Timeline

Zelig Malik Williams, 28, departed from his mother’s home on Longwood Road in Columbia, SC, just before 10 a.m. EDT. Around 10:10 a.m., an SOS alert—suggestive of a car crash—was sent from his iPhone to several friends in New York. Concerned, his friends reached out to his family, who found no evidence of a collision at the homesite.

With no contact for more than 24 hours, Zelig’s family reported him missing to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. That evening—around 11 p.m.—a deputy discovered his vehicle, a burgundy 2018 Ford Escape, parked in an isolated trailhead lot along the Palmetto Trail (Wateree Passage) near Congaree National Park, on Bluff Road at Highway 601. The car was unlocked and showed no signs of damage.

Roughly two weeks in, authorities and the family organized formal searches, while his mother, first cousins, and friends held an emotionally charged press conference, where she tearfully pleaded for his return—saying, “He’s all I got.” A private investigator, Chandra Cleveland, was also hired to assist. Hugh Jackman, who toured with Zelig in The Man. The Music. The Show., amplified the search via social media, writing: "ZELIG we love you and are praying for your safe return." At the same time, law enforcement continued searches by air, land, and drone, exploring all leads—including the possibility of foul play.

Nearly two months after his disappearance, community-led searches, candlelight vigils, and fundraisers continued in the Palmetto Trail and surrounding areas. Friends from his dance studio presented tributes in his honor. Despite the family’s relentless efforts and the help of organizations like “We Are the Essentials,” no physical trace has been found.

As of January, more than three months had passed without credible leads or sightings. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation remains active. By April—six months since the disappearance—the family continued to press on. A witness reportedly saw Zelig and/or his vehicle near the trailhead the day he vanished. Meanwhile, unusually high water levels in the Wateree River, caused by severe October storms, may have hampered search efforts and possibly eroded crucial evidence. The family also plans renewed searches in May and continues exploring all facets of his life—faith communities, relationships, groups he may have engaged with—to piece together what happened.