Chicago officials pledge support for Casey Taylor, woman who disappeared during yoga retreat in the Bahamas – NBC Chicago

Local officials stood side by side Thursday morning with the family and friends of Taylor Casey, an African-American transgender woman who disappeared last month during a yoga retreat in the Bahamas, and called on the Illinois state delegation to get involved as the investigation into Casey’s disappearance continues.

“You have the support of the mayor’s office,” said Kennedy Bartlett, deputy director of external affairs in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office, during the update. “We will be calling on our federal delegation to do everything in their power to make sure we bring Taylor home.”

Casey, who turned 42 on Thursday, was reported missing on June 20 by staff at the Sinvanda Ashram yoga retreat she was attending. The case remains under investigation by the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Bartlett and other speakers also called on elected officials to provide more support in other cases of missing trans women of color from Chicago.

“I share his grief over Taylor’s disappearance,” Bartlett said. “Taylor is missing like so many Black women and girls, especially from the queer and trans community. … We will continue to ensure that all Black women and young girls who go missing and disappear far too often receive the kind of love and care and dogged search they deserve, and that your family and your community will make sure of that.”

The press conference, attended by Casey’s mother Collette Seymore, became emotional at times.

“I’m wondering where you are,” Seymore said. “Are you OK? Are you in danger? Are you sick? Are you hurt? I can’t sleep at night worrying about you.”

Emily Williams, a friend of Casey’s who recently visited the Bahamas with Seymore to meet with local authorities and retreat leaders, also spoke at the conference. According to Williams, investigators provided unsatisfactory answers and misinformation during the trip.

“They didn’t remember the details,” Williams said. “We went to the Bahamas to get answers and left with more questions. And we left early because we feared for our safety. That’s how bad the situation is.”

Williams said authorities had suggested Casey left on his own initiative, but “we know that’s not true.”

The press conference took place a few days after the Royal Bahamas Police Force released an update on its findings.

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said searches involving divers and underwater drones were carried out near the area where Casey’s cellphone was found, but 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.”

Both investigations come after Michael Johnson, Chief Supt. of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, was placed on “leave of absence” on July 5 following recent “voice messages” about Johnson circulating on social media.

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

Taylor Casey, known to us, remains missing

Casey was last seen on the evening of June 19 at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island in Nassau, where she was taking a yoga certification course. She was reported missing on June 20 after staff at the retreat said Casey “did not attend morning classes.”

Five days after she 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. “She was last seen at the retreat late in the evening of June 19th.”

In an interview Wednesday, Seymore said something sounded “strange” in her daughter’s voice when the two spoke the day before Casey disappeared.

“I had an eerie feeling after talking to my child on the phone,” Seymore said. “And I sensed through the phone that something was wrong.”

Seymore also raised concerns about the integrity of the case, saying her daughter, a transgender woman of color, was not receiving the appropriate investigation or attention because of Casey’s identity.

“I just feel like they’re hiding something, covering something up, and they’ve segregated and isolated my child,” Seymore said. “My child was the only African American in the teacher’s class.”

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.”

The group’s website states that 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 in a travel guide called “Wellness Retreats & Destination Spas” by Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s luxury brand and website.

In early July, the Ashram issued the following statement:

“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.“

On July 5, the program posted an updated message on its Facebook page.