"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 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." — Ashley Flowers
"He was looking into different churches where he could find belonging... the only thing Zellig was talking about was his search for God's guidance." — Ashley Flowers
"But his family told us that they supported Zellig 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." — Ashley Flowers
The episode details the perplexing disappearance of Zellig Williams, a 28-year-old former Broadway performer. The initial alarm was raised by an SOS crash alert from his phone, despite no evidence of a crash. His mother, Kathy Williams, became concerned when friends alerted her to the notification, leading to a search that began with a visit to a local copy shop and then a diner near where the SOS pinged. No sign of Zellig or his car was found at either location. Police were initially dismissive of the report due to Zellig's age, assuming he was out celebrating. However, the following day, his mother's red Ford Escape was discovered abandoned at a trailhead parking lot, hours after it was last seen. The condition of the trail, impacted by a recent hurricane, made the idea of a casual hike unlikely.
Further complicating the narrative, a park ranger reported encountering a man on the trail who claimed to have been followed by another man acting erratically, stripping naked, and dancing on a bridge railing. The ranger searched the area but found no trace of the individual or any discarded clothing. When Zellig's car was found, his clothes were neatly folded on the driver's seat, and his shoes were on the floorboard, adding another layer of mystery. Analysis of Zellig's car and phone data provided a disjointed timeline, with the SOS ping occurring an hour before Zellig was seen pumping gas at a station, appearing unharmed. His phone's data later placed it an hour and a half away from his last known location at the same time he was sighted on the trail.
The investigation delves into Zellig's personal life, revealing a spiritual search, involvement with various churches, and a recent online testimony about being "delivered from homosexuality." His family expressed concern that he may have been influenced by religious teachings encouraging him to stop taking his mental health medication. A private investigator also theorized that Zellig might have been pressured into conversion therapy, noting his calendar was conspicuously empty for October, suggesting a planned departure. The episode concludes with an ongoing search for Zellig, with numerous unanswered questions and a plea for anyone with information to come forward.