MISSING: Zelig Williams

Summary

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Crime Junkie: MISSING: Zelig Williams

Release Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Ashley Flowers, with Brit Prawat
Case: The disappearance of Broadway dancer Zelig Williams

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Ashley and Brit dive into the unsettling disappearance of 28-year-old Broadway performer Zelig Williams, last seen on October 3, 2024, in South Carolina. The case is riddled with inexplicable events: a mysterious SOS from Zelig’s phone, confusing sightings, and signs that Zelig may have been struggling with his mental health. With gaps in the timeline and unanswered questions, Ashley and Brit explore every angle, urging listeners to come forward with information that may finally bring clarity to what happened to Zelig.

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Key Discussion Points & Timeline

1. Disappearance Unfolds

[02:35] — [06:15]

• Zelig leaves home in South Carolina at 9:52 AM, telling his mom he's going to make copies of his headshots.
• 10:00 AM: Zelig's friends in New York receive an SOS/collision alert from his phone, prompting his mom to rush to the nearby Staples and then to Angel's Diner, as the SOS ping is traced 20 minutes away.
• Despite expectations of a crash, there is no sign of an accident, Zelig, or his car.
• Zelig’s mother tries to report him missing late that evening but is initially told by police that "he’s probably just out celebrating his birthday," which occurred weeks earlier.
  • Quote:

    "They're like, oh, well, you know, he's probably just out celebrating his birthday. He's fine."
    — Ashley [06:06]

• Kathy files a proper missing person report the next day on October 4.

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2. Strange Events at the Trailhead

[06:15] — [12:41]

• October 4, 11 PM: Police find Zelig’s mom’s red Ford Escape abandoned at the Palmetto Trail parking lot—an area not known to Zelig, and in poor hiking condition due to recent hurricane damage.

• A park ranger recalls a report:

  • At noon October 3, a man is flagged down on the trail by someone trailed by a "naked dancing man"—matching Zelig’s description.
  • The witness claims Zelig followed him from the parking lot onto the trail, stripping and acting erratically.
  • The ranger investigates but finds no person or clothes; Zelig’s car is present at noon but gone by 2 PM, returning later.

• Quote:

  "He started following the man down the trail, but not just, like, walking behind him. He was acting super erratic, dancing as he stripped off all of his clothes and threw them around."
  — Ashley [08:40]

• When police later recover the car, Zelig’s clothes are found folded on the driver’s seat and his shoes on the floorboard.

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3. Conflicting Evidence & Lost Timelines

[12:41] — [17:09]

• Zelig is seen on gas station surveillance video at 11 AM near Angel’s Diner, appearing unharmed and calm.

• However, at noon, Zelig’s phone pings an hour and a half away in Walterboro, creating a major gap in the timeline.

  • Controls and surveillance data suggest his car left the trailhead at around 2 PM, then drove in loops for two hours before returning at 4 PM.

• Quote:

  "At the exact same time, noon, phone data places Zelig's phone an hour and a half away in a town called Walterboro."
  — Ashley [16:00]

• Zelig’s phone has never been found, and there is limited transparency from Richland County Sheriff's Department about other phone pings or car movements.

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4. Search Efforts & Theories

[17:09] — [20:32]

• Extensive ground, air, and drone searches commence, focusing on the dangerous, flooded trail and the river, but the river can’t be searched due to high water.

• Family expresses concern that Zelig had recently stopped taking his prescribed mental health medication.

  • Early morning on day of disappearance, Zelig unusually wakes his mother at 2:30 AM out of concern for her safety.

• Past episode of mental health crisis referenced, including a previous instance where Zelig had undressed in public but had always asked for help.

• Quote:

  "His family told us... the one other time that this happened where he did end up naked, he didn't neatly fold his clothes. So they think that's even super odd."
  — Ashley [19:50]

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5. Mysterious Witness at the Trail

[20:32] — [23:45]

• Authorities have not identified or located the man who reported the naked dancing incident.

• The ranger felt this witness seemed "off" and wasn’t sharing the full story; he was described as dark-haired, olive-skinned, with possibly a Spanish accent, and driving a silver or dark gray mini station wagon.

• Zelig’s family speculates whether the trip to the park was intentional, perhaps related to a meeting or to scope out the area; car data show Zelig scouted the area the day before he vanished.

• Family notes Zelig auditioned for a Spanish-speaking role a few months prior, raising questions about a possible prearranged meeting.

• Quote:

  "The ranger noted that there was one other car in the parking lot, the red Ford Escape. And the witness is like, oh, yeah, that is the car that he got out of."
  — Ashley [11:41]

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6. Mental Health, Faith, and Conversion Therapy Concerns

[28:41] — [32:49]

• Zelig had been searching for spiritual community, attending multiple churches, and participating in men's groups, as reflected in his journals.

• Family believes he was likely fasting before his disappearance, influenced by a church teaching that healing comes from faith, not medication.

• Zelig publicly posted about "being delivered from homosexuality" and seeking transformation (audio of Zelig shared at [29:21]).

• Private investigator (PI) who worked briefly with the family theorized Zelig may have checked himself into conversion therapy, noting his calendar was eerily blank for October—a break from his diligent routine.

• Quote:

  "She said it was clear that he was on the hunt for something. He was visiting a ton of different churches and groups."
  — Ashley [31:23]

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7. Unanswered Questions and Community Appeal

[32:49] — [35:43]

• Unidentified individuals mentioned: a man seen in video call with Zelig prior to the disappearance, described as older, salt-and-pepper hair and beard.

• Zelig’s mother, Kathy, lost her only two daughters years earlier—making Zelig her last remaining child.

• Despite all efforts, the family and hosts highlight the importance of compassion and remaining vigilant to signs of crisis in loved ones.

• Quote:

  "You never really know what's going on in someone's life. And there are struggles beyond the curtain that you just can't see. We just passed the one year anniversary of Zelig's disappearance. And there are still so many questions."
  — Ashley [35:30]

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Memorable Quotes

• On the strange SOS alert:

  "I'm really hung up on the SOS of it all. Like, that feels like I know it's important because it kind of kicks this whole thing off. But also... what does it mean?"
  — Brit [24:02]

• On mental health pressures:

  "Medications for mental health was framed to us like a way to mask a deeper problem you had with your Christianity... You're not broken. You're perfect."
  — Ashley [31:05]

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Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:34] — Introduction of disappearance; Zelig leaves home.
• [04:35] — Timeline confusion over SOS ping versus known location.
• [08:40] — Naked dancing incident on the trail.
• [11:41] — Car’s strange movements and discovery of folded clothes.
• [16:00] — Phone ping in a distant town at same time as in-person sighting.
• [18:14] — Mental health and family’s observations.
• [28:41] — Church influence and possible fasting/conversion therapy.
• [29:21] — Zelig’s audio testimony about his faith and sexuality.
• [31:23] — PI’s theory and missing information in Zelig’s calendar.
• [35:30] — Family plea and call for information.

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Unresolved Mysteries & Theories

• Conflicting Physical and Digital Evidence: Zelig seen at different places simultaneously; phone and car act independently.
• Missing Phone and Witness: Neither have been located, and both are potentially key to understanding what happened.
• Possible Foul Play or Self-Harm: Final fate remains uncertain; both mental health and external pressure (including conversion therapy) are considered.
• Appeal for Information: Listeners urged to contact Richland County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers if they have information.

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Resources & Ways to Help

• Contact Information:

  • Richland County Sheriff’s Department: 803-576-3000
  • Crime Stoppers of The Midlands: 888-274-6372
  • Tips to audiochuck: [e-mail]

• Crisis Support:

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
    (call or text, or visit 988lifeline.org)

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Final Thoughts

Ashley and Brit close with compassion and urgency, emphasizing the importance of checking on loved ones and the hope that Zelig’s story will reach someone who can help bring him home or at least explain what happened.

"We just passed the one year anniversary of Zelig's disappearance. And there are still so many questions. But I believe that one piece of information, the right information, can crack this case wide open."
— Ashley [35:30]

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If you have any information about Zelig Williams or relevant sightings or contacts, please reach out through the channels above. Your piece of the puzzle could be the one that brings answers to his family.

Transcript

[A]

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[C]

And I'm Britt.

[A]

And the story I have for you today is about a 28 year old Broadway star leaving home on a seemingly normal day. And the only alert that something is wrong is is an SOS crash alert sent from his phone. Except there is no crash scene. His phone is nowhere to be found and neither is he. This is the story of Zelig Williams. It's around 10 o' clock in the morning on October 3, 2024 when Kathy Williams phone starts buzzing with a New York number that she doesn't recognize. Now it's not all that weird. She's in South Carolina, but her 28 year old son Zelig used to live in New York. She knows it's not him because he'd recently moved back to South Carolina and is living with her. I mean, she just saw him less than 20 minutes ago leaving with his headshots in hand. She thought he was going to make copies. So she answers the phone anyways and it is one of her son's friends asking if he's okay. And she's like what do you mean? And they tell her they just got an SOS notification that he had been in a wreck. Now she doesn't need to hear anything more. She hangs up and she is out the door immediately, heading straight for the Staples five miles up the road where she thinks he was going to make copies. But she gets there and there's no sign of him. So she gets back in touch with that friend that called her and they tell her no, no, no, no. The SOS ping didn't come from nearby the house or Staples or whatever. The location that came through was from 20 minutes away on a road outside of a place called Angel's Diner.

[C]

And why are friends in New York getting these notifications when he's in South Carolina?

[A]

Well, like I said, he just moved back there. And he had been living in New York working on Broadway before. And truly he was in some huge musicals. Hamilton, mj, the Musical, Hugh Jackman's World tour. But he came back because his grandmother had recently passed, so he'd been staying with his mom. I'm assuming he just hadn't like updated his emergency contacts in his phone yet. So anyways, she drives over to this diner next expecting to pull up to a crash scene, right? But there is nothing. No sign of Zelig, his car, or any crash at all. Kathy doesn't even know what to make of this. So she goes into the diner and talks to somebody inside, asking them if they had seen her son. No one has. She's worried. She's confused. But Kathy doesn't know what else to do. All the calls she's making to his phone are going unanswered. So she feels like her best bet is to just go back home and wait for him to show up. But the afternoon passes, and then evening comes, and Zelig still isn't home. At this point, Kathy is already thinking about reporting him missing. Now, she doesn't know if she needs to wait 24 hours. But when 11pm rolls around, she doesn't care. She's calling police. But it is not the potential 24 hour waiting period that trips things up. As soon as they hear that zelig just turned 28, they're like, oh, well, you know, he's probably just out celebrating his birthday. He's fine. And she's like, no, no, no, no. You're not understanding. His birthday was back in September. He's not just like some young adult out partying like something happened to him.

[C]

I mean, are they not concerned about the SOS ping?

[A]

Well, no, because there was no accident where it pinged. So they're sure this is just a mistake. He's out having a good time, and they tell her to just wait it out, call him back if he doesn't show up. Which is exactly what she does. The very next day on October 4, she calls police again to report Zelig missing. And now police actually take the report. Our records request to the Richland County Sheriff's Department got denied, but they did answer some questions, which is how I know that Police began searching local areas for Zelig that same day. And around 11pm they do find a vehicle matching the description of the one that Zelig drove off in. It was his mom's car, a red Ford Escape. It had seemingly been abandoned in this little parking lot off a trailhead called Palmetto Trail. And when police run the plates of this car, sure enough, it's Zelig's mom's. And they confirm that's the car that he left her house in. Now, this trailhead is like 30 minutes from where Zelig and his mom live. And there is at least one route to get there from his mom's house that takes you right past Angel's Diner where that phone did the SOS ping. Now, there's no sign of a struggle at this car. There's no blood or anything. But the idea that he just came here for a nice, leisurely hike doesn't sit well with anyone. Because when police contact his mom to tell her that they found the car, she says that wasn't a place that, like, she knew him to go to. I mean, sure, he enjoyed being outdoors, but, like, he wasn't known to visit this trail specifically. Right.

[C]

This wasn't his place to go to be outdoors.

[A]

Yeah. And honestly, the trail isn't even in hiking condition at that point. Hurricane Helene had just come through the week before, and so there is a ton of flooding and down to trees. But if he did try and hike, okay, like, again, we don't know what's going on at this point. They're willing to try anything. They're like, okay, maybe he did. He got in trouble. He's stuck out there somewhere. So police find a park ranger who had been patrolling the area the day before. He was out checking for, like, damages and basically trying to get the trail open and manageable for people. And they talked to him. And while he didn't find anyone injured or come in contact with anyone who matched Zelig's description, he did have a really interesting story that could be relevant. He tells police that around noon the day before, he was unloading his four wheeler in the parking lot when this guy flags him down. And this guy's, like, coming back in from the trail. And the guy on the trail tells the ranger that he had been driving toward the trailhead when he passed this red sedan on the road. The car turned around, followed him into the trail's parking lot. And when he parked, a guy got out of the car, a guy that they're thinking is Zelig. And he started following the man down the trail, but not just, like, walking behind him. He was acting super erratic, dancing as he stripped off all of his clothes and threw them around. By the time they reached this bridge over the Wateree river on the trail, the guy was. The guy behind him was, like, fully naked, dancing on the railing. Which, by the way, the way that, like, men get to operate in the world is so foreign to me. Like, not even the naked dancing part. Like, this guy who is being followed by a naked dancing guy. This bridge is, like, less than a mile to the trail, but still, like.

[C]

The fact that he's just like, okay, I'm just gonna let, like, keep going.

[A]

I wouldn't even get out of my car. If a car followed me in the parking lot after turning around, Absolutely not. Yeah. So he's followed all the way to this bridge. And then I guess he, at that point, just has enough because he said he just turns around and comes back. And I don't know if he was waiting for someone else to show up to report this incident or like, the timing was just perfect or what. But that's when he, like, runs into the ranger.

[C]

Yeah. Like, if he didn't run into the ranger, like, right now, would he have said anything to anyone? Would we even know exactly that Selig was in the park at all outside the car being found in that trailhead parking lot?

[A]

Yeah. Again, is this happenstance? Is the timing perfect, or was he waiting for him?

[C]

Right.

[A]

I don't know. So the ranger says that he gets the story. He decides to go down to the trail and see what he can find. He goes directly to the bridge to see where this naked dancing guy was, but he doesn't see any sign of him, like, at all. Not even the clothes that he's supposedly been throwing. He did see another downed tree, though. So he's on a mission. He, like, takes care of that. And then about an hour later, so it's now around 1pm, he went back to the parking lot, and that guy who flagged him down originally was still there, just, like, sitting in his car. So the ranger went up to him, tells him, like, listen, I didn't find the guy. I don't know how much more of a conversation they had. But the ranger noted that there was one other car in the parking lot, the red Ford Escape. And the witness is like, oh, yeah, that is the car that he got out of. Probably like, you know, he must be out there somewhere. Right. Like, his car is still here. But there really wasn't much for anyone to do. The ranger didn't feel like it was urgent enough to run the plate or anything, because he wasn't thinking much of it at the time. But he did snap a picture of the car, and then he left to do some more trail maintenance. Now, when he comes back to the parking lot at around 2 o', clock, both cars are gone. So for him in that moment, even more confirmation that this was a big nothing burger.

[C]

Wait, so was that Zelig's car or not?

[A]

Oh, it was definitely his car, because they look at the picture that he took, and it's his mom's license plate.

[C]

So Zelig is there at noon, not there at 2, and comes back at TBD time at some point for the car to be found there at, like, 11pm on the 4th.

[A]

Did he come back or did just his car? We know his car did. Right now, it doesn't seem like there's any surveillance in the park or anything like that that could say exactly when the car came back or who was driving. But here's the wild part. If it was him who came and went and came back, he might have done it all buck naked. Because here's the thing I haven't told you. The ranger never found Zelig's clothes on the trail. Right. But police did when they found his car on the fourth. They found his shoes inside on the driver's side floorboard. And they found the clothes that he had been wearing when he left the house folded neatly on the driver's seat.

[C]

I don't even know what to make of that. So he goes back, collects all of his clothes back up and then puts them back on, drives around, comes back, gets naked again, and goes off into the woods.

[A]

Or. Like I said, he's naked the whole time. But then where was he between leaving the trailhead and then his car arriving back there, like. And all of this is assuming that the witness's account from the trail is 100% accurate. Yeah. And he actually did remove all of his clothes the first go around. I don't know. It's so weird. And nobody knows what to make of it at the time. Now, without police records, we have to rely on his family's recollection of what happens next. But the family says that investigators download Zelig's car data, and they get his cell phone data from the phone company, and they also check surveillance cameras in the area, and they use it all to create a timeline that just adds to the mystery. You know those gifts that make everyone go, wait, where did you get this? Well, those gifts come from J.C. penney. Yes. JCPenney. JCPenney has gifts for that person in your life who is impossible to shop for. You know the one. The friend who buys themselves everything, or the family member who swears they don't need anything. Sorry, not this year. From diamond jewelry to the newest gadgets, JCPenney has gifts that look expensive at a fraction of the price. I did all of my holiday shopping for my daughter through JCPenney online. I got the exact same things I was looking for at stellar prices. And she is going to lose her little mind when she realizes I found the perfect frozen sneaker to replace the ones that she grew out of. We have been Looking everywhere for them. And I had no idea they were just waiting for me at JCPenney. With prices up to 60% off during J.C. penney's Black Friday sales, it is the perfect time to fill your cart and throw in a little something for yourself, too. It's guilt free, the way holiday shopping should be. Shop jcp.com yes, JCPenney. We know that Zellig left home on October 3rd at 9:52am wearing the clothes that police found in his car. His mom said that he was dressed very casually, like in a T shirt and slides. But she did say that this wasn't his typical attire. Like, usually he was a dress up kind of guy. According to phone records that police got at around 10am that's when the phone gives off that SOS alert of a crash. The one that his mom says the friend calls about. So that's confirmed. And then an hour after the SOS ping, at 11 o', clock, investigators find surveillance footage that puts Zelig at a gas station somewhere near the diner. He's pumping gas. And in the footage, Zelig appears fine. No bruising, no bleeding. He doesn't appear to have been in any kind of accident. And I don't think his car is easily seen in the footage. So they don't know the state of that in the footage. But, like, they find it later.

[C]

And I was gonna say, what was it damaged when they found it in the parking lot? Was there any evidence of an accident, like, on the actual car?

[A]

No. Which makes the SOS alert confusing for everyone.

[C]

And does he have his phone in this surveillance footage?

[A]

Not that anyone has mentioned. So he might have it on him, but I don't think it's actually seen.

[C]

He's not like, using it or whatever.

[A]

Now, the next sighting of Zelig is at noon from that guy on the trail. But here's the weird thing. At the exact same time, noon phone data places Zellig's phone an hour and a half away in a town called Walterboro.

[C]

What was his phone doing between 10 and noon?

[A]

I don't know. Police have not released that information to anyone. But one thing that I'm thinking is that it's possible Zelig and his phone were separated when that 10am SOS alert happened. Because there's nothing indicating. Like I said, they don't see it with him. I said it theoretically could be with him, but even that doesn't make a ton of sense. And they don't think it was with him at the park at all. So after the gas station. He drives to the park, follows the guy into the parking lot.

[C]

Allegedly.

[A]

Allegedly. But then here's the even weirder part. Police told us that the data on his car shows that it leaves the parking lot at around 2. So makes sense with what the ranger saw. It's not there, but then it just drives in loops on like the Same Road for two hours until it returns.

[C]

At 4pm and then police find it the next day.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Did his phone ping anywhere else that day?

[A]

We don't know because like I said, like, police won't tell us. Besides that ping in another city, there's no other data they'd share. And by the way, his phone has never been found. And that is where the trail of clues ends, right back at the Palmetto trailhead. So after the fifth, authorities do an all out search of the park. Even though his phone didn't ping there, his car being there, that guy who said he saw someone matching his description, they're all pointing to this being where Zelig could have gotten out of his car. So they get a ton of volunteers out in the area, but the park is still not in the safest condition. So, I mean, they bring out ATVs and drones, they try to find evidence of Zelig in the area by any means possible. But the one place they can't search is the river, which is one of the places that they think he most likely could be. Just based on that guy's sighting of him dancing on the bridge railing. They're wondering if maybe he jumped or he slipped into the water because it was super high at the time. But they can't bring divers in because of the high water levels.

[C]

I mean, do they think there's a possibility that this was intentional?

[A]

Well, his family did tell us that they were concerned that he was in a vulnerable state before he disappeared. Because after he went missing, his family members found his medication in the house, like meds that he usually takes daily for his mental health. And they say that it seems like he had stopped taking it. And they note something else odd very early in the morning. Like the day he disappeared. This would have been at 2:30 in the morning. Apparently he went into his mom's room and woke her up to ask her if she was okay. And she found this odd. She asked him what was going on. He told her he thought he heard something and he wanted to make sure she was all right. But that was apparently the first time ever in his life that he'd done that. So knowing, right? Like in hindsight and what has happened, like, it stands out and it's concerning to them. And I mean, let's be honest, if what the guy in the trail saw was real, him stripping down and dancing on the bridge railing, I mean, that's not normal behavior. But his family told us it was something that had happened once before when he had a mental health emergency.

[C]

Did it come on that quick? The time before? Like, his mom sees him leave in the morning, everything's fine, everything's good, and then, boom.

[A]

I mean, anything can happen. But the timeline feels even shorter than that because, I mean, when he's pumping gas at 11 o', clock, everything seems fine. I don't know. And the thing I'll say is that his family told us that the one other time that he was in trouble, he had asked for help. Like, he knew what was happening to him. So if that's what this was, why wouldn't he ask for help again? And they say that the one other time that this happened where he did end up naked, he didn't neatly fold his clothes. So they think that's even super odd.

[C]

Yeah, that's weird to me, too. Like, if you're having a mental health crisis, the guy's story about seeing him stripped down and throw his clothes like that feels like what I imagine that would manifest, like. Right.

[A]

Yeah, my thoughts, too. But who's to say? And who's to say multiple things can't be true at once? What if he was having a crisis and he encountered foul play Again, they weren't able to send divers into the river, so I don't think we can disprove that he jumped or maybe had an accident and fell, but I don't know. I can't shake the feeling that we are missing pieces. Yeah.

[C]

Did they ever get any more from the guy on the trail who basically was like, the last person to likely have seen Zelig?

[A]

Like, no.

[C]

I feel like he can definitely fill in some gaps. Like, after this initial, like, report. It's barely a report. I don't want to call it report to the ranger.

[A]

So this is the thing. I haven't used a name for this guy because they have no idea who this guy is. The ranger, when he got this story, he didn't get this guy's information before the guy left. And when we talked to the ranger, he was like, you know what? Like, the witness did seem kind of off. Like, he seemed shook up over something, which, again, like, someone following you naked into the woods.

[C]

It's a weird situation. Yeah.

[A]

But he said, like, he Just kept getting the impression that this guy wasn't telling him the full story. He felt like more happened between him and Zelig than he was letting on. And he can't pin down exactly why. But he just kept saying, like, he just felt like there was more to this situation. Maybe they had an argument, or maybe they'd been in some kind of disagreement. That's just his gut feeling.

[C]

Does he remember what this guy looked like? Like, a description?

[A]

A little bit. So he said this guy had an accent. He thinks he maybe spoke Spanish. Dark hair, olive skin. And he remembered that he was driving a silver or dark gray mini station wagon. And I'm sure he gives that information to police, but it's not clear what they're able to do with that.

[C]

It's a little wild to me that they never found this guy. Because so much of what we know about the timeline and Zelig's last movements, it revolves around this sighting. Like, yeah, what if none of it is real? Or at least it's not the complete picture. Right.

[A]

I think it's a good question. I mean, even when I was thinking it over, like, there's just some things that rub me the wrong way. Like, my immediate question is, what is this guy doing out there in general? Like, was his plan to go hiking after a hurricane?

[C]

Well, and him, like, sitting in his car, waiting when the ranger comes back an hour later? After the ranger's just doing his job.

[A]

What are you waiting for?

[C]

That seems odd to me.

[A]

Same. So maybe this guy is a total rando who happened to be at the right place or wrong place at the right or wrong time, depending on how you look at it. And maybe he just doesn't know. Police have been looking to speak with him again. I mean, I bet this story is going to be new to a lot of crime junkies who hear it. So maybe word will spread and the message will finally get to him. But on the other hand, Zelig's family wonders if this wasn't a random encounter at all. Now, this is just a guess of theirs and a bit of a reach, but they told us that Zelig had an audition for a Spanish speaking role back in July. And so they kind of wondered if maybe he met up with somebody to, like, rehearse or to practice his Spanish. This specific guy aside, coming to the park felt intentional. When they learned more about his car data. I mean, it showed that Zelig had actually been driving around the park area the day before he went missing. So maybe he was scoping out the area for a meetup. Because, I mean, it's off a major road, but it's just like this small lot with trees around it, not necessarily open. I mean, I certainly wouldn't go there to meet a stranger, but maybe someone I knew. It may be a bit of a stretch, but when you have so little to go off of, you really can't dismiss anything.

[C]

Yeah, but you also could be scoping it out if you were considering harming yourself. I mean, like you said, it's like, not out in the open. It's kind of off the beaten path.

[A]

Well, true, but that doesn't line up with a mental health crisis that just comes quick out of nowhere. Like, this is the problem with this case. Like, nothing totally fits.

[C]

Yeah. And I keep coming back to, like, I'm really hung up on the SOS of it all. Like, that feels like I know it's important because it kind of kicks this whole thing off. But also it does it mean.

[A]

Because it doesn't seem like Zelig was in any kind of actual crash. Nothing was wrong with the car. Right. And we know for sure he's near the diner pumping gas at 11 o'. Clock. So going back to that, like, so witness sighting of him on the trail aside, the problem I have with, like, the phone and the sighting and the sos, he could not have gotten an hour and a half away by noon for his phone to ping in Walterboro. If he's seen at 11 o'.

[C]

Clock. If he has his phone at that 11 o'.

[A]

Clock. Which is why earlier I said I have a feeling that when his phone does the SOS at 10 o' clock that he gets separated from it.

[C]

It either isn't with him or isn't with him after that.

[A]

Yeah, but we know that there wasn't a crash. So I looked up what could cause a phone to send out that alert without an actual crash happening. And I guess it happens sometimes in cases where phones, like, fall off of cars or dropping your phone from a significant height. So I think your phone falling or like huge movements or some kind of like anything.

[C]

Fast movement and a quick speed impact or whatever.

[A]

Yeah, it can trigger that type of alert. And actually I found out it's been affecting 911 centers across the country because some people have that emergency, like, set not to call their friends, but to dial 911 automatically.

[C]

Oh, okay. Yeah, that would be a problem. Yeah. But talk about all the ways that this SOS alert could trigger. Makes me wonder if he threw his phone or like, ditched it and maybe someone picked it up. That's how it got to that. Like. Yeah, hour and a half away distance.

[A]

I mean, whatever happened at 10 he was fine. After at 11 o'.

[C]

Clock.

[A]

And listen, let's say he was in crisis. Like could that explain him throwing his phone out the window or acting erratically and then leaving the park before coming back and sadly maybe hurting himself or accidentally falling? Okay, you go down that route, sure. Stuff can make sense. But the folded clothes still throw me off in that scenario. And what the family said that if he was in that state, he would have known it. He would have asked for help like he'd done before.

[C]

Well, in that situation, you're saying it's planned and he knew what he was doing. Okay, why fill up your tank before going to die? Like that doesn't work for me. So what? We either have a mental health crisis or I don't know. I keep coming back to the guy on the trail knows more, but I.

[A]

Think that's far from the only two options. Looking to grow, learn, or simply get inspired? With Masterclass, anyone can learn from the best to become their best. For as low as $10 a month, get unlimited access to over 200 classes taught by world class business leaders, writers, chefs, and more. Each lesson fits into your schedule. You can watch it anytime on your phone or your laptop or tv, or switch to audio mode to learn on the go. You can even download classes to watch offline. And the impact is real. 88% of members say Masterclass has made a positive difference in their lives. Personally, I've been trying to redecorate my house. It is just out of my wheelhouse. I can do a lot of things. I'm not good at this. So I did a Masterclass from Kelly Werstler on interior design and it was so helpful. Masterclass always has great offerings during the holidays, sometimes up to as much as 50% off. Head over to masterclass.com crimejunkie for the current offer. That's up to 50% off at masterclass.com masterclass.com crimejunkIe it seems like there was a lot going on in Zelig's life leading up to his disappearance. But this is where the details get a little fuzzy, but where the truth might actually lay. Zelig's family says that he was a really spiritual person and he was looking into different churches where he could find belonging. And he was also consistently going to a Wednesday night men's group before he disappeared. And after he was gone, they had found a bunch of Journals in his room and read through them all. Now, they didn't want to share them with us, but they said that the only thing Zelig was talking about was his search for God's guidance. So, in the days leading up to his disappearance, his family says that they think he was fasting, influenced by one of the churches that he was attending. But this fast may have had a specific goal, because in some of Zelig's other stories, ones that he was sharing online publicly, he was tagging the Covered by God church. And some of their preachings include encouraging people to fast, to heal their bodies and heal their need for medication by working with the, quote, great physician.

[C]

Which could maybe be why Zellig possibly had stopped taking his medication.

[A]

Yeah, I'm not sure if he had started fasting already, but if he stopped taking his meds, that could be why. And to me, I mean, that's just generally concerning. I mean, like, it's a pretty dangerous teaching to be telling people who struggle with mental illness to go off their medicine. And that wasn't all. Zelig was also talking online about, quote, being delivered from homosexuality, end quote. We actually found a clip of him talking about his testimony online. He posted it on Instagram less than a year before he disappeared. And I actually want to play it for everyone.

[E]

Hello, everyone. This is Zelig. I wanted to hop on here and just let you guys know a testimony on my side. I've been delivered from homosexuality. I am. I'm thankful to be where I'm at right now. My journey hasn't always been easy. When I was messing up sometimes, y', all, I was in prayer. Jesus. Lord, help me in this moment. Whoever listens, I hope you can tune in. And I'm looking forward to it, to share with you guys and to just. Maybe it might be a Bible study. It could be dance. There's a lot of things. But, yeah, sending love to all of you and whoever listened and tuned into this live. I thank you, and I pray we all just keep moving towards Christ and what he's done for all of us.

[A]

His family told us that they supported Zelig regardless of his sexuality, so he wasn't facing pressure from them. But without knowing the complete and full beliefs of all of the churches that he was going to, My interpretation is that he was feeling a lot of pressure from other outside forces to change things out of his control. Again, I don't know these churches specific doctrines, but, Brit, I think we can speak to our own experiences growing up, specifically, like, mental health struggles were framed as a byproduct of a bad relationship with Jesus.

[C]

A moral failing.

[A]

Yeah. Like your relationship with God isn't strong enough. If you are depressed, you are not relying on God. If you feel anxious. Medications for mental health was framed to us like a way to mask a deeper problem you had with your Christianity.

[C]

Yeah. And like a. A crutch, almost.

[A]

Yeah. And this is just my little PSA to anyone out there. Like, you might have heard the same message that we did growing up. Like, you're not broken. You're perfect. The human brain is a wild machine that we are still trying to figure out. And finding what works for you is a blessing and a win, not any kind of failure. And I believe that if we are happy and we can be kind to others, that is what whoever or whatever put us on this earth wants us to do. But unfortunately, not everyone has that outlook. But there might be a silver lining here. If Zelig was feeling a lot of pressure, there is also a world where he left intentionally and is still out there alive. That's at least what one PI believes. Now, this PI got to work with Zelig's family for, like, a week. Basically, they were made to choose between the PI or working with police. And this early on, they wanted to stay close to the official investigation. But from a week of work, this PI walked away with a theory that Zelig was pressured to go into conversion therapy. She said it was clear that he was on the hunt for something. He was visiting a ton of different churches and groups. And she spoke to people throughout her investigation that specifically said Zelick had been talking to some people about conversion therapy. And just knowing that he was in a vulnerable position was enough for her to think that he decided to check into one. Plus, she says that she specifically thinks he was planning on leaving because I guess he was super diligent about filling out his calendar. Like, down to each day, he would write things out. And the month of October was completely empty, which was just super out of the ordinary for him.

[C]

And did she have any names of specific people or churches?

[A]

No, not that she gave us. Richland County Sheriff's office did tell us that they spoke to some of his church groups, but they didn't tell us, like, what came of that, if anything. Now, I wonder if there weren't more names in his journal or something. Like, I still feel like answers are there somewhere, because he was definitely talking to people that his family didn't know leading up to his disappearance. And if nothing else, I feel like those people have more information on his state of mind. And maybe there aren't names in his journals. But again, I know there are people out there who knew him. Who I would love to talk to. Like, Zelig's mom said that before he disappeared, she walked into his room. And he was talking to this guy on his computer. And I guess he got super upset when she walked in. Now she has no idea who this guy is. She just described him as like an older man with, like, salt and pepper hair and a beard. So, I mean, if you're out there listening, please reach out to me, to his family, to police. And same goes for Zelig. Your family doesn't feel like your spirit is gone from this world. And I hope that's the case. I hope you're okay. I hope you're happy. And I hope you know that your family misses you and they're worried about you. So if you are out there, please call home. But if he's not anymore, I want him to know that people are still fighting for him. And they won't stop looking until they know what happened. When we were speaking to Zelig's family, they told us that Zelig was Kathy's only remaining child. Because her two daughters, Zelig's older sisters, died in a car crash around 20 years ago. They were actually the ones who inspired Zelig to dance and get into Broadway. He always said that he felt closer to them when he was dancing. And he was always dancing. He had so much light and energy and passion. And he wanted to share that with others. He had another show coming up in New York that January. And he was really looking forward to it. He was also holding a class in South Carolina before he disappeared. For other students who were interested in learning about Broadway and dance. But listen, you guys, you never really know what's going on in someone's life. And there are struggles beyond the curtain that you just can't see. We just passed the one year anniversary of Zelig's disappearance. And there are still so many questions. But I believe that one piece of information, the right information, can crack this case wide open. So if you have that, you can contact the Richland County Sheriff's department at 803-576-3000. Or you can submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers of The Midlands at 888-274-6372. And if you knew Zelig from church, or if you were the witness on that trail, reach out to police or to us. Tipsoudiochuk.com and if you or a loved.

[C]

One is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self harm, you can call or text the Crisis and Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.

[A]

Foreign we'll have all the source material for this episode on our website crimejunkie.com.

[C]

And you can follow us on Instagram at crimejunkiepodcast.

[A]

Crime Junkie is an Audio Chuck production. I think Chuck would approve.

[F]

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