In a new statement, close friends and family of Taylor Casey, the Chicago woman who went missing while attending a yoga retreat in the Bahamas, called the actions of program leaders and investigators in her two-week disappearance “disturbing and infuriating.”
“I want to be clear to the American media, public and government officials: we are not satisfied with the way this investigation has been conducted so far,” Casey’s friend, Emily Williams, said in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, Williams and Casey’s mother, Colette Seymour, recently returned to the United States from the Bahamas and met with officials from the U.S. Embassy, the Royal Bahamas Police and leaders of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, where Casey was attending the program when she was reported missing.
“What we have learned and observed during meetings with authorities and ashram leadership is disturbing and upsetting,” Williams said in a statement.
Visit to yoga retreat where Taylor Casey disappeared described as ‘deeply disturbing’
According to the statement, a group representing Casey went to his vacation home on Paradise Island in Nassau on June 27, seven days after police said Casey, 41, had gone missing, to retrieve his belongings.
The statement also said Ms Casey’s room and personal belongings – including her Bible, teacher training coursebooks, yoga equipment and clothing – appeared to have been “largely undisposed of by local authorities”.
The group went on to describe their visit to the retreat center as “deeply disturbing.”
“In meeting with Sivananda Ashram leadership, it became apparent they were struggling to maintain a coherent narrative regarding Taylor’s disappearance,” Williams’ statement said.
The statement claims that the delegation representing Mr Casey had been advised by police on multiple occasions not to speak to guests at the retreat, leading them to believe that “maintaining the peace and comfort of the tourist experience” took priority over the disappearance of Mr Casey, a missing participant.
In a statement, Seymour said she had to “beg” to speak to the students, who appeared to share information they had prepared in advance. The statement also said that none of the students attending the retreat were informed of Casey’s disappearance and that no “missing person” posters were found on or around the retreat grounds.
“My impression is that [Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat] It was a cult and students were forced to follow it. [Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat leaders] “Even if it means hiding the information that my child is missing,” Seymour said.
Seymour and Williams’ statements also said police had asked retreat attendees to provide statements about Casey, but police would not say whether any interviews took place or how many statements were collected.
The statement also described an incident in which Ram Soskin, lead manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, said an “unidentified man carrying a walkie-talkie” was seen walking near where Cayce’s tent was located two days before she disappeared.
One of the retreat attendees also told the group that on the day Casey disappeared, she was approached by the same man while sitting alone.
“The unidentified man was wearing all black and a Celtics baseball cap,” the statement said. “He claimed to be from Chicago and was interested in a yoga class, and followed her onto the premises.”
The statement said some attendees chose to return home early after learning of Casey’s disappearance, and that Williams and Seymour also changed their flights to return home earlier than planned after their visit to the retreat center because they were “concerned for their safety.”
What is Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat?
On June 25, five days after Casey, 41, was reported missing to police, organizers of the yoga program posted a message on Facebook saying her disappearance was discovered on June 20 when “she failed to show up to her morning class.”
“Taylor Casey, a participant in our yoga certification program, is missing,” Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreats posted on Facebook last week. “She was last seen at the retreat late on the evening of June 19th.”
The statement, which was also emailed to NBC Chicago, asked anyone with information about Casey’s whereabouts to contact local police.
“The ashram is cooperating with authorities in the investigation,” the statement said. “Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.”
A similar message was emailed to yoga retreat participants on June 27th.
“We updated Ms. Taylor’s family, the U.S. Embassy and law enforcement at close of business on June 20, and continue to work with all involved,” the email obtained by NBC Chicago said in part. “At the same time, please be assured that your safety and security is our top priority and appropriate measures are being taken to protect your well-being.”
The group’s Facebook page describes the retreat as “a vibrant yoga ashram offering vacations, classes, teacher trainings, cleansing and detox programs, healing arts training, family programs, kirtan and more.”
According to the group’s website, visitors can rent a variety of accommodations for their stay at the ashram, including rooms, huts and tents.
Earlier this year, the retreat was featured as part of Gwyneth Paltrow’s luxury brand and website, Goop’s “Wellness Retreats & Destination Spas” guide.
“I think the police did the bare minimum.”
In a statement on Monday, family and friends of Casey criticized the actions of Bahamian investigators and police, saying the information they provided was incomplete and showed a “lack of serious consideration” for the case.
For example, according to the statement, Bahamian Minister of National Security Wayne Munro told reporters that the FBI was involved in the search, but U.S. embassy officials told Seymour that this was not the case.
“This means that police have made claims to the public that are not true,” Seymour said in a statement. “This calls into question everything the police have said.”
At a local press conference, Nassau Police Chief Chrislyn Skippings said the search for Casey was “exhaustive,” using drones, dog units and divers, and noted that authorities had searched both the island and the surrounding area, but family and friends were told the search was limited to a 2.4-mile (3.8-kilometer) stretch between the yoga retreat and the Atlantis resort.
The statement also said Casey’s mobile phone was found in the water and recovered, but police refused to release it to his family.
“We believe the phone may contain the information we need,” Seymour said in a statement.
The statement also claims that it was Atlantis’ security team, not the Bahamian police, that reviewed the discovered surveillance video.
“This is every mother’s worst nightmare.”
Family and friends spoke with FBI officials on June 29 after returning from the island, according to the statement, but the U.S. is not intervening in the case, the statement said.
“I had to get my daughter and come home,” Seymour said. “This is every mother’s worst nightmare. I felt an urgent need to come home because without the assistance of the U.S. government, we may never know what happened to my daughter, Taylor.”
Hours before Seymour and Williams’ statements were released, Chicago Police had issued a “missing person” bulletin for Taylor Casey.
“Anyone who has had recent direct contact or correspondence with any of the missing persons listed above, or who has any information regarding the current whereabouts of any of the missing persons, is asked to contact the Area 5 Special Victims Unit immediately at (312) 746-6554,” the bulletin said.
No other information was provided about the alert, including why it was issued days after her disappearance was first reported.
U.S. issues travel advisory for the Bahamas
In January, the United States issued a “Level 2” travel advisory for the Bahamas, warning travelers to “exercise increased caution in the Bahamas due to crime.”
“The majority of crimes occur in New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport),” the advisory states. “Violent crimes, including theft, armed robbery and sexual assault, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Caution is advised when staying in short-term vacation rental properties that do not have a private security company on-site.”
Tourism director Latia Duncombe spoke out about the travel advisory last week, according to the Nassau Guardian.
“We need to ensure that this destination is safe and that tourists feel safe when they come to The Bahamas,” Duncombe said. “Any time there’s a strange incident, it adds to the anxiety. We want to handle it in a very measured way.”
