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Cellastine Wade Missing Person Case

Last seen in Jersey City, New Jersey on Apr 26, 1968

Victim Details

Feb 16, 2021

May 19, 2022

Cellastine

Wade

76

18

63 inches

65 inches

95 lbs

110 lbs

Black / African American

Female

Apr 26, 1968

Jersey City

New Jersey

Hudson County

07302

No

99953

New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit

West Trenton

New Jersey

Mercer County

08628

Jason Maloney

Trooper

PO Box 7068, New Jersey

6098822000

State

Law Enforcement

https://www.njsp.org/division/investigations/missing-persons.shtml

H660-2021-00025

Feb 9, 2021

New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit

na

Black

Black

Black

Oct 16, 2026


Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP77996) and 7 other sources
In the late 1960s, a young woman named Cellastine Wade vanished from Jersey City, New Jersey, leaving behind a mystery that would span decades. Eighteen years old at the time, Cellastine was last seen by her family after a day at work sometime between 1967 and 1968. The specifics of when she disappeared are hazy due to the passage of time, though some official records note the date of last contact as April 26, 1968. On that final day, she was reportedly wearing a beige trench coat. After she was last seen, her family never saw or heard from her again, marking the beginning of a long and painful period of uncertainty.

Cellastine was a young Black woman, standing between 5'3' and 5'5' tall and weighing between 95 and 110 pounds. She had both black hair and black eyes. For reasons that are not publicly detailed, decades passed before an official missing person report was filed. It was not until February 9, 2021, that Cellastine Wade was formally reported missing to law enforcement, transforming a private family tragedy into a public cold case. The New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit took on the investigation, tasked with uncovering details that were more than fifty years old.

The case of Cellastine Wade is a poignant one, marked by the profound sorrow of a family who has waited over half a century for answers. The lack of information from the time she went missing presents significant challenges for investigators. Very little is known about the specific details of her disappearance after she left work on that day so long ago. The investigation relies on piecing together memories that have faded over time and the hope that someone, somewhere, might still hold a crucial piece of information. This enduring mystery serves as a somber reminder of a young life interrupted and the lasting impact of a person's unexplained absence on their loved ones and community.
Last Seen: Apr 26, 1968

Links to Additional Sources (7)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • 4498DFNJ - Cellastine Wade - Doe Network
  • NamUS case. Cellastine Wade, 18: Missing From New Jersey Since ...
  • Cellastine Wade -- Missing Since April 26th, 1968 from New Jersey
  • Missing Person / NamUs
  • @OurBlackGirls | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
  • NJ - Cellastine Wade, 18, Jersey City, 26 April 1968 | Websleuths
  • wade,cellastine - New Jersey State Police - Missing Persons

    • Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

    Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

    83%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP7912
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York
    UP7912 • Found May 7, 1993
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 18–30 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%7 mi away
    TimingFound 25 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 100%120 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    83%Moderate
    Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP9631
    Jane Doe — New York, New York
    UP9631 • Found Mar 5, 1989
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 20–35 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%2 mi away
    TimingFound 21 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'2" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 100%110 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    82%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Newark, New Jersey
    UP1482 • Found Oct 24, 2001
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%7 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 33 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'2" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 100%120 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    82%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP6794
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York
    UP6794 • Found Jan 22, 1997
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%6 mi away
    TimingFound 29 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 100%115 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    82%Moderate
    Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP6906
    Jane Doe — New York, New York
    UP6906 • Found Apr 6, 1996
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%2 mi away
    TimingFound 28 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 81%130 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    81%Moderate
    Jane Doe — New York, New York - unidentified case UP6910
    Jane Doe — New York, New York
    UP6910 • Found May 6, 1996
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 30–40 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%6 mi away
    TimingFound 28 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'4" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 71%135 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    81%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Sea Bright, New Jersey
    UP1499 • Found Apr 6, 1979
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 19–24 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 96%25 mi away, same state
    TimingFound 11 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'2" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 77%132 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    80%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Bayonne, New Jersey - unidentified case UP1409
    Jane Doe — Bayonne, New Jersey
    UP1409 • Found Oct 18, 2007
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 16–20 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%5 mi away, same county
    TimingFound 39 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'2" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 100%118 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    80%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP5728
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York
    UP5728 • Found Nov 17, 2003
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 85%Est. 20–40 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%6 mi away
    TimingFound 36 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'2" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 100%110 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 100%Black vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black
    80%Moderate
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP5757
    Jane Doe — Brooklyn, New York
    UP5757 • Found Jan 2, 2002
    View case
    Sex ✓Female
    Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 18 when missing
    Race 100%Black
    Location 100%7 mi away
    TimingFound 34 years after last seen
    Height 100%5'6" vs 5'3"–5'5"
    Weight 77%132 lb vs 95–110 lb
    Hair 60%Brown vs Black
    Eyes 90%Brown vs Black

    These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

    Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.

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    Forum Posts (3)

    I’ve been doing some reading on Cellastine Wade’s case and was struck by the timeframe of her... ...Read More
    02/25/2024
    Does anyone else think it’s really frustrating how little information we have on what Cellastine... ...Read More
    01/12/2024
    I've been deep-diving into the Cellastine Wade case, and something that's really baffling me is the... ...Read More
    05/09/2023

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