the father and step mom of kenny deland are desperate for information. heard from him in two weeks. we're going to speak to both of them in a moment. french investigators told them deland arrived in france underprepared and was having difficulty making friends. they say he seems to have left the town he was staying voluntarily. >> reporter: social media posts give little away. just images of a young american enjoying his exchange program in france. but kenny deland jr. vanished 15 days ago without a trace. after leaving the home of the host mother he was staying with. she explains she's only spoken once to kenny's mother, never to his father, but agrees to speak exclusively to cnn without the camera. she told us of all the exchange students she'd had at her home, kenny deland seemed to be the one having the most trouble fitting if had and settling down to life. she's been inundating him with messages, to which he hasn't responded. and she added she had been reassured by that siting of him about an hour south of him in that sports shop because she said it

the french woman who hosted kenny deland said she believes he left voluntarily. ance under prepared and was having difficulty making friends. he seems to have left grenoble voluntarily. deland's parents do not agree. cnn's melissa bell has more. >> reporter: social media posts gave little away. just images of a young american enjoying his exchange program in france. but kenny deland jr. vanished 15 days ago without a trace. after leaving the home of the host mother he was staying with. she explains she's only spoken once to kenny's mother, never to his father but agreed to speak exclusively to cnn without the camera. what the host mother told us was that of all the exchange students she had had at her home, kenny deland was the one seeming to have the most trouble fitting in and settling down in grenoble. since he disappeared she has been inundating him with messages to which he hadn't responded. she was reassured by the sighting of him an hour from here in the sports shop. it gave her hope that he had gone and cut off communications voluntarily. it was taken on d

but kenny deland jr. ace after leaving the home of the host mother he was staying with. she explains she has only spoken once to kenny's mother, never to his father, but agrees to speak exclusively to cnn without the camera. way the host mother told us was of all the exchange students she had had at her home kenny deland seemed to have the most trouble fitting in and settling down to life here. she said since he disappeared she has been inundating him with messages to which he hadn't responded and she added she had been reassured by the sighting about an hour south of here in the sport shop because it confirmed the possibility and her hope that in fact he had gone and cut off communications voluntarily. it was taken december 23rd. he spent just over $8 before vanishing all together according to his family leaving behind only facebook pictures of his life in france from paris to the university. the last time kenny deland turned up for lessons at the university he was studying at was november 28th. by the 29

. >>> breaking news, american student kenny deland jr. has been found alive speaking with his parents on the phone. what we know right now. >>> overnight, a major storm hits the northeast. millions hit with heavy snow, ice and rain.

you know, the more time that goes by, the more worried we become. >> kenny deland jr. en missing for more than two weeks. his father is disputing a french prosecutor's claim that deland had trouble making friends and adjusting to his study abroad program and likely left on his own. cnn's melissa bell spoke exclusively with the mother of the host family caring for deland. >> reporter: social media posts give little away, just images of a young american enjoying his exchange program in france, but kenny deland jr. vanished 15 days ago without a 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 a graes to speak exclusively to cnn without the camera. what the host mother told us is the exchange student she had at home, kenny seemed to have the most difficulty settling down. she had been inundating him with messages to which he hasn't responded. she added she had been reassured with the sighting of him an hour from here in the sports shop because it confirmed the possibili

college student kenny deland jr. missing from france on november 29th. one french official from the prosecutor's office says the young man reportedly told several people that he arrived in france underprepared and was having difficulty making friends, and seems to have left voluntarily. >> deland's parents dispute that assessment. cnn's melissa bell brings us the latest. >> reporter: social media posts give little away. just images of a young american enjoying his exchange program in france, but kenny deland jr. vanished 15 days ago without a trace. after leaving the home of the host mother he was staying with -- [ speaking non-english ] she explains she has only spoken once to kenny's mother, never to his father, but agrees to speak to the cameras. she told us that of all the exchange students she had had at her home, kenny deland jr. seemed to be having the most trouble fitting in and settling down to life. she also says she inundated him with messages to which he hasn't responded, and he was seen an hour south of

thank you. >>> and joining me now is kenny deland jr.'he phone. thank you both for being with me. we said that the last time you spoke with your son was november 27th. carol, what with you tell me about that conversation? >> you know, it was like any normal conversation that we have had. he's telling me about the time that he's having in europe, and he was looking forward to coming home for christmas, and starting to put the plans in place for that. >> and before he went silent over the last couple of weeks, ken -- was it typical for there to be long stretches without hearing from your son? >> no, i would hear from him frequently. not every day maybe necessarily, but every other day at the very least where he would check in and see how i was doing, and i would ask him how he was doing, and he enjoyed all the international travel that this trip had provided him, and he took lots of pictures. >> ken, the public prosecutor there said this. the young man reportedly told several people that he had arrived in france underprepared and was having

just images of a young american enjoying his exchange program in france but kenny deland jr. after leaving the home of the host mother he was staying with she explains 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 deland was the one that seemed to be having the most trouble fitting in and settling down to life here in grenobles. she said since he disappeared she was inundating him with messages to which he hadn't responded and had been reassured by the sighting of him in that sports shop because she said it confirmed the possibility and her hope that he had gone and cut off communications voluntarily. it was taken on december 3rd. kenny deland 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 grenobles, alps. the last time he turned up for lessons at the university he was studying at was november

. >> reporter: college senior kenny deland jr. heard from in more than two weeks, since november. >> we're waiting. we're worried. we don't know what -- you know, where he is. >> reporter: this is deland caught on a storage security camera december 3rd in the last known footage of him. a missing person's report was filed, getting local police involved, when he didn't return to his host family or show up for classes. that store deland was seen at is about an hour's train ride south of the university where he was studying. a prosecutor confirmed to cnn that he'd appeared to leave school of his own accord, adding, the young man reportedly told several people he arrived in france underprepared and was having difficulty making friends. he also mentioned that he wanted to go to mass say before leaving for the united states. >> i feel like i'm not receiving any information. it's been very difficult. you know, we've been really someone else stuck in the middle to do the speaking for us. >> reporter: deland's school and john fisher universi

kenny deland's last contact with his parents on november 27th. they haven't heard from him since.y're desperately trying to find him. this morning, a mystery deepening as the parents of missing american college student kenny deland are desperate to find him. >> i'm thinking this can't be possible. how did he go missing? what happened? >> reporter: the 22-year-old, a senior at st. john fisher university in new york, was on a study abroad program in southeastern france. due to return home next week, but in late november, mom carol received a call from a college liaison. >> she had filed a missing person report because they hadn't seen him in 24 hours. >> reporter: the family is in shock as they had been in constant contact with their son. he said he was enjoying his time abroad. >> he loves to travel, so this trip has been something that he's really looked forward to, and it's not characteristic of kenny to not reach out to us and let us know what's going on. >> reporter: the last time parents heard from their son was on november 27th. according to family, he boarded pa train and he

. >>> kenny deland jr. has not been seen in more than two weeks while in france. there is a french investigation. >> he was looking forward to coming home for christmas. >> reporter: kenny deland jr., a college student from upstate new york studying abroad in france, hasn't been heard from in more than two weeks according to his family. >> we're waiting. we're worried. we don't know what -- you know, where he is. >> reporter: this is deland caught on the store's security camera december 3rd in the last known footage of him. a missing person's report was filed getting local police involved when he didn't return to his host family or show up for classes. >> i haven't heard anything from them. >> reporter: that store deland was seen be in is an hour's train ride south where he was studying. deland appeared to leave school from his own accord. he told people he arrived in france under prepared and was having difficulty making friends. he also mentioned he wanted to go to marseille before returning home. >> i feel like i'm not receiving any information. it's been very

. >>> american college student kenny deland jr.france, after being reported missing two weeks ago while studying abroad. his father getting the news with a cnn producer that his son was actually in spain. so what was he doing for two weeks and why did he seem to vanish without a trace? here's cnn's melissa bell. >> reporter: after more than two weeks, word from an american student who vanished in france the moment the family of kenny deland jr. had been waiting for. >> and then he just stopped and said, wait. wait. it's kenny. i have to go. and the line went dead. >> reporter: he got the call from his son. >> it was about 15 minutes later that he called me back. and he just said he's alive. >> reporter: the family later releasing a statement saying in part we are so happy to announce that kenny is safe. kenny is in spain and his mother is in france preparing to see kenny and hopefully bring him home for christmas. adding, without the media's help, kenny would not have seen himself in the news. the 21-year-old senior at st. john fis

melissa bell is "outfront." >> he was looking forward to coming home for christmas. >> kenny deland jrr from upstate new york who's studying abroad in france, hasn't been heard from in two weeks. >> we're worried. we don't know where he is. >> this is deland. caught on a store security camera december 3rd in the last known footage of him. a missing persons report was filed getting local police involved when he didn't return to his host family or show up for classes. >> i haven't heard anything from him. >> that store deland was seen at is about an hour's train ride south of the university where he was studying. a prosecutor confirmed to cnn that deland appeared to leave school of his own accord, adding the young man told several people he arrived in france underprepared and he was having difficulty making friends. he also mentioned he wanted to go to mercai before leaving to go to the united states. >> i feel like i'm not really receiving any information. it's been very difficult. really someone else has been stuck in the middle to do the speaking for us. >> deland's school back in the

than two weeks word from an american student who vanished in france, the moment the family of kenny deland he just stopped and said, wait, wait, it's kenny, i have to go. and the line went dead. >> reporter: a cnn producer was on the phone with kenny deland sr. when he got the call from his son. >> it was about 15 minutes later that he called me back, and he just said he's alive. >> reporter: the family later releasing a statement saying in part, we are so happy to announce that kenny is safe. kenny is in spain and his mother is in france preparing to see kenny and hopefully bring him home for christmas, adding without the media's help kenny would not have seen himself in the news. the 21-year-old senior at st. john fishery university in rochester, new york, had been studying at the university of -- his parents said they hadn't heard for from him since november 27th. >> for him to not reach out with no correspondence, this is very uncharacteristic of my son, and this is what creates all the worry that any parent could ever feel. >> reporter: his fellow students reported him missing on nove

hi, david lee. >> the family of rochester, new york college student kenny deland says it is difficultecause authorities are not keeping them informed about the investigation to his whereabouts. the family blames privacy laws because their 22-year-old son is an adult. prosecutor in the city where he attended class and lived with a family saying he may have left the city voluntarily. he had difficulty making friends. he is headed to another city and his phone was detected for the last time. he was spotted december 3rd entering a sporting good store 100 miles south of where he had been living. the last time they texted november 27th, everything sounded normal. two days later after not attending class the school filed a missing person report with police. he is in a fragile mood and may be depressed. he packed a small bag with a change of clothes, cell phone, wallet, sandwich and not contacted them since. >> my gut says he is safe but i can't get my head wrapped around why he hasn't reached out. that's what puts the fear factor really in your gut as to the whereabouts and the safety of you

it had been 17 days since kenny deland sr.ad heard from his son and the producer happened to be on the phone with him at the end of his tether crying a lot at the fact he couldn't deal with this anymore. he hadn't slept and couldn't sleep until his son was heard from. it was then he received the news. he had a conversation with kenny and we've heard, of course, from the prosecutor that that conversation would have happened from spain. now, what we learned from kenny's father and yesterday is when he left his host family on the morning of the 28th we knew he was carrying a packed lunch, change of clothe, phone and wallet and discovered he had been carrying his passport. does that signal the intent he was going to cross the border. the family are clearly just ecstatic at the news and can't quite believe it. due to go back tomorrow to the states and they're hoping he'll be able to do that and put out a statement they set up find ken deland explaining their joy at the news that he had been found and that he was well. saying, thank

. >> new details today from the parents of kenny deland junior. he is the american college student who vanished while studying abroad in france. the land was last seen walking into a store almost 2 weeks ago. his parents said today that they still have a lot of unanswered questions. >> there was some news investigative news reporters that were actually able to >> find the hosts mom's home and interview her and ask her some questions. she has said the police have not spoken with her, which is alarming. how is it that the police have not questioned her? have the police question? people at the university. what's happening? why? you know, is this not a priority? >> french investigators reportedly have said that deland appear to have left his host home voluntarily. >> an iranian soccer player may be executed for his role in protests that have gripped iran for 3 months. we're not sure as a donny was arrested last month accused of being a member of a group involved in several iranian security a group accused of killing several iranian security officers d

. >>> breaking news, american student kenny deland jr. has been found alive speaking with his parents on the phone. what we know right now. >>> overnight, a major storm hits the northeast. millions hit with heavy snow, ice and rain. after ripping through the south, more than 50 reported tornadoes. we're live in the heart of the storm as ginger tracks its path. >>> winter virus spike. the white house announcing they'll distribute free covid test kits with flu numbers and hospitalizations on the rise and an antibiotic shortage. what to know before gathering for the holidays. >>> guilty. a texas jury convicts a former police officer of manslaughter for shooting and killing a black woman in her own home. the fallout this morning. >>> urgent search for this white hyundai spotted around the time of the idaho student murders. law enforcement going through more than 22,000 records to track it down desperate for a break in the case. >>> new overnight. tyler perry's candid confession, opening up about attempting to take his own life when he was you

kenny deland jr.as last seen on surveillance more than a week ago now at a store about 60 miles from where he was staying. the 22-year-old senior at st. john fisher university in rochester, new york, he was due to come home this week for the holidays after a semester abroad. the family says they, quote, fear the worst. >>> back here now, repairs under way tonight following that devastating oil leak in kansas, shutting down the keystone pipeline. nearly 600,000 gallons spilling into mill creek in washington county. pipeline officials now say the oil is contained. the pipeline carries oil from canada to refineries in the u.s. gas buddy tonight warning that gas prices in some areas may rise if that pipeline remains offline. and newly released satellite images showing the oil spreading through creeks and waterways. environmentalists concerned about potential long-term damage throughout the region. >>> when we come back here tonight, that breaking news, the young man authorities believe was behind a multib

. >>> breaking news, american student kenny deland jr.ive speaking with his parents on the phone. what we know right now. >>> overnight, a major storm hits the northeast. millions hit with heavy snow,

the family of kenny deland jr. ceived a call from kenny in the early morning hour. kenny is in spain and carol, his mom, is in france, preparing to see kenny and hopefully bring him home for christmas. the family had been searching for him since hearing from him november 27th. he was reported missing by fellow students november 29th. the family has not said what kenmy told them about where he has been and what he is doing. joining us, john miller, and errol lewis, and nayya, and errol, you said, he is probably traveling around europe, and i thought you were wrong. you were right. >> i had some experience with this in my 20s. you get a euro rail pass and you can ride any where on my train in europe pretty much for free. so you get around and one trees to see a little bit of the world. >> yeah, but that is before cell phones. i did it too, and your parents are not expecting to you check in every day. this was strange. he had checked in every day for weeks and he went dark -- >> it sounds like a heck of a trip. call yo

american institute of foreign studies says it's still hopeful kenny deland will be found. deland went missing in late november. he was later seen on security video at a store about an hour away before vanishing without a trace. they issued a yellow notice this week which is usually done to help locate missing persons. >>> michigan's attorney general says three members of a militia group have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a plot to kidnap governor gretchen whitmer. they must serve minimum sentences of 7 to 12 years. she calls this a powerful signal. two plotters said they deeply regretted their actions that day. >> i regret that i ever let hate, fear, anger into my heart the way i did. >> i would like to apologize for the stupid comments i made. i never meant her any harm. >> two other men, including the alleged ring leader will be sentenced later in federal court and could face life in prison. >>> the u.s. is sharing more details about the 1963 assassination of president john f. kennedy. the national archives released more than 13,000 previously

kenny deland, his parents haven't gotten any information.hey don't know what's happened to their son. they find the authorities in france not being terribly helpful. so they went on anderson last night. i think this is the sound from them. let's listen. >> i talked to the fbi today and i asked the fbi agent, you know, is there -- do you feel like there's any progress? what's the status? and i don't get anywhere. it just feels like the wind has gone out of the sail as far as what's being done to find my son, you know. the more time that goes by, the more worried we become. >> this is why parents do turn to the media and often it really helps. >> well, it can help in certain aspects, right? john, i think you can probably speak to this more than i can, but there are different constituencies here. the fbi is trying to solve the crime. that is their first, second, third, fourth and fifth interest in this case. they should have a better bedside manner. it's like doctors in the hospital. yes, their job is to save the patient, but wouldn't it be nic

. >>> right now the search for an american college student in france, kenny deland jr. week. the fbi is involved. the young man's parents are desperate for answers. demarco morgan is here with the story. >> reporter: this is a tough story especially around this time of year. kenny deland's parents said he was first reported missing when he didn't show up for class. he didn't check in with his host family, and with one week left before the holiday, his parents are hoping his friends, classmates, someone knows something that could lead them to their son. this morning, the urgent search for a u.s. student studying abroad. >> it's not characteristic of kenny to not reach out to us and let us know what's going on.anda was supposed to returne from yk, sotern france. buhis moth rconcerning pl in la novemb >>heado filepo b not seen him in 24 hrs. i'm not there i'm here. >> reporter: the last time his parents heard from their son was on november 27th. according to the family he boarded a train near the university and headed south, his phone pinging along the way. on december 3rd

kenny deland jr. was reported missing in france two weeks ago.e surfaced friday telling family members he was safe and in spain. deland's disappearance in november sparked a search through several countries. where he was and why he vanished is still unknown. >>> in peru, hundreds of tourists, including many americans, found themselves stranded at one of the country's most visited sites, the ancient city of machu picchu. all of peru is under a state of emer emergency. all trains to and from machu picchu have been suspended. that is the only way to get into that area. rafael romo joins me. raphael, talk about terrible timing. these tourists stuck at machu picchu probably had no idea what was happening. this is an unsettled situation in peru right now. >> reporter: yeah. you're absolutely right, jim. terrible timinged in. the south american country has had six presidents in less than five years. up until 10 days ago the turmoil rarely affected the hundreds of thousands of tourists, many of them americans, the inca citadel. it started december 7th wh

the investigation was launched after other students at the university in france said kenny deland juniors family had previously said they hadn't heard from him in weeks. friday, they told authorities he was safe in spain. a french diplomatic source says that the land junior and his -- the land -- deland junior and his mother are expected to travel back to the u.s. soon. airlines and airports are getting ready for heavy crowds ahead of holiday travel. christmas and new year's air travel is expected to come close to pre-pandemic levels. aaa says 14% more people will take to the skies compared to last year and more drivers are also expected to hit the roads, aaa estimating the heaviest congestion in san francisco will will be on the 28th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. still to come, new developments after sharon osbourne suffered a medical emergency this weekend in los angeles. a north bay community is celebrating hanukkah in a new fashion. what is planned for the nine foot menorah and the grand finale tonight. >> in every moment, there is an opportunity to find a path forward, to move ahead,

the family of kenny deland jr. say they haven't heard from him in more than two weeks. he's a senior at st. john fisher in rochester. he last made a purchase at a store on december 3rd. no one has seen him since. >>> first this morning we start with the clock ticking in washington, as it seems to happen almost every year. congress finding itself with just five days left to keep the government funded and avoid the latest republican threat to shut down the government. democrats looking to seal the deal on a full-year spending plan. some republicans may be trying to buy time until january. cnn's m.j. lee is live at the white house this morning. what is the white house's stance of where these talks stand and if any progress is being made? >> kate itlynkaitlyn, one offic talking to yesterday who has been involved in these talks said this time of year is the time of year when there is no weekend for people who work on these appropriations matters. the two sides are basically slogging through it right now. at the stage i'm told the two sides are presenting to each other vary v

. >> reporter: kenny deland jr., a college senior from upstate new york, studying abroad in france, hasn'td from in more than two weeks, according to his family. >> we're waiting, we're worried. we don't know what -- you know, where he is. >> reporter: this is deland, caught on a store security camera december 3rd in the last known footage of him. a missing persons report was filed, getting local police involved, when he didn't return to his host family or show up for classes. >> i haven't heard anything from him. >> reporter: that store deland was seen at is about an hour's train ride south of the university where he was studying. a prosecutor confirmed to cnn that deland appeared to leave school of his own accord, adding, the young man reportedly told several people that he had arrived in france under-prepared and was having difficulty making friends. he also mentioned that he wanted to go to marseille before he went home to the united states. >> i feel like i'm not receiving any information. it's been very difficult. you know, really, someone else has been stuck in the middle to do the

. >>> we now know the whereabouts of kenny deland jr. the american student studying abroad in france who was missing last month. his parents say he called them and that he is safe now. >> french prosecutors tell cnn he was in spain. a college senior, was scheduled to return home to the u.s. tomorrow. cnn's melissa bell is here now. is it clear how he ended up in spain, if he's still there now? what do you know? >> reporter: it isn't clear at all how he wound up there, victor and bianna. he had a conversation with his father, in fact, his father heard from him for the first time in 17 days, even as cnn producer was asking he was on the phone to the father who was getting distraught. it had been such a long time. he wasn't sleeping, really breaking down in tears for the first time since this ordeal of his began when he got the message that kenny had been found. he's since had a phone call with him. the family put out a statement in the hours after the phone call in which the family didn't learn very much about what had happened, simply tha

ken p kenny deland was last seen in november. he's a senior at st.niversity. >>> now to the still unsolved must ri of the four students killed near the university of idaho last month. four families going through the holidays without their loved ones, without any answers. investigators are sorting through a list of 22,000 hyundai elantras, one of which could provide a critical break in the case. joining me is john walsh, of "america's most wanted." john, it's good to see you. this case, it's been over a month. authorities have yet to name a suspect, find the murder weapon. what do you make of this? >> good to see you too, anderson. it's a heartbreaker. you know, first of all, my heart goes out to these families because now they've joined the oracle club i belong to, parents of a murdered child. and it's the worse thing you can imagine, and you need answers and you want answers. people critical of the people, i would say, withhold it. this is a small police department. they may be keeping some things back that they don't want the public to know. they d

kenny deland jr.that eventually found him some spain. the official tells me he traveled to spain voluntarily when people he met in france suggested he go there. his parents say he finally returned their calls after seeing himself on the news. and i spoke with his father shortly afterward. >> he didn't really disclose a bunch of details yet. he made mention that, dad, you know, stop contacting news outlets. , you know. i said, but, ken, this is what parents do. we're worried about you. at this point it is showing how much we love him. you know, get him home. >> and the french official i spoke with on the phone called this official just before the show said that she is so happy that the french officials are so happy this has a happy ending just before christmas. you are in the cnn "newsroom" on this saturday night. up next, just a year or two ago airlines were practically begging people to fly. do you remember that? now frequent flyers may find some of the perks they used to enjoy becoming a thing of th

>> reporter: nothing for now about why kenny deland jr. didn't give his family any news for 17 days when he finally managed to speak to his father. we don't know what happened in the meantime. we learned yesterday from the father, jim, that beyond the change of clothes, the packed lunch and the wallet and the phone he left his host family with, on the morning of november 28th he had also taken his passport. now did that signal intent to cross the border? we still don't know. but the prosecutor in charge of the missing persons investigation in that town where keb ken deland jr. was had been studying and he was found in spain. and how he got there and why he went there and why he vanished so suddenly when he was used to giving his parents news. throughout they heard from him every other day. that is most uncharacteristic. we don't know why he vanished or where he went. but the news that he is well a huge relief to his father who have been telling us just this morning that he couldn't sleep as every day passed closer to that flight he was due

kenny deland was supposed to be coming home from christmas, but it's been difficult to find him. comments from a prosecutor that their son had trouble making friends and may have left the area he was living in voluntarily. >> we caned of feel left in the dark. the addition of the french prosecutor story is something that was new yesterday. i just challenge that french prosecutor. he doesn't know our son, and there was statements made in his statement that, you know, i feel he's making statements based on a person he does not know. >> cnn's jason carroll joins us with more. deland's parents were also asked about the last time they spoke to their son. what did they say? >> well, they have said a couple of things, anderson. first and foremost, they've said repeatedly that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. not just with the last conversation, but with frankly all of the conversations that they've been asking with their son. that's why they're so especially frustrated. and you heard some of it there with french authorities who they say have been keeping them in the dark, not releasi

. >>> this morning, french prosecutors were investigating the disappearance of kenny deland jr.studying abroad in france, but family and friends say they have not heard from him in more than two weeks, they're deeply concerned. this is deland caught on a store's security camera on december 3rd. it is thought to be the last known footage of him as he was entering a store. local police say they have been looking for him after a missing persons report was filed when he didn't show back up at his host family's home or his classes. that store he was seen at is about an hour train ride south of the university of grenoble alpes where he was studying. joining us to talk about this is his father ken and his stepmother, jennifer. thank you for joining us this morning. i know that you have a lot of questions. and so, i know that the fbi is involved in this. what have your conversations been with them. have they been able to shed any light on where he is? >> no. i have given the fbi all of our information. it has gone through the embassy. they're not able to share what's -- what the status

. >>> french prosecutors are investigating the mysterious disappearance of kenny deland junior.en't heard from him in more than two weeks. this is december 3rd. it's thought to be the last known footage from him. he's from new york state. his parents told cnn that nothing seemed out of the ordinary the last time they talked. >> i would say it's our normal back-and-forth. he's asking how we're doing, i ask how he's doing, if he had traveled to any, you know, spots he had enjoyed the trip, taken pictures. we were in constant contact. if it wasn't every day, it was every other day. this isn't typical, doesn't feel characteristic of kenny. >> his parents say it's been difficult getting information from authorities. a french privacy act has prevented the release of personal information. >>> the hunga tonga eruption, when it erupted last january, water vapor shot 93 miles above the earth. scientists say bejon several tsunamis, it created a sonic boom. and such an epic name for an epic corruption. >>> a mega star is now in boot camp. millions of fans says see you soon to the oldest mem

. >> the parents of kenny deland jr.n't heard from him in more than two weeks and they say it has been difficult to get any information from the authorities. deland say college senior at john fisher university in ra rochester, new york, and was studying abroad. melissa bell joining us now from paris with more of these details. parents speaking out, they're having a hard time getting any information. >> that's right. and it seems to be much nor than a language or distance barrier. first of all, what we have been hearing from french authorities who have now opened a meissing persons investigation in france say statement from the prosecutor near where kenny disappeared, the place where he had been studying at, saying they believed or they had no reason to suspect he hadn't left voluntarily. he had been telling people around him he had been struggling to fit in, to make friends, he was planning to travel to marseille and then there is that cctv footage that places kenny on the 3rd of december, several days after he stopped g

joining us right now is kenny's father den deland and his stepmom jennifer dough land.ood morning. >> good morning. >> steve: ken, what can you tell us about the last time you heard from him? >> so we communicated over what's app. we were texting back and forth, as we usually do. just seeing how each other were doing. he asked me how i'm doing and i asked him, you know, what's new? how have you been? that was on the 27th. >> steve: everything seemed normal, right? >> it sounded that way from the text that he was sending at that time, yes. >> steve: yeah, absolutely. and then shortly thereafter, he apparently went missing. when, jennifer, was the next time you were able to trace where he presumably went, headed? >> that was on the 30th of november. they traced his phone had pinged, so must have been on for a little while and they traced him with a train station. >> steve: so, you know, if the authorities are pinging the phone and tracking down, obviously, they are looking for him. what sort of assistance are you receiving from the french police? >> i mean, i was on the p

deland posted he was alive and in spain. the family said we are so happy to announce that kenney is safe. we received a call from kenny the other morning hours on december 16, 2022, kenny is in spain and carol his mom is in france preparing to see kenny and hopefully bring him home for christmas. 21-year-old deland who is from upstate new york had been studying abroad at the university of grenoble alps. last heard from on november 27th and reported missing two days later after he did not attend class and his host family and friends had not heard from him. he was last seen on surveillance video on december 3rd in a store. what is not known at this point is why deland decided to leave without telling anyone. the public prosecutor in grenoble said he seemed to have left voluntarily and that he wanted to go to marseilles before returning to the united states. family credits members of the media, saying without the media's help kenny would not have seen him self in the news and reached out to us. her gut feeling her son was safe, but the question why he never reached out to them or anyone else. >> sandra: they are keeping

the family of ken deland junior says in a statement, quote, we received a call from kenny in the earlyning hours. kenny is in spain, and carol, his mom, is in france preparing to see kenny and hopefully bring him home for christmas. the family had been searching for kenny after last hearing from him on november 27th. the college senior was then reported missing by his fellow students on november 29th. the family has not yet said what kenny has told them about where he's been and what he's been doing. back with us is john miller. also joining us, we have cnn political commentator errol louis, nayyera huck is also back. errol, i must admit when you said on this program on monday night, earlier this week, you were like, he's probably just traveling around europe, having a blast, meeting people, having a good time. i was like, wow, errol has some rose-colored glasses on, and i thought you were wrong. you were right. >> i have some experience with this. in my 20s, and i think they still do it, you get a eurao pass, and you can ride anywhere in europe for free. you get around, and one tries

deland's host mother. >> social media posts give little away. just images of a young american enjoying his exchange program in france. but kennyme of the house whether he was staying with. she explains that she has only spoken once to kenny's mother and never to his father, but if we speak exclusively to cnn without the camera. >> with a host mother told us was that only exchanged and she had had at her home, kenny was the one who seemed to be having the most trouble getting in and settling down to life here in grenoble. else is a bit of course since he disappeared she had been inundating him with messages to which he hadn't responded and she added that she has been reassured by the sighting of him about an hour south of here in a sports shop because she said it confirmed the possibility and her hope that in fact he had gone and cut off communications voluntarily. it was taken on december 3rd. kenny spent just over $8 before vanishing altogether according to his family, leaving behind only facebook pictures of his life in france from powers, so the united university of grenoble alps. the last time kenny dylan turned up for les

kenny to not reach out to us. >> a state department spokesman says officials are aware he is missing. saying "we share information with families when we can. deland's classes and this week and his student visa expires in just over a month. >> trace: thank you. a winter wonderland is the perfect hiding spot for this creature. the reason this famed's finger had to be escorted off stage. the days and best viral videos are next less sick days! cold coming on? zicam is the number one cold shortening brand! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam. zinc that cold! >> tech: when you get a chip in your windshield... trust safelite. this couple was headed to the farmers market... when they got a chip. they drove to safelite for a same-day repair. and with their insurance, it was no cost to them. >> woman: really? >> tech: that's service the way you need it. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ hi, i'm jason and i've lost 202 pounds on golo. so when i first started golo, i was expecting to lose around 40 pounds and then i just kept losing weight, and moving and moving and moving in a better directio

kenny delan jr. from upstate new york hasn't been heard from in more than two weeks according to his family. >> we're waiting. we're worried. we don't know what -- you know, where he is. >> reporter: this is deland on a security camera december 3rd in the last known footage of him. a missing person's report was filed getting local police involved when he didn't return to his host family or show up for classes. >> i haven't heard anything from him. >> reporter: that store deland was seen at is an hour's ride south. a prosecutor confirmed to cnn that deland appeared to leave of his own accord. he told people he had arrived in france under prepared and was having difficulty making friends. he also mentioned that he wanted to go to marseilles before he returned. >> i feel i've not been seeing any information. it's been very difficult. someone else has been stuck in the middle to do the speaking for us. >> reporter: deland's school at john fischer university released a statement saying the college will continue to do all it can to a sifs in the investigation to find kenneth deland but now the 22-year-old's family is asking for the community's help. >> we just shake our heads. we don't understand why