Chicago — The family of a Chicago woman who went missing during a yoga retreat in the Bahamas is calling on the U.S. government to step in. Taylor Casey’s family says they’re not satisfied with the answers they’ve received from local authorities and ashram leaders.
Her mother said she had a “deeply disturbing” experience during her visit to the island.
Nearly two weeks after Casey mysteriously disappeared, Colette Seymour is desperately pleading with the FBI and the US State Department to intervene.
“Nobody was acting as if it was their child that went missing,” Seymour said.
Related: Authorities find cellphone of Chicago woman who went missing after yoga retreat in Bahamas
“There were no leads or conclusions about what happened and there was a real gap in information,” said Casey’s friend, Emily Williams. “If Americans are unsafe overseas and the government is not doing anything about it, that’s a problem.”
“It’s critical that we get to these cases as soon as we know someone is missing,” ABC News contributor Brad Garrett said.
Ms Taylor’s mother described the visit to retrieve her belongings from the retreat as “deeply disturbing” and said leaders there appeared to be “struggling to maintain a consistent and coherent narrative about Ms Taylor’s disappearance”.
“I really thought the person who told me her child was missing would come and see me,” Seymour said. “But she didn’t. She was teaching a class on the property. Class! Is a class more important than a missing child?”
The 41-year-old was last seen on June 20 at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in Nassau.
The ashram said it immediately contacted authorities after Taylor failed to show up for yoga class and has been trying to support the family ever since.
“We met with them on two occasions, along with police and representatives from the U.S. Embassy, and by late afternoon Taylor’s mother and friends had profusely thanked us for our assistance,” Ashram told ABC News.
Bahamas police said they were using all resources and told ABC News it was a top priority.
“Your family loves you. We miss you. We want you to come home. We’re doing everything we can,” Seymour said.
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