Kenny DeLand Jr FOUND SAFE! Missing NY student, 22, located alive in Spain after 3 weeks, says father
GRENOBLE, FRANCE: Missing New York student Kenny DeLand Jr has been found alive in Spain, announced his father Kenneth DeLand Sr. He was found three weeks after his mysterious disappearance from the University of Grenoble in France.
On December 16, DeLand's father shared the news in the middle of an interview with CNN. “He is alive — that’s all I can say,” he said. The 22-year-old went missing during his study in France and is now located somewhere in Spain, according to Eric Valliant, a French prosecutor who confirmed the information to CNN.
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According to the prosecutor's office, DeLand called his father on Friday, December 16, and said that he sounded 'OK'. The Rochester student last communicated with his parent on November 27, reports ABC News.
DeLand Sr. was being interviewed by CNN when he got the call from his son on Friday morning. He hung up immediately and told the outlet later that it was "good news.". “He is alive — that’s all I can say,” the father said. The officials also have not shared details on what happened to the student while he went missing.
The DeLand family created a website for information after their son went missing. "Our Son Kenny Called Us, and He is Safe. We are so happy to announce that Kenny is safe; we received a call from Kenny in the early morning hours on December 16, 2022. Kenny is in Spain, and Carol (his mom) is in France, preparing to see Kenny and hopefully bring him home for Christmas," read the website updating the breakthrough information.
The website stated, "We will update with more information as we get it! THANK YOU to everyone for helping us bring Kenny home!".
DeLand Jr, a senior at St John Fisher University in New York, went missing while he was on a study abroad program in southeastern France. He was due to return home for the holidays but in late November, his mother received a distressing call from a college liaison worker, informing her that he had gone missing. The college filed a missing person report after he failed to show up for more than 24 hours. ABC News reports that his fellow students described to the French Interior Ministry that DeLand Jr. of being in a “fragile mood” and possibly “depressed.”
MEAWW previously reported that he was "insufficiently prepared" for life in France and he struggled to make friends. He left his host family's home on November 27, boarding a train to Valence, France, and he last contacted his family through WhatsApp the same day. On November 30, Deland's phone was believed to have 'pinged'.
Prosecutor Valliant said: "He was not feeling well. He himself had mentioned that he wanted to leave earlier by going to Marseille.", reports ABC News. DeLand Jr's family awaited his arrival for the holidays and he was scheduled to leave France on December 15.