Family and friends of a Chicago woman who went missing during a yoga retreat in the Bahamas aren’t satisfied with authorities’ efforts to locate her.
NBC today, Taylor Casey’s mother has expressed frustration with the Bahamas Police Department, which is conducting the investigation.
“I want people on the island to act as if it’s their child that’s gone missing,” Collette Seymour said. today.
Casey, 41, was last seen on June 19 near Paradise Island, the Royal Bahamas Police Department said in a statement on June 21. Casey had been attending a certified retreat run by Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreats in the Bahamas, which told People magazine that it was the first to report Casey’s disappearance to authorities.
July 2nd, Police authorities Police found Casey’s mobile phone and other belongings in “nearby waters”, but not his passport.
“We want to be clear to the U.S. media, public and government officials: We are not satisfied with the way this investigation has been conducted so far,” Emily Williams, a friend of Cayce’s who traveled to the Bahamas with Seymour after his disappearance, said in a statement. “What we have learned and observed during meetings with authorities and ashram leadership is disturbing and upsetting.”
According to NBC, Casey’s family claims that after her disappearance, police left the tent she was staying in open to the public rather than immediately treating it as a possible crime scene.
NBC reported that Casey’s family believes she may have been targeted, but authorities have not commented on that possibility.
Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings of the Royal Bahamas Police Force praised the investigative efforts in a televised statement broadcast on NBC.
“We’ve used drone technology, we’ve used dogs, we’ve used divers,” Mr Skippings said.
Skippings did not respond to People’s request for comment.
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In January, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas, urging travelers to “exercise increased caution” due to an increase in crime in the country.
Chicago Police also issued a missing person alert for Casey on July 1.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force at 502-9991/2 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).
