Venika Williams

• Missing Since 12/22/2017
• Missing From Newark, New Jersey
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race Black
• Date of Birth 04/28/1989 (36)
• Age 28 years old
• Height and Weight 5'3, 140 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A black leather coat, a red hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and red sneakers. Carrying a red purse.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Black female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Williams's ears are pierced. She frequently changes the style of her hair and may have highlights, or may dye it red. She has the following tattoos: the name "Tanesha" on the back of her right hand, a tattoo on her left hand between her thumb and index finger, the name "Samir" on her upper arm, writing on both forearms, and a word in cursive on her chest. Photos of some of her tattoos are posted with this case summary.

Details of Disappearance

Williams was last seen in Newark, New Jersey on December 22, 2017. She was going to go to Jersey City, New Jersey for an appointment to style someone's hair, but it's unclear if she ever arrived there. In the last text she sent her family, she said she was in Jersey City and being held against her will by a man. She has never been heard from again.

Williams worked out of her home on Dewey Street in Newark as a hairstylist at the time of her disappearance. She left behind four children, one of whom is disabled.

At the time of her disappearance, Williams lived with a boyfriend. After she went missing, her boyfriend used her name, date of birth and Social Security number to get a replacement for her debit card, and took control of her son's disability benefits, stealing a total of $19,797. In 2025, the boyfriend pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with this, and was sentenced to three years and two months in prison, plus an extra eight months because he'd violated the conditions of his supervised release.

It's not clear whether the boyfriend is a suspect in Williams's disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.