Celina Mays was born on May 28, 1984, in Willingboro, New Jersey, to CJ Mays and Lynn Vitale. At the time they met, C.J was a musician, and Lynn was working as an exotic dancer. Both of them struggled with substance abuse. Their relationship was tumultuous and eventually ended in separation, leading to a bitter custody battle. Ultimately, Lynn was granted full custody of Celina.
Following their separation, C.J Mays moved in with some of his family members and became a member of the Gospel of Christ Ministries, a Pentecostal church in Mount Holly where his sister, Cerita Smith, was the pastor.
Tragically, Lynn passed away in 1994, her family fought for custody of Celina, but ultimately, C.J was granted full custody.
Celina was then forced to leave her school and friends to live with her father, his new wife, and his relatives. Her father homeschooled her, focusing heavily on religious teachings, and restricted her social life significantly.
When she was 12-years-old, she discovered she was pregnant.
Celina’s Disappearance
In December 15, 1996, Celina Mays went to sleep at her aunt’s house in Willingboro, New Jersey. However, the following morning, she was missing. The bed had been arranged with pillows to make it appear as though she was still sleeping, and all of her personal belongings had been left behind. At the time of her disappearance, Celina was only 12 years old and was also nine months pregnant, with her due date just two weeks away.
Prior to her mysterious disappearance in December 1996, Celina never revealed the identity of the father of her unborn child. Despite her family’s insistence, she steadfastly refused to disclose his name, only mentioning that he was 16 years old and was not part of their church community.
Celina Mays with her younger sibling before she disappeared
According to Celina’s father, C.J. Mays, there was a time when Celina became upset after learning that blood tests could be used to determine the identity of the father of her unborn child. C.J. Mays also made it clear that he was not the father, as he had undergone a vasectomy several years prior. His doctor reportedly confirmed this statement, further corroborating that he was not biologically linked to the pregnancy.
Speculations
Celina had been receiving regular obstetrician care during her pregnancy. Before her disappearance, Celina’s father had expressed his plans to conduct paternity tests to determine the father’s identity. However, since the father could be charged with statutory rape, some have speculated that Celina may have been murdered, or died during a failed abortion attempt.
The family believed Celina may have planned her own escape because of her behavior the night before her disappearance. According to report by the Burlington County Times, on December 15, 1996, Celina returned home from church and had a meal with her family, followed by a bowl of ice cream before saying goodnight and going to bed at around 11 pm. Her family later suspected that this may be her way of saying goodbye to them.
News article on the case
There were also rumors that Sean Smith, Celina’s 23-year-old cousin, might be the father, as he was charged with the aggravated sexual assault of two teenage girls in 1998.
Regardless of the truth, Celina Mays has remained missing for more than two decades, and the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and disappearance continue to be unclear.
Why Sean Smith Was a Prime Suspect
Police attempted to question Sean Smith, who had fathered six children with four women associated with his mother’s church, the same church where May worshipped, just hours after Celina Mays was reported missing.
However, Smith refused to cooperate. Thirteen months after Mays’ disappearance, Smith was charged with raping two girls, 13 and 16 years old, who, like Mays, lived with him and his mother at the cult home in Willingboro.
To this day, Celina’s case remains one of the most high-profile missing persons cases in the state, with authorities continuing to investigate her disappearance.