New Development in Search of Chicago Woman Missing in The Bahamas Leaves More Questions

Updated as of 7/6/2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Taylor Casey, a Black woman from Chicago and avid yoga enthusiast, booked a trip to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas. But that was back on June 19, and she hasn’t been seen since.

After seemingly no leads at all to where she disappeared to, the Royal Bahamas Police Force announced they found her cellphone in the nearby waters. They also found other personal items including a journal and Bible. However, her passport is still missing.

Authorities said the search is continuing with divers, tracking dogs and drones. Despite these seemingly intense measures to locate Casey, suspicions rose around how serious the investigation is being taken.

A statement from the Find Taylor Casey Facebook page claimed the local missing persons fliers of Casey weren’t found around the yoga retreat where she was staying nor around the police station. The statement also said some of her fellow travelers had no knowledge about the case.

I need them on the island to act like it’s their child,” said Casey’s mother, Colette Seymore to NBC’s Maggie Vespa on TODAY.

Casey booked her visit to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, which is located in Paradise Island, off the shore of New Providence, according to a family press release. The yoga retreat center contacted Casey’s family when she didn’t show up for class on June 19, per the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Two days later, the Bahamas authorities issued a missing person’s flyer.

However, there were little to no descriptors of her appearance before she went missing. The only information available was that she’s a light-skinned Black woman, 5 ‘10 in height, 145 pounds with natural brown hair. To Casey’s family, this lack of info could indicate foul play.

“We are deeply concerned for Taylor’s safety and well-being,” Colette Seymore, Casey’s mother, said. “I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return. Taylor would never disappear like this.”

The family could also have reason to believe Casey’s in danger based on the Level 2 advisory issued to Americans by the U.S. State Department warning them to exercise “increased caution” and “keep a low profile” due to a spike in murders and gang terrorism, per NBC News.

The concern for locating Casey has gotten as deep as the creation of a Find Taylor Casey Facebook group for supporters to share tips, attempt to contact Bahamas authorities or the staff of the retreat center, and organize prayer fasts for Taylor’s safe recovery. Casey’s family is also expected to travel Tuesday to Nassau to connect with law enforcement on the progress, if any, in the search for their loved one.

“We send our love, prayer, and energy to Taylor’s family as they begin their travels to the Bahamas. Together, we share our strength and our resolve to find our beloved Taylor,” read a post from the Facebook page.

If you have information regarding Taylor’s disappearance, please contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2 or Crime stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).