The Mystery Of Sydney West's Disappearance
Sydney "Syd" West is a missing 19-year-old who hasn't been seen since September 30, 2020. Her last known location was on or near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Syd, a native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was in California to attend the University of California at Berkeley, according to the website, Find Sydney West. But things didn't go as planned when West started her freshman year.
According to Find Sydney West, the young woman had a concussion in the summer of 2020 before her freshman year of college. West's mother, Kimberly West, told the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (via Facebook) that being so far from home amid the isolation of the pandemic and virtual classes became too much for her daughter.
"She ended up having to drop midway through because she just couldn't do it," Kimberly said.
According to the Find Sydney West website, Syd decided to stay in California with friends and start college fresh in the fall of 2021. The day before she disappeared, Syd had a long conversation with her dad, Jay West, on the phone and they had planned to talk again the next day. When he couldn't reach her, he got worried and asked police for help finding Syd.
The San Francisco Police say Syd is believed to have last been seen in the area of Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge on the morning of September 30. They said at that time was considered at risk for depression.
There was thick fog the morning Sydney West disappeared
While Syd was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge after being dropped off by a ride sharing service, per Find Sidney West, video footage from various cameras on and around the bridge was useless due to thick morning fog. The ride sharing driver has also been cleared of any involvement. According to Find Syndey West, Syd loved the Golden Gate Bridge area and spent time there regularly.
Jay West told the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (via Facebook), "I'm her dad. I saw the video on the bridge. I don't know. There's just a lack of evidence that she's not with us anymore, and as a result of that, we're gonna keep looking."
Jay said of his missing daughter, "I just remember how full of life that kid is. She expressed love to her music, to her little sister — who she just absolutely adores."
While the family did get Syd's backpack and laptop back, her cell phone has never been found. Since her disappearance there's been no activity on her phone, her bank account, her credit card or her social media accounts.
According to Find Sydney West, there is a $25,000 reward for information that leads to finding Syd, who is described as 5'10 tall and about 130 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair. Anyone with information is asked to contact private investigator Scott Dudek at (925) 705-8328 or Dudek.associates@gmail.com.