In an emotional police-organized press conference, the mother of missing Broadway star Zelig Williams made a tearful plea before collapsing into the arms of her family. The 28-year-old performer disappeared on the morning of October 3 after leaving his mother’s home in Columbia, South Carolina.
“I just want Zelig to come home,” said Kathy Williams, the performer’s mother, at the Wednesday morning press conference.
Williams lost her other two children, Zelig’s sisters, in a traffic accident in 2004. She collapsed into the arms of a relative and was helped off the staging area as she sobbed and repeated, “He’s all I got, he’s all I got, he’s all I got, please bring my baby home.”
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department held the early morning conference to gather information about the mysterious disappearance of the South Carolina native.
The event opened with a statement from the County Sheriff, Leon Lott: “We feel confident there are people out in the community who may know something that can help us but just not realizing they have the last key to the puzzle.”
Lott went on to share that “every means of manpower” has been used by the department in the search and that law enforcement “will continue to search to find him.”
Mieoki Corbett-Jacobs, Zelig’s cousin, tearfully revealed that Zelig, affectionately known as Z by his loved ones, is believed to have stopped taking his medication prior to his disappearance.
She added that “he may seem to be in distress or even in a trance-like state,” and that without the medication he “is very, very vulnerable.”
Zelig, a performer known for his roles in “MJ The Musical,” “Hamilton,” and Hugh Jackman’s 2019 tour, had recently relocated to his hometown from New York City and was working as a dance teacher before he went missing.
Shortly after the 28-year-old went missing, his car was found in a parking lot near Congaree National Park, about 20 miles from Columbia. An SOS alert was triggered on his cell phone just minutes after he left his mother’s home that morning.
This alert, typically activated by a severe fall or car crash according to Apple, suggested an accident might have occurred. However, when police found Zelig’s vehicle, there were no visible signs of distress or damage.
Police are investigating his disappearance as a missing person case, though they have not ruled out the possibility of foul play.
“Most people know Zelig as a dancer, but he was more than that. He was a light to our family,” Corbett-Jacobs said as she pleaded for his safe return.
Zelig is described by local law enforcement as a Black male with a light complexion, 6 feet tall, 150 pounds, with short black hair, brown eyes, and a birthmark on his throat.
Authorities urge anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
