Kenya Hickson was 28 when she vanished from Newark, New Jersey, in the late summer of 2001. On August 14 she was seen leaving a family member’s home with a female acquaintance known only as Cynth. At the time she wore a blue shirt, black jeans and a scarf on her head; distinctive features included facial pockmarks and braces on her teeth. Kenya used several names and nicknames, including Boo Boo, Keysa Caldwell and Grace Hi.

Her life before the disappearance included struggles with substance abuse, and she frequented areas in Irvington and Newark around 20th Street, Nye Avenue and Ells Avenue. Searches and inquiries in those neighborhoods produced no lead. The New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit and the Newark Police Division are handling the case, which has been circulated on missing-persons platforms but remains unresolved.

The identity of Cynth and what happened after Kenya walked away are central unanswered questions. If anyone knew Kenya, Cynth, or saw them together on August 14, 2001, please come forward with information.