Danielle Adams Missing Person Case

Jul 07, 2016

Jul 08, 2019

Danielle

Adams

31

21

58 inches

59 inches

120 lbs

130 lbs

Black / African American

Female

Danielle Alise Adams, a 21-year-old female, vanished in Detroit, Michigan, on or about May 20, 2016. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as a biracial woman of Black and White descent, standing between 4'10" and 4'11" and weighing between 120 and 130 pounds. She had long, curly black hair, hazel eyes, and numerous distinct piercings, including three in each ear, one in her nose, and another in her navel. Danielle is also heavily tattooed with inkings that include the name "Shelley" on her right bicep, a yin-yang symbol on her left arm, six stars on her right hand, the phrase "Kissed by an Angel" near her right shoulder, and "Laugh Now, Cry Later" on her upper back. The night she went missing, she was reportedly wearing a sweatshirt and dark-colored jogging pants. She was last seen by a cousin on the west side of Detroit, in the vicinity of Intervale and Freeland streets. The circumstances surrounding Danielle's disappearance have left her family with many unanswered questions. She had told her mother she was stepping out to get something to eat but never came back. While she had a history of running away from home, her complete silence and lack of contact with loved ones were highly uncharacteristic. The sudden halt of all her social media and phone activity immediately after she was last seen was a significant cause for alarm for her family. Adopted at the age of 11, Danielle was living with her mother at the time she vanished. The investigation into her disappearance took a troubling turn when detectives discovered a personal ad featuring Danielle on Backpage.com, a classified advertising website that was often used for soliciting sexual services, leading to fears that she may have been a victim of human trafficking. Despite the passage of years, Danielle's case has grown cold, though it remains an open investigation with the Detroit Police Department. Her boyfriend at the time was questioned by authorities, but no suspects have been publicly named in connection with her disappearance. The discovery of the online ad has not yet generated any significant leads to determine her whereabouts. The case of Danielle Alise Adams is a distressing example of a young life interrupted, leaving a family to grapple with ambiguity and hope for answers. The combination of her uncharacteristic lack of communication, the cessation of her online presence, and the disturbing discovery of the Backpage.com ad paints a grim picture of the potential dangers she may have encountered.

May 20, 2016

Detroit

Michigan

Wayne County

18509

Detroit Police Department

Detroit

Michigan

Wayne County

48226

Shannon Jones

Sergeant

1301 3rd St, Michigan

3135961800

Local

Law Enforcement

1605250168

Detroit Police Department

Black

Hazel

Hazel

06/30/2026