Royal Bahamas Police Commissioner placed on leave during investigation into Chicago woman’s disappearance at island yoga retreat – NBC Chicago

July 10, 2024

Editor’s note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.

The Chief Superintendent of the Royal Bahamas Police Force has been placed on leave, officials said, raising questions about the organization’s integrity as investigations continue into missing persons cases in the Bahamas, including that of a Chicago woman who disappeared while attending a yoga retreat on the island.

According to a police bulletin dated July 5, Michael Johnson, Chief Superintendent and Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, agreed to a leave of absence – an arrangement similar to paid vacation – after recent “voice messages” about Johnson were circulated on social media.

The bulletin noted that Chief Superintendent Anthon Rahming will assume Johnson’s duties for the remainder of the investigation.

During a police press conference on July 8, officials outlined the investigation into Johnson and said the voice notes raised “serious concerns.” Officials also acknowledged that the case had damaged police credibility.

“The Royal Bahamas Police has a proud history of service,” Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said during the update. “Unfortunately, there may be instances where individuals fail to live up to our standards of integrity. This is painful, particularly when it involves senior ranks. No one, and I repeat, no one, is above the law.”

“…We fully understand that this case is affecting public trust and confidence,” Fernander continued. “We have made efforts to change that, but allegations such as the one in this case are setting us back.”

Officials also commented in the update on the investigation into the case of Taylor Casey of Chicago, who disappeared last month during a yoga retreat on Paradise Island in Nassau. Fernander said searches involving divers and underwater drones were conducted near the area where Casey’s phone was found, but that no new evidence was discovered.

“They received additional information but it yielded nothing,” Fernander said, adding that police, dog handlers and marines continued to search the area.

Fernander pointed out that police were also investigating another missing person case involving Devon Issacs, a 17-year-old local boy who disappeared over seven weeks ago.

“That worries us,” said Fernander. “No clues, no calls that they have seen him.”

When Taylor Casey was reported missing

According to authorities, Casey was attending a yoga retreat at the Sivananda Ashram on Paradise Island in Nassau when she disappeared. Organizers of the program say Casey’s disappearance was discovered on June 20 “when she failed to attend morning classes.”

On June 25, five days after 41-year-old Casey was reported missing by police, organizers of the yoga program posted a message about the disappearance on Facebook.

“Taylor Casey, a participant in our yoga certification program, is missing,” the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat posted on Facebook last week. “She was last seen at the retreat late in the evening of June 19th.”

The statement, which was also emailed to NBC Chicago, further asked that anyone with information on Casey’s whereabouts contact local police.

“The Ashram is cooperating with the authorities in the investigation,” the statement said. “Your support is greatly appreciated.”

A similar message was sent via email to yoga retreat participants on June 27.

“We notified Taylor’s family, the U.S. Embassy and police of the situation at the end of June 20 and continue to work with all parties involved,” said the email, obtained by NBC Chicago. “At the same time, please be assured that your safety is our top priority and appropriate measures have been taken to ensure your well-being.”

Shortly after Casey was reported missing, a group of family and friends traveled to the Bahamas to meet with local officials and organizers of the yoga retreat.

Casey’s mother, Collete Seymore, released a statement after returning from the trip, describing her experience as “disturbing,” “upsetting” and “upsetting.”

What is the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat?

The retreat on Paradise Island in Nassau is described on the group’s Facebook page as “a vibrant yoga ashram offering retreats, courses and teacher trainings, as well as cleansing and detoxification programs, healing arts training, family programs, kirtan and more.”

According to the group’s website, visitors can rent a variety of accommodation options for their stay at the ashram, including rooms, huts and tents.

Earlier this year, the retreat was featured in a travel guide called “Wellness Retreats & Destination Spas” by Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s luxury brand and website.

The retreat issued the following statement on Tuesday evening:

“We are all shocked by Taylor’s disappearance and our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends. On that note, I would like to remind you that we did our best to provide support and comfort to Taylor’s mother and friends during their stay in the Bahamas last week. We met with them twice, along with police and U.S. Embassy officials – once at police headquarters and once at the Ashram. Taylor’s family and friends stayed at the Ashram for many hours after the official meeting ended to collect their belongings and speak with Taylor’s teachers, classmates and school administration.

To be clear, the police advised us that while we can encourage community members to speak to them, it must be their own decision. So we announced her presence to Taylor’s classmates and teachers and invited anyone who wanted to meet her to come forward. Many of our community members chose to speak to them, and the Ashram did not interfere with individuals’ statements. They were encouraged to speak freely. Any hesitation could be due to their own grieving processes.

At the end of the afternoon, Taylor’s mother and friends thanked us profusely for our help.“

US travel warning issued for the Bahamas

In January, the United States issued a Level 2 travel advisory for the Bahamas, warning that travelers to the Bahamas should “exercise increased caution due to crime.”

“Most crime occurs on the islands of New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport),” the warning states. “Violent crimes such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying in short-term rental vacation properties that do not have private security companies present.”

According to the Nassau Guardian, Director General of Tourism Latia Duncombe addressed the travel warning last month.

“It’s a safe destination and we need to make sure that visitors feel safe in the Bahamas,” Duncombe said. “When there are strange occurrences there, it’s a concern and we want to make sure we respond to them in a very measured way.”