The family of Taylor Casey, a Chicago woman who went missing in the Bahamas, is urgently appealing for the involvement of U.S. officials in the investigation.
On Casey’s 42nd birthday, her loved ones held a press conference demanding action from federal authorities. The woman’s mother, Colette Seymore, shared that her daughter had been missing for three weeks.
“Please help us find Taylor. I just want the senators to light a fire under the people in the Bahamas feet so
they can correctly search for my child and help to bring my child home,” Seymore said. Casey went missing in the Bahamas during a yoga retreat and was last seen on Paradise Island on June 19, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously covered.The family has urged U.S. officials to intervene with Bahamian authorities. During Thursday’s news conference, Emily Williams, Casey’s close friend, stated, “If we don’t have answers, we’re going to keep pushing…That’s why we’re calling on the senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, to put pressure on the State Department
to tell the Royal Bahamian Police Force to get the FBI down there right now and find Taylor.”Seymore expressed deep concern over the apparent lack of progress in the investigation during a Monday appearance on News Nation’s “Banfield” podcast. She voiced her apprehensions about potential bias affecting the case’s handling, citing her daughter’s identity as both Black and transgender. “I feel like my child had two strikes against her when she went to the yoga retreat. One is that she’s Black, and the other is that she’s transgender,” Seymore said.
According to NBC News, Sen. Durbin’s office acknowledged the distressing nature of Casey’s disappearance in the Bahamas, emphasizing the importance of continued U.S. cooperation with Bahamian authorities.
However, conflicting information has emerged regarding FBI involvement. While Bahamian National Security Minister Wayne Munroe suggested FBI advisory participation, the U.S. Embassy reportedly told the family that the FBI was not involved.
While no evidence of foul play has been indicated since Casey went missing in the Bahamas, the woman’s phone and journal have been recovered, and several of her belongings remained in her tent at the retreat. However, her passport has not been located.