“We will celebrate your life”: Family of missing trans woman draws attention to her disappearance on her birthday

Family and friends of Taylor Casey, a Chicago woman who has been missing in the Bahamas since June 20, held a press conference outside Federal Plaza in Chicago on Thursday to celebrate Casey’s 42nd birthday and to draw further attention to her disappearance.

Casey’s mother, Colette Seymore, read a letter to her daughter at the press conference.

“Taylor, today is your birthday. And we all want to wish you a happy birthday. Although it’s not as nice because you’re not here with us,” Seymore said. “The pain I felt 42 years ago when you were born cannot compare to the pain your message has taken from our lives.”

Casey was last seen on June 19 at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, Bahamas. She was reported missing on June 20. The family said they are expecting an update on the case from the Royal Bahamas Police Force on Friday.

Seymore traveled to the Bahamas two weeks ago to join the Royal Bahamas Police Force in the search for her daughter.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a press conference on Monday that Casey’s phone was found more than 50 feet (15 meters) below the surface. Both Bahamian and U.S. authorities have attempted to access the contents of her phone, but so far neither party has been successful, police said.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force also announced on Tuesday that Michael Johnson, Chief Superintendent and Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigation, who was also involved in the search for Casey, was suspended due to a “concerning voice message” that was circulating on social media. They did not specify what the voice message contained.

Speakers at Thursday’s press conference included Seymore, friends of Casey, a spokesman for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and leaders from Chicago’s Black LGBTQ+ community.

The family also said that Casey, who is transgender, is part of a transgender population of color that faces a higher risk of violence both in the United States and abroad.

“Too often, our Black trans and gender-expansive siblings disappear without the media or authorities doing anything about it,” Jackie Boyd, a friend of Casey’s, said in a press release ahead of Thursday’s conference. “We are extremely concerned for Taylor’s safety and need your support to keep the pressure on American and Bahamian authorities.”

In the same press release, Casey’s family cited statistics from the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, which found that 68% of murder victims in the U.S. transgender community this year were people of color.

Kennedy Bartley, deputy director of external relations in Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office, said at Thursday’s press conference that she shared the mayor’s sadness over Casey’s disappearance. Bartley also acknowledged that Casey’s disappearance is part of a larger problem of violence against LGBTQ+ people of color.

“Taylor is missed like so many other black women and girls, especially from the queer and trans community, and it seems like it’s only the community that cares. But not today,” Bartley said.

Casey’s best friend Emily Williams, who traveled to the Bahamas with Seymore, said they wanted answers about Casey’s disappearance and called on lawmakers, including Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, to step in and help them.

“Taylor, I say we love you. We are thinking of you. We will celebrate your life,” Williams said.