Social media posts give little away just images of *** young American enjoying his exchange program in France. But Kenny Dylan jr vanished 15 days ago without *** trace after leaving the home of the host mother he was staying with. She explains that she's only spoken once to Kenny's mother, never to his father but agrees to speak exclusively to CNN without the camera. What the host mother told us was that of all the exchange students she'd had at her home, Kenny Dylan was the one that seemed to be having the most trouble fitting in and settling down to life here in Grenoble. She also said that of course, since he's disappeared, she'd been inundating him with messages To which he hadn't responded and she added that she had been reassured by that sighting of him about an hour south of here in that sports shop because she said it confirmed the possibility and her hope that in fact he'd gone and cut off communications voluntarily. It was taken on December three, Kenny Dylan spent just over $8 before vanishing altogether. According to his family Leaving behind only Facebook pictures of his life in France from Paris to the University of Grenoble Alpes. The last time Kenny Dylan turned up for lessons here at the university he was studying at was November 28 by the 29th when he failed to turn up *** missing person's report was filed and it emerged that he had left his host family that morning taking *** packed lunch, *** change of clothes, his wallet and his phone, Kenny Dylan hasn't been heard from since. We show Kenny's picture around the campus in the hope that someone may recognize him. When we find Kenny's friends. They prefer not to speak on camera. But tell us that Kenny had friends that were exchange students and some that were local. We care about him and we want him to come back safely, statements that contradict what french authorities have said, that Kenny struggled to make friends. What I'm telling you is he makes friends and he's easy to talk to like me. If you don't know my son, then it's tough for you to make some statement. Some bold statement. One of the things Kenny's friends told us is that he may have been stressed about the upcoming exams. Is that something that you recognize? He's in *** foreign country? He's pretty upbeat kid, you know what I mean? So it's possible. Sure he was anxious. He was, he wanted to do good, He wanted to prove that he could get good grades. Even on the trip of *** lifetime, Kenny, Dylan Junior chronicled his journey to France in august. His father still hopes he'll be able to pick him up. As planned on saturday, Melissa Bell CNNN
College student who went missing while studying abroad in France is alive, his father says
Updated: 11:08 AM EST Dec 16, 2022
Kenny DeLand Jr., the American student who was reported missing more than two weeks ago in Grenoble, France, is alive, his father Ken DeLand Sr. told CNN on Friday.DeLand Jr. is in Spain, French Prosecutor Eric Vaillant told CNN, adding only that the young man had spoken Friday with his parents.DeLand Jr.'s father had been in the middle of a call with CNN when he suddenly hung up. He later messaged CNN to report "good news" — and said he'd just spoken with his son."He is alive — that's all I can say," he told CNN.Deland Sr. did not elaborate on what his son told him and did not explain where his son has been for the past two weeks.A senior at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York, DeLand Jr. had been studying at the University of Grenoble Alpes, according to his family. His parents in recent days said they had not heard from him since Nov. 27.His fellow students reported him missing on Nov. 29, prompting Vaillant to launch an investigation, the Grenoble prosecutor had said.The woman who had hosted DeLand in France thought he may have left voluntarily, she told CNN before he was found — echoing a theory Vaillant put forward this week.But the young man's parents didn't believe that was the case, and his father as recently as Wednesday decried what he called a response from authorities that was not sufficiently urgent.Interpol on Thursday issued a Yellow Notice for DeLand, saying he went missing on Nov. 27. Such notices are issued to help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify anyone who cannot identify themselves, according to Interpol.DeLand had been scheduled to return to the U.S. on Saturday, his father said before he was found, adding that although the student liked to go hiking, he would always keep in touch."For him to not reach out, with no correspondence, this is very uncharacteristic of my son," DeLand Sr. told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday. "This is what creates all the worry that any parent could ever feel.""As time goes by, it makes you worry even more."He was seen at a store on Dec. 3, a prosecutor saidWhen Vaillant announced Monday he was investigating DeLand Jr.'s disappearance, he said the student seemed "to have left Grenoble voluntarily.""The young man reportedly told several people that he had arrived in France underprepared and was having difficulty making friends," Vaillant said Monday.The student had been seen on Dec. 3 in a store in the town of Montélimar, roughly a 90-mile drive southwest of Grenoble, Vaillant said.And Deland had mentioned he wanted to go to Marseille, a city along the Mediterranean some 190 miles south of Grenoble, before returning to the U.S., Vaillant said.Of all the students DeLand's host mother had welcomed, he seemed to have the most trouble fitting in, the woman told CNN this week on the condition of anonymity out of concern for her privacy.When the host mother hadn't heard from DeLand, she inundated him with messages trying to figure out where he was, but he did not reply, she said. Learning that he'd been seen on Dec. 3 was reassuring, she said, because she felt it confirmed her suspicions he may have left and cut off communications voluntarily.
Kenny DeLand Jr., the American student who went missing in Grenoble, France, more than two weeks ago is alive, his father Ken DeLand Sr. told CNN on Friday.
His father was in the middle of a call with CNN when he suddenly hung up. He later messaged CNN to say "good news" and that he had just spoken with his son.
"He is alive — that's all I can say," he told CNN.
Deland Sr. did not elaborate on what his son told him, and he did not explain where his son has been for the past two weeks.
Kenny DeLand Jr., a senior at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York, had been studying at the University of Grenoble Alpes, according to his family. His parents say they have not heard from him since Nov. 27. His fellow students reported him missing on Nov. 29, and an investigation was launched, according to Grenoble prosecutor Eric Vaillant.
French Prosecutor Eric Vaillant told CNN when asked that he was unaware that Kenny had been found.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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