Missing teen found dead in Tahoe

After days of worrying about missing teen Alyssa Byrne, her family got heartbreaking news Friday morning when Byrne was found dead.

The 19-year-old went missing on New Year’s Eve after the SnowGlobe Musical Festival in South Lake Tahoe. Her family, friends and authorities  had been searching for her since.

The sad news came Friday morning about 8:30 a.m., when the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from a truck driver who had spotted Byrne’s body on the side of a snow embankment, about one mile from where the music festival was, according reports by the Reno-Gazette-Journal.

The sheriff’s office reported foul play is not being suspected at the time.  According to weather.com, around midnight on Tuesday morning, South Lake Tahoe was a chilling 12 degrees and dipped to 3 degrees by 5 a.m.

Byrne was staying at the Horizon Casino Resort in South Tahoe. Shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, friends reported Byrne missing. Cell phone records later found she last used her phone just before midnight.

Byrne’s family members started a Facebook page with updates, posting photos and asking for the public’s help in finding her. Some businesses even held fundraisers to help support the family while hundreds took to re-posting and sharing photos throughout the Bay Area.

On Friday morning, posts flooded in from people sending their condolences. Hours after her death was discovered, her father Kevin Byrne posted to his Facebook, thanking everyone for their support:

“Thank you all for the positive energy and the prayers and well wishes. When I’m asked ‘what can I do’ My answer is simply this…Keep praying and sending out your good thoughts. We appreciate them…And we appreciate each of you. I love you Alyssa!!”

Friends and family are attending a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Alyssa Byrne tonight at 7 p.m. at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma.