DANDRIDGE, Tenn. — Editor's Note: We previously reported that the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office told WBIR that Serenity Kinsey walked away from a camping site. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said she walked away from her home.
Update (6 p.m.):
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that a dive team found 7-year-old Serenity Kinsey's body in Douglas Lake. Search teams found Kinsey's body in the lake near her home, according to the TBI.
"Our hearts go out to her family during this difficult time," the TBI said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for Kinsey Thursday morning after she was first reported missing overnight.
According to Jefferson County deputies, the Kinseys live alongside the lake.
JCSO told 10News that Serenity wandered out of her Indian Creek Road house late Wednesday night but the sheriff said this has happened multiple times in the past. They also said that a family member saw her inside the home sometime after midnight, but when they woke up, they realized she was gone.
"This is not the first time that this has happened, and unfortunately, it's the worst-case scenario," said Sheriff Jeff Coffey.
Serenity's family called 911 around 5 a.m. and that's when the search started, according to JCSO. Multiple counties and law enforcement agencies helped during the search. Coffey said hundreds of people and officers from different counties joined the search.
"If we didn't have them, we couldn't do it on our own. There's no way," said Coffey. "They're all volunteers. It's the Fourth of July, and I'm sure there were all kinds of plans today. They dropped all their plans and everything they were doing with their families."
One person who joined the search said they had taught Kinsey in school.
In a release, the sheriff's office said it immediately began searching for Kinsey after responding to the scene. It said deputies used drones and helicopters to help find her, working with other law enforcement departments in East Tennessee.
The sheriff's office said its initial investigation revealed Kinsey had left on two other occasions in the past, but had been quickly found nearby. However, it said she was missing from her room this time and was last seen at around 1 a.m.
It said during the search, a K-9 led a deputy to the area of a dock on Douglas Lake and authorities began scanning the area. The sheriff's office said they saw a "suspicious signature" on radar near the dock and began searching the area. At around 11:18 a.m., divers reported that Kinsey's body had been found, JCSO said.
Her body was taken to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for an autopsy.
This story is ongoing and we will update you as we learn more.
--------
Previous:
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert for a missing child with autism who wandered away from her home overnight.
Serenity Alanna Marie Kinsey, a 7-year-old, left her home near the Indian Creek Road and Sky Way area of Dandridge. She was last seen around 1 a.m., the TBI said.
Kinsey is non-verbal, 3'0" tall, 55 pounds and has curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing black shorts and a blue shirt, according to the TBI.
If you spot Kinsey, call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
