Woman vanished from Bahamas yoga retreat in ‘deeply unsettling’ case, says mom

A female that vanished from a yoga retreat successful nan Bahamas almost 3 weeks agone is still missing, and her mother calls nan specifications and her disappearance “deeply unsettling.”

Taylor Casey, a 41-year-old yoga practitioner from Chicago, travelled to Paradise Island successful nan Bahamas past period to be nan Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, but was declared missing erstwhile she didn’t show up to a scheduled yoga people connected June 20.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force said successful a connection that she was past seen connected June 19.

On Monday, Bahamian constabulary gave an update successful nan case, saying they had found Casey’s cellphone successful nan water but they had been incapable to entree its contents, reports CNN. Shortly aft she disappeared, a constabulary search canine picked up a scent from a yoga shelter and tracked it to nan water, but nan scent ended there, constabulary said.

Casey’s mother, Colette Seymore, went to nan Bahamas to thief successful nan hunt efforts and meet pinch officials and nan retreat leaders precocious past month, but she said nan family is “not satisfied pinch really this investigation has been handled frankincense far.”

In a news merchandise past week, aft returning to nan U.S., Seymore said she felt uneasy pinch really nan retreat leaders are handling her daughter’s disappearance, claiming that nan retreat had a “cultish” consciousness and she felt students were being “coerced to obey” retreat leaders, “even if that meant holding backmost accusation astir my child.”

“It became evident to america erstwhile we met pinch nan Sivananda Ashram leaders that they were struggling to support a linear and cohesive communicative regarding Taylor’s disappearance,” said Casey’s adjacent friend, Emily Williams, who travelled pinch Seymore to nan Bahamas.

The property merchandise claims nan women were told by constabulary not to talk to immoderate of nan resort’s guests, and that they had to “beg” to talk to students of nan yoga retreat but it felt “like they were told what to opportunity and what not to say.”

Jonathan Goldbloom, a spokesperson for nan retreat, told NBC News past week it has been afloat cooperative pinch constabulary and family and encouraged guests to speak.

“All of america are distraught complete Taylor’s disappearance, and our hearts spell retired to her family and friends,” he said successful an email to NBC. “With that successful mind, I wish to counsel you that we did our best to supply Taylor’s mother and friends pinch support and comfortableness while they were successful nan Bahamas past week.”

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Still, her friends told section outlet CSJ Report that contempt poring complete online images and videos from nan retreat group, they were not capable to spot Casey successful immoderate of them.

On a Facebook page dedicated to uncovering Casey, her mother said she believes her girl “is successful danger” and that she “would ne'er vanish for illustration this.”

“I judge Taylor is successful threat because she was eager to stock her yoga retreat acquisition pinch others upon her return,” Seymore wrote.

Casey’s passport is missing, contempt each her different individual belongings remaining successful nan shelter wherever she was staying, section authorities confirmed.

The U.S. State Department told CNN that they are alert of reports of a U.S. national missing successful nan Bahamas but declined to remark connected Casey’s lawsuit specifically.

Last week’s connection from Casey’s family and friends criticized nan actions of investigators and constabulary successful nan Bahamas, saying they provided incomplete accusation and demonstrated a “lack of superior attention” to nan case.

Local authorities said they person brought successful drones, dogs and divers successful what they called an “extensive” search.