Lamaj McWilliams Missing Person Case

Aug 28, 2024

Aug 30, 2024

Lamaj

McWilliams

21

19

66 inches

68 inches

150 lbs

Black / African American

Male

In the summer of 2024, the family and friends of 19-year-old Lamaj McWilliams were thrown into a state of desperate uncertainty when he was reported missing on June 6th from Queens, New York. Conflicting accounts of his last known whereabouts have created a painful and confusing puzzle for those who love him and the authorities searching for him. One version of events places Lamaj at Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways section of Queens. According to these reports, Lamaj and another teenager went for a swim after the lifeguards had finished their shifts for the day. The waters at this beach are known for their strong rip tides, which can be treacherous even for experienced swimmers. In this scenario, the dangerous currents are believed to have overwhelmed the two teenagers, preventing them from returning to the safety of the shore. A different and equally distressing account suggests Lamaj’s last known location was far from the beach, near LaGuardia Airport. In this version, he was last seen on the same day, June 6, 2024, getting off a bus at 81st & Ditmars Blvd. Details provided in this report describe him as being 5'7" and weighing around 135 pounds, with brown eyes. He was reportedly wearing a grey hoodie, green sweatpants, and white sneakers. It was also noted that he did not have his cell phone with him and has not made any contact with his family since that day. This report also mentions that Lamaj was known to frequent libraries in Manhattan, offering a potential area to search. The Port Authority Police are listed as the contact agency for any information related to this account of his disappearance. In response to the report of him missing in the water at Jacob Riis Park, a massive multi-agency search was launched. The effort involved the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), among other local resources. The extensive search operation utilized helicopters, marine units, and divers, covering a vast area of over 600 square miles, stretching from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to Long Beach, New York, and extending approximately 20 nautical miles offshore. Despite these exhaustive efforts, the search was suspended on June 22, 2024, after several days yielded no sign of Lamaj. The authorities expressed their condolences to his family, acknowledging the immense pain of suspending a search under such grim circumstances. This incident deeply affected the Rockaways community, serving as a tragic reminder of the dangers of swimming in areas with strong currents, especially without the supervision of lifeguards. The case of Lamaj McWilliams remains a heartbreaking mystery, with two distinct and conflicting narratives of his last known moments, leaving his family with unanswered questions and an ongoing search for the truth.

Jun 06, 2024

queens

New York

Queens County

11371

No

152046

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey PAPD

Jersey City

New Jersey

Hudson County

07310

241 Erie St, New Jersey

2012393500

State

Law Enforcement

http://www.panynj.gov/contact/contact-us.html

24PA00441

2024-06-11

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey PAPD

3619

Black

Brown

Brown

09/11/2026