Corinna Paige Slusser left a motel in Queens, New York, on September 20, 2017, and vanished without a trace. Her phone was last traced to Jamaica, Queens, around the time she went missing. Slusser has not been heard from since 2017, with the exception of some strange activity on her Facebook account in 2021.

Details of Corinna Paige Slusser

• Missing Since: 09/20/2017
• Missing From: Queens, New York
• Classification: Endangered Missing
• Sex: Female
• Race: White
• Date of Birth: 10/06/1998 (24)
• Age18 years old
• Height and Weight: 5’7, 140 pounds
• Medical Conditions: Early in 2017, Slusser attempted suicide and was diagnosed with depression.
• Distinguishing Characteristics: Female Caucasian Blue eyes and blonde hair Slusser has a tattoo of a large flower in black ink on her right hip and another in the centre of her chest, between her breasts. This case summary includes a photo of the chest tattoo. Carissa is a possible first name for Slusser. Her ears have been pierced.

Details of Disappearance

Corinna Paige Slusser dropped out of Bloomsburg Area High School one class short of graduation in 2017 and moved in with friends in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. She was a cheerleader in high school and aspired to be a makeup artist. She didn’t get along with her mother and planned to relocate to Massachusetts to live with her aunt in January 2017.

She met a man named Yhovanny Peguero in the summer of 2017, who told her he could give her a place to stay in New York City. She went to New York in July with only her phone and identification; she didn’t even bring any extra clothes.

She kept in touch with her family and friends after she arrived, contacting them on a daily basis. She said everything was fine, but after she went missing, her family discovered she’d been working as a prostitute, advertising on the internet to find clients.

Slusser called 911 from the Harlem Vista Hotel in Manhattan at 1:00 a.m. on August 25 to report that Peguero, whom she identified as her pimp and referred to as “daddy,” had stolen $300 from her and that when she confronted him, he grabbed her by the throat, choked her, and slammed her against the wall. She was still very upset, shaking, and crying when police arrived.

Peguero was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, harassment, and criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. The court issued a temporary order of protection against him on Slusser’s behalf. When her family in Pennsylvania learned of the attack, she downplayed it and assured them that there was nothing to be concerned about.

Slusser’s grandfather died in September, and she agreed to attend his funeral in Florida, but a day later she called her mother to say her Social Security card and driver’s license had been stolen, and she couldn’t fly. She did, however, wish to return to her home state of Pennsylvania.

Slusser’s mother travelled to Florida for the funeral on September 19, and Slusser was supposed to return to Pennsylvania the next day, but her mother was unable to contact her, and when she returned, she discovered that Slusser had never arrived in Pennsylvania. Her mother filed a missing persons report for her.

Although Slusser’s family last heard from her on September 20, she was last seen leaving the Haven Motel on Woodhaven Boulevard by 68th Avenue in Queens’ Rego Park neighbourhood in the early morning hours of September 20. Slusser had been very active on social media prior to her disappearance, but all of her posts stopped after September 20.

Investigators believe Slusser was controlled by a number of pimps. Ishi Colin Woney, one of Slusser’s pimps, was charged with sex trafficking a woman only known as Victim 1 in November 2018.

The prosecution claims that between September 2017 and November 2018, Woney used coercion, force, and fraud to force Victim 1 to perform sex acts for money, and brought her to various states, including New York, to do so. He also purchased prostitution-related online advertisements, some of which featured Slusser alongside Victim 1 and advertised a “two girl special.”

She exchanged over 800 text messages with Woney between September 10 and September 20, the day Slusser vanished. On September 20, they allegedly argued because Victim 1 was upset about his relationship with Slusser. Woney stated that he would transport Slusser to another hotel and hand her over to another man. She was never seen or heard from again.

This case summary includes a photograph of Woney. He reached a plea agreement with the prosecution in May 2019, pleading guilty to four of the five charges against him. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.Slusser’s mother asked Woney at his sentencing where she was and if she was alive, and Woney replied, “To be honest, I’m not sure. I never gave her to anyone else. Is she alive or dead? I honestly don’t know, but I hope she’s still alive.”

Corinna Paige Slusser’s disappearance remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

• New York Police Department 212-384-1000