Mysteries and Histories

MISSING at 12 years old and pregnant... did Celina Mays escape the cult or was she harmed?

September 14, 2026·38 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

In December 1996, 12-year-old Celina Mays went to bed after church at her family’s home in Willingboro, New Jersey. She was nine months pregnant and due to give birth within weeks. By morning, she was gone, her blankets had been arranged over pillows to make it look as though she was still asleep, while her purse, prenatal vitamins, and other belongings remained behind.No one has ever publicly identified the father of Celina’s baby. Her family said she had mentioned a 16-year-old boy but never gave a name; investigators have never established whether she gave birth or what became of her child.Nearly 30 years later, Celina has never been found. Willingboro Police and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children still treat it as an open endangered-missing-person investigation, and authorities have said they remain hopeful that both Celina and her child could be alive.

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