen Kenney.
Kenney was reported missing on November 1. During the investigation, detectives determined he took his own life after walking on the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway around 3:49 a.m. on Halloween. He was 19 years old. "I would like to thank everyone who took part in the effort to get Owen back to his family," Charleston Police Chief Chito Walker said in a statement.
"We hope this recovery brings some measure of closure to a family experiencing unimaginable loss. We ask that everyone continue to respect the privacy of the Kenney family during this difficult time," he added. Police said Kenney was captured on surveillance footage walking alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway about three miles from where he was last spotted and his phone last pinged him from the same area around 3:00 a.m., the New York Post reported.
Kenney, of Tinton Falls, was a 2024 graduate of Red Bank Catholic High School who transferred to the College of Charleston in January, a school spokeswoman said. "There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young and so full of promise," College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu said in a statement.
"Now is the time to surround his family with love, to support the friends and classmates who are grieving, and to remind each other that no one in our campus family carries this weight alone. We encourage students who have been impacted to seek support through the Counseling Center," he added.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to support Kenney's family following the news of his death. "Owen's infectious smile, kind heart, and joyful spirit touched everyone who knew him," the campaign description reads. "He will never be forgotten, and his memory will live on in the love of his family and friends."
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeLine.org.
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Comments
2025-11-10T21:31-0500 | Comment by: Melvin
Sad that he didn't se a way out of what ever was bothering him.