Authorities have confirmed that 19-year-old Owen Tillman Kenney, a College of Charleston student who went missing in the early hours of Halloween, has died.
In a statement released on Thursday, Nov. 6, the Charleston Police Department announced that recently obtained video evidence shows Kenney “took his own life after walking onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway” at approximately 3:49 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 31.
Following this discovery, police have shifted from search operations to recovery efforts and said they will continue working closely with the Kenney family.
“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,” said Chief Chito Walker.
The update came shortly after authorities released a new image showing Kenney’s last known sighting.
Final Hours and Search Efforts
Investigators confirmed that Kenney was seen walking alone onto the Ravenel Bridge pedestrian walkway shortly after 3 a.m. on Oct. 31.
While earlier reports suggested he was dressed in a Boston Celtics jersey for Halloween, new video footage shows he was actually wearing a black hooded jacket, light-colored pants, and black Nike sneakers with white soles.
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His phone’s final signal was traced to the same bridge around 3 a.m., according to police.
Kenney’s roommates told NBC affiliate WCBD that they tried to track his phone but found it had already died when he disappeared.
Police noted that his friends last saw him in the King Street and Burns Lane area around 2 a.m., and he was officially reported missing the following day on Saturday, Nov. 1, as per a bulletin from the university.
During the extensive search, police deployed K9 units, an underwater recovery team, drone and aerial systems, and harbor patrol resources.
Remembering Owen
Kenney graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2024, according to a post shared by the school on Facebook.
He transferred to the College of Charleston in January 2025 and was midway through his second semester as a freshman, according to The Monmouth Journal and The Post and Courier.
