Family of missing Broadway star who vanished near South Carolina hiking trail make chilling claim

A South Carolina Broadway performer mysteriously disappeared earlier this month, plunging his distraught family into intense speculation.

The family of Zelig Williams, who went missing near a popular hiking trail on October 3, have since made a chilling claim about the 28-year-old’s strange disappearance as they suspect foul play was involved.

“He didn’t wander off,” Williams’ cousin Mieoki Corbett-Jacobs said, adding, “This is definitely a missing person. [case] with suspected foul play.”

The family first became frightened after an SOS alert was sent to three of Williams’ friends just minutes after he left his mother’s home in Columbia.

The day after his disappearance, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department located his vehicle more than 20 miles from his home in a parking lot on the Palmetto Trail (photo)

Williams, who previously performed in Hamilton: An American Musical and MJ the Musical, was last seen around 9:50 a.m. before his friends received the relevant SOS ping from his cell phone at 10:10 a.m.

“That’s not much time before he leaves the house,” Corbett-Jacobs said of his cousin’s unexplained disappearance.

Concerned after the Broadway star was unable to return home that evening, his family filed a missing persons report.

The day after his disappearance, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department located his vehicle more than 20 miles from his home in a parking lot on the Palmetto Trail.

Williams had only been in Columbia for a few months, leading Corbett-Jacobs and the Williams family to believe that “it is unlikely he would have known the location of the property or trailhead.”

‘[The lot] where the car was parked had only been there for a little over a year, we weren’t even familiar with the space,” Corbett-Jacobs said, adding to the family’s suspicions.

Williams, who has performed in Hamilton: An American Musical and MJ the Musical, was last seen around 9:50 a.m. before his friends received an SOS ping from his phone at 10:10 a.m.

Williams had only been in Columbia for a few months, leading Corbett-Jacobs and the Williams family to believe that “it is unlikely he would have known the location of the property or trailhead”

Corbett-Jacobs also said the located car officers showed no signs of a crash that could trigger the SOS message.

Williams’ aunt, Michelle Mclaughlin-Barber, expanded on pre-existing suspicions, adding that Williams’ car was found with the keys inside, as well as a profile photo of him that he would use for show auditions. Post and courier reported.

“We have no idea what his intentions were when he left the house with that photo,” she said.

Richland County Sheriff’s Department officers and family members have since been trying to find the South Carolina native, who returned home from New York City in July to teach at local dance studios.

State Department of Natural Resources crews flew helicopters over the Congaree River, and waterways by boat also occurred.

All-terrain vehicles, drones and dogs were also used in the search.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said WIS: ‘We searched the sky on foot at various locations.

Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputies and family members have since been trying to find the South Carolina native, who returned home from New York City in July to teach at local dance studios.

The family has since hired a private investigator to help locate the missing artist and the sheriff’s department is investigating the possibilities of foul play, CNN reports.

“Other investigative techniques we’ll be using that involve cell phones, and some other things I don’t want to discuss at this time.”

Authorities further noted that Williams requires prescription medications and had not taken them prior to his disappearance.

“We can’t describe it, the devastation of it. It’s devastating for someone so close to his family to just disappear… there’s no way to describe it,” Corbett-Jacobs said.

The family has since hired a private investigator to help locate the missing artist and the sheriff’s department is investigating the possibilities of foul play and following up on “all leads and all information” in the case. CNN reports.