New set of eyes investigate Serenity Dennard mystery

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - After talking to multiple private investigators, Serenity Dennard’s adoptive mother and stepfather hired an investigator from Veracity, a firm in Indiana. The same place where coincidently Serenity’s stepfather once lived.

More than a year and a half later and the whereabouts of Serenity Dennard are still up in the air despite the extensive search from local and surrounding states law enforcement.

That’s why the Gentrys’ want a new set of eyes on the case.

“We need someone who isn’t familiar with all of Serenity’s family, her friends. She has a very extensive family,” Darcie Gentry, Serenity’s adoptive mother, said.

Though the Gentrys made this decision together privately, Brian Gentry, Serenity’s stepfather, said Chad Dennard, Serenity’s adoptive father, has reached out to the private investigator and expects other family members to do so in the coming days.

“It’s not going to go cold,” Brian said. “We won’t allow that. We said that from the very beginning. Darcie and I did put this together after a lengthy conversation with the investigator that this was the right answer at this time.”

However, the private investigator comes with a hefty price tag starting at $2,500.

While the Gentrys are looking to the public for donations, past fundraisers have accumulated $1,900 so far.

As for the Black Hills Children’s Home in Rockerville, Darcie said she was just tired of being left with more questions than answers.

“We were just never able to even talk to anybody. You know we were never able to really learn anything from the workers or anybody up there so...,” Darcie said.

However, the idea of a lawsuit against the home is not on her radar right now.

“In the beginning, it’s easy to be angry at them because that was the last place she was at,” she said. “But you know you think about it and you start kind of rationalizing things in your mind. At this point I am not blaming anybody, I just would like to know what happened.”

“Darcy and I are not giving up until this little girl is found,” Brian said.

On top of donations, the Gentrys’ are asking for signatures as they continue to push for the ‘Serenity Alert’.

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