NEWS
Abducted 5 Year Old Found Dead
Horrible news out of East Berne this morning. Five year old Kenneth White was found dead this morning. He was abducted by someone the police believe is known to the family. The body was found last night with the assistance of a K-9 unit. An autopsy will be completed today.
First information is coming out of WRGB.
Berne Knox Westerlo released a statement:
Dear Parents, It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School community. Earlier this morning, police confirmed that one of our elementary school students was found deceased near his home. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of our student. A student death is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in some students. During this time, as the school community processes the tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counseling and bereavement support services to all of our students and staff. A team of counselors, school psychologists and social workers will provide support to any students or staff members in need throughout the upcoming days. The district has also been in contact with local law enforcement to ensure that BKW is a safe environment for your children. Your child may be affected by this tragedy even if he or she did not know the student well. I encourage you to talk with your child about what has happened. Discussing their thoughts and feelings about this situation is important in helping your child work through his or her grief. If you feel that your children need to speak to a counselor or other adult, please do not hesitate to call the school and let us know. At this time, very little is known about the circumstances of the student’s death and the resulting investigation. We encourage parents to emphasize to their children that there may be rumors or false information in a situation like this one, and if they want to talk about something they hear, they should talk to an adult. This is a difficult time for all of us, but I know that our students, staff and community will draw together to work through this tragedy together.
Sincerely, Dr. Joseph L. Natale Interim Superintendent
First information is coming out of WRGB.
Officials confirm that a person of interest in the case has been questioned by authorities, and say that person is not Kenneth's biological mother or father, but knew the family. They expect an arrest will be made in the case soon. Police are planning a briefing on Friday at 1 p.m.WTEN is reporting that the initial Amber Alert that stated that the boy was taken by two men turned out to be false, says the Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple:
“At this point it’s safe to say that the reports of the masked men in the black truck, those are false,” says Apple.The Sheriff also believes that there will be an arrest today. There will be a police press conference at 1pm today.
Berne Knox Westerlo released a statement:
Dear Parents, It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School community. Earlier this morning, police confirmed that one of our elementary school students was found deceased near his home. Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family and friends of our student. A student death is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in some students. During this time, as the school community processes the tragic news and copes with grief, we will offer counseling and bereavement support services to all of our students and staff. A team of counselors, school psychologists and social workers will provide support to any students or staff members in need throughout the upcoming days. The district has also been in contact with local law enforcement to ensure that BKW is a safe environment for your children. Your child may be affected by this tragedy even if he or she did not know the student well. I encourage you to talk with your child about what has happened. Discussing their thoughts and feelings about this situation is important in helping your child work through his or her grief. If you feel that your children need to speak to a counselor or other adult, please do not hesitate to call the school and let us know. At this time, very little is known about the circumstances of the student’s death and the resulting investigation. We encourage parents to emphasize to their children that there may be rumors or false information in a situation like this one, and if they want to talk about something they hear, they should talk to an adult. This is a difficult time for all of us, but I know that our students, staff and community will draw together to work through this tragedy together.
Sincerely, Dr. Joseph L. Natale Interim Superintendent