Bahamas - Taylor Casey, 41, Chicago, last seen in at yoga retreat, Paradise Island, Nassau, 19 Jun 2024

[branmuffin]

I’m still undecided as to whether there was foul play involved vs misadventure / tragic accident.

I would suggest in general that motives behind violence against gender non-conforming people are often based on the self-serving narratives of the perpetrator of violence. Perpetuators are often unreliable narrators who will shift blame onto their victims while casting themselves as the “true victim.”

Which is to say that I strongly discount the “I was angry because I was fooled by a trans sex worker” excuse as unreliable. (I mention sex work because that’s where the “IDK, I didn’t know” narrative is often raised.)

MOO.

That does make a lot of sense.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In response to her disappearance, friends from the transgender community in the United States are coordinating efforts to search for Casey in the Bahamas, seeking assistance from residents to locate her.

Casey’s loved ones are mobilizing support from her extensive network of friends, particularly within the transgender community in Chicago, where she is well-regarded.

Still, authorities have not confirmed whether Casey was traveling alone or with companions at the time of her disappearance.

Where is Taylor Casey? Chicago Woman Missing in Bahamas During Yoga Retreat - Hot and On-the-Record

Taylor Casey (age 41, born on November 7, 1982) is a native of Chicago and has been reported missing since June 19 while visiting Paradise Island,

haor.org

 

[tarabull]

FWIW...

https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/thebahamas/#:~:text=Discrimination%3A%20The%20August%202023%20Protection,only%20violence%20in%20heterosexual%20relationships.

Bumping my own to add:

Report highlights lack of protections for LGBTQ people in The Bahamas

The Bahamas is the 46th most dangerous country for LGBTQ travelers, according to The LGBTQ+ Danger Index. The index, which was released last week, uses eight factors to rank the

www.thenassauguardian.com

ETA:

REPORT: LGBTQ+, migrants and people with disabilities face significant discrimination in The Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — LGBTQ+ individuals and migrants, particularly those without legal documentation, are at significant risk of facing discrimination and violence in The Bahamas, according to a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The report also highlights the pronounced challenges of

ewnews.com

 

[PommyMommy]

Update on the Illinois woman missing in the Bahamas coming at 10pm on @NewsNation.
Family does not believe the yoga retreat where she was staying is being totally forthcoming.
Also questions about police investigation --and a man spotted on the beach.
I'm in for Banfield at 10pm.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1807926639587692908

 

[mlhenn]

https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/taylor-caseys-family-no-missing-person-posters-seen-at-retreat/

Video- interview with family

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 1, 2024

Chicago police issue missing person alert days after woman went missing during yoga retreat in Bahamas

Several days after a Chicago woman was reported missing from the yoga retreat she was attending in the Bahamas, Chicago police have issued a missing person alert.

www.nbcchicago.com

[...]

The retreat is described as a "vibrant yoga ashram offering vacations, courses, and teacher trainings as well as cleanses, detox programs, healing arts trainings, family programs, kirtan and more," according to the group's Facebook page.

Visitors are able to rent a variety of accommodations when staying at the Ashram, including rooms, huts and tents, the group's website showed.

[...]

According to the report, police searched both the island and the area around it. Officials were not able to confirm the type of lodging Casey was staying in during her time at the retreat.

[...]

 

[Soulmagent]

Interesting. To me, that suggests the possibility of attempting a tricky selfie that went wrong, ie lead to a fall, unconscious in the water, taken out by the tide...

JMO

Or she was feeling creeped out on the beach and was trying to share something with the photo's .

I am skimming but twice I saw "Taylor sent photo's of Taylor at the beach"'
The wording is weird here.
Just observing .

 

[starlightstarbright]

I am skimming but twice I saw "Taylor sent photo's of Taylor at the beach"'
The wording is weird here.
Just observing .

I think the wording may be weird because Taylor could use they/them pronouns (even if not transgender) and the person speaking tripped up and didn’t want to use they/them, but it ended up coming out sounding even odder. JMO

 

[Soulmagent]

I think the wording may be weird because Taylor could use they/them pronouns (even if not transgender) and the person speaking tripped up and didn’t want to use they/them, but it ended up coming out sounding even odder. JMO

I can see it being this ,except I do not know this to be true in this case so before this issue comes into the thread we should source this information.
Insta, facebook,xtwitter...etc.etc..Any they /them /self proclamations on social media?
We cant keep they ,theming- every leo officer,and msm reporter HAS A DUTY ,So Its up to LE to keep the media informed so all of us are abreast of these things.
.I dunno ..why its worded as it is worded ,but if you have supportive links,please share.

 

[PommyMommy]

“The people were kind of evasive.”
Missing Illinois woman Taylor Casey’s mother says the yoga retreat she went missing from in the Bahamas is “hard to get answers” from.
Says Taylor's cell phone was found in the ocean 56 feet out from the beach.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1808086239448269122

- Taylor's mom says she wasn't allowed to speak to Hannah, the person who called and told her that Taylor was missing.

- She also says there was a whole wall of missing person's posters at the Royal Bahama's PD but Taylor wasn't on it.

- Taylor's friend says they were given a tour of the ashram "where Taylor's tent was..." and that they were almost scolded when taking pictures of the premises.

- They were able to speak to the last person who saw Taylor, a woman, and she had seen Taylor walking on the beach. The woman also told them that the same day, a man walking from the direction of the Atlantis Hotel, fully clothed, with tennis shoes on, approached Taylor while she was sitting alone. The man claimed to be from Chicago and wanted to take a yoga class. He followed Taylor on to the property of the ashram; he went one way and she went another way, and then she didn't see him again.

- While they were meeting with the ashram leadership, the manager told them the Monday before Taylor went missing there was a man with a walkie-talkie found on the platform where Taylor's tent was. When the man saw an employee, he went in the other direction and walked off the property. Ashram leadership said they reported this to the Paradise Island police but the Royal Bahamas police never mentioned this and as far as the family knows, the police have zero leads.

8:45 minute video

 

[PommyMommy]

JUL 2, 2024

Taylor Casey missing: Mother of missing Chicago woman says visit to Bahamas was 'deeply unsettling'

Casey's mom traveled to the retreat last week and now says her visit was "deeply unsettling."

6abc.com

[...]

The police requested people at the yoga retreat for statements regarding Taylor but would not specify whether any were interrogated.

The police reportedly refused to inform the family's team how many statements they had collected and the names of those participants.

According to Ram Soskin, the lead manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, the Monday before Casey's disappearance, an unidentified man with a walkie-talkie was seen walking the same platform where Taylor's tent was located.

One of the retreat's participants who the Find Taylor Casey team spoke to said that Casey was approached while sitting alone at the beach by a stranger the same day she was last seen.

The man was wearing a Celtics baseball cap and dressed in all black. He claimed he was from Chicago and was interested in taking a yoga class. He proceeded to follow her onto the property, according to the website created to help find Taylor Casey

 

[FoxxTraxx]

Taylor's mom says she wasn't allowed to speak to Hannah, the person who called and told her that Taylor was missing. - She also says there was a whole wall of missing person's posters at the Royal Bahama's PD but Taylor wasn't on it.

Colette mentioning a 'whole wall' of missing persons posters caught my attention. Just how often are people going missing? How recent are the other cases? Taylor's disappearance may not be an isolated case.

 

[sunflowermomma]

In 2022 several tourists died at a single resort in the Bahamas - news article - one from COVID and the rest from carbon monoxide poisoning. I found another article about a missing American freediver in the Bahamas, but other than that have not found much in a cursory google search about missing Americans or crimes against tourists in the Bahamas.

Anyone from there or that has visited there have more insight into common crimes tourists are warned about?

 

[Ladyotm]

The “retreat” styles itself as a community. People go there for weeks. Their sleeping arrangements seem to have little privacy. Above all, there is worship and a religious orientation. People seem to be on top of each other all day (with mandatory lessons and worship). IMO this is a context where you would expect people to be aware and to care.

Isn’t the whole point of yoga (the stretching thing is a western, modern, invention) to be in tune with the universe? It’s supposed to be life affirming, yes?

But I’m gathering not…

LE and mom haven’t said anything about interviewing staff or participants at the retreat. I find this extremely odd.

I wonder with a huge audience, how well would the instructors know they're students? If it is 100 stretching bodies, class after class, they may have noticed a few students who excelled or struggles. I imagine a place that is on the quieter side, with low voices and perhaps areas of no talking and electronics.
Their website offered accomodations from traditional rooms, to tents and cottages (for 1, 2, or more people). And communal bathrooms for tents and cottages. IIRC I saw some accomodations as low as about $50.
I hope Casey is found soon.
Her FB cover page quote (updated back in March)
"when the waves come
i hope
when you come home to yourself
there are flowers lining your front porch
that were left from all the women
you were before"

 

[branmuffin]

Bumping my own to add:

Report highlights lack of protections for LGBTQ people in The Bahamas

The Bahamas is the 46th most dangerous country for LGBTQ travelers, according to The LGBTQ+ Danger Index. The index, which was released last week, uses eight factors to rank the

www.thenassauguardian.com

ETA:

REPORT: LGBTQ+, migrants and people with disabilities face significant discrimination in The Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — LGBTQ+ individuals and migrants, particularly those without legal documentation, are at significant risk of facing discrimination and violence in The Bahamas, according to a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The report also highlights the pronounced challenges of

ewnews.com

I don't know what the dynamics at an ashram in Bahamas are when it comes to the spartan lifestyle one adopts for a pretty penny. Are the communal sleeping quarters segregated by sex? Because if they are, then it's quite possible that one of her fellow attendees was pretty pissed off that a <trans person> was sleeping in the same quarters they were. If they voiced their complaints to the retreat what happens then? Do they expel her? Move her to the male section? Is there a male section? Most places I've looked at online are very heavy in the female attendees, maybe one or two men to twenty women. If she's been there before in February it doesn't sound like that type of situation came up or wasn't an issue. It's just another speculative attempt to figure some scenarios that could put her at risk.

 

[Ladyotm]

Colette mentioning a 'whole wall' of missing persons posters caught my attention. Just how often are people going missing? How recent are the other cases? Taylor's disappearance may not be an isolated case.

Wow! Strange indeed! I wonder if any of the family snapped a picture of the wall.

 

[branmuffin]

“The people were kind of evasive.”
Missing Illinois woman Taylor Casey’s mother says the yoga retreat she went missing from in the Bahamas is “hard to get answers” from.
Says Taylor's cell phone was found in the ocean 56 feet out from the beach.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1808086239448269122

- Taylor's mom says she wasn't allowed to speak to Hannah, the person who called and told her that Taylor was missing.

- She also says there was a whole wall of missing person's posters at the Royal Bahama's PD but Taylor wasn't on it.

- Taylor's friend says they were given a tour of the ashram "where Taylor's tent was..." and that they were almost scolded when taking pictures of the premises.

- They were able to speak to the last person who saw Taylor, a woman, and she had seen Taylor walking on the beach. The woman also told them that the same day, a man walking from the direction of the Atlantis Hotel, fully clothed, with tennis shoes on, approached Taylor while she was sitting alone. The man claimed to be from Chicago and wanted to take a yoga class. He followed Taylor on to the property of the ashram; he went one way and she went another way, and then she didn't see him again.

- While they were meeting with the ashram leadership, the manager told them the Monday before Taylor went missing there was a man with a walkie-talkie found on the platform where Taylor's tent was. When the man saw an employee, he went in the other direction and walked off the property. Ashram leadership said they reported this to the Paradise Island police but the Royal Bahamas police never mentioned this and as far as the family knows, the police have zero leads.

8:45 minute video

Well, this video does clear up some things for me, specifically where Taylor slept while at the ashram: in a tent. Was the tent on the beach? Was it on the ashram property? Who actually owns the ashram? Is it privately owned or is it owned by some corporation? I'm just wondering why some guy fully clothed with a walkie talkie would be walking on the ashram property. There's a huge homeless problem in the US, is there one in Bahamas, too? Do hoteliers worry that homeless people could scare off tourists since they are probably one the most maligned people. Was he just checking that out when he talked to her about wanting to take yoga to see if she actually was a guest there? Is his interaction completely innocent from the point of view that he is a suspect in her disappearance?

Also, I don't think I would put too much stock in someone walking along the beach or wading in the surf holding a phone. I've done it numerous times, specifically at the beach in Treasure Island Florida when you're doing the 'sting ray shuffle'. You shuffle your feet to seek out the baby sting rays that hang around in the shallows so you can take pics of them. I've also done it walking in the surf in Honduras checking out the sea and the tropical environment. I dropped my phone in the shallows there and it was done.

I can commiserate with Taylor's family that the ashram owners are more concerned with keeping their guests happy instead of devoting their time advising the guests to be super cautious just in case. It all comes down to money, unfortunately, especially in an environment where tourism is the lifeblood of the country. I do feel for them and I admire their commitment to find Taylor. I can also see why some people who haven't even been to that ashram are starting to write negative reviews to kickstart them into getting on board with actively helping her family. The looming loss of guests is a great motivator.

I never want to lay any blame on anyone who finds themselves in dire straits while vacationing, especially in a foreign country, but I do believe that it is incumbent on any visitor to be aware of the tenor of the country's outlook on things that are acceptable in your own. I used to go to Mexico a lot but I've crossed it off my list because of the violence that has infiltrated the tourist areas. And it's not just the local viewpoint or politics that should be scrutinized but the laws surrounding things like public nudity, smoking weed or drug use, LGBQ issues, extremes in weather like those that have instigated numerous missing persons and deaths in places like Greece and Tenerife. Remember that many of these countries that rely on tourism like Mexico, the Caribbean Islands etc. really only put up with visitors because of the income they generate. Many are extremely conservative in their views on sex, religion, drug and alcohol use. None of those apply in Taylor's case but I do think there can be just as much homophobia and transphobia because those same conservative values are at odds with the LGBQ community.

I'm not hopeful that Taylor will be found alive but if I was her family I could accept misadventure over foul play but those questions will never go away.

 

[b2alicia]

Oh Ms Seymore! I have been following Taylor's disappearance from the first day, and I am so so worried also! You are in my thoughts and prayers every day. When I think of all the ways the retreat staff and the Bahama police have treated you, alarm bells just keep ringing in my head. And your report of the "whole wall" of missing persons at the police station is terrifying.

IMO, it seems to me that they are used to people disappearing there, and sad to say, maybe they just don't really care, in spite of what they say. Just as long as the tourism $$ just keep pouring in. And another worried mother bothering them isn't important enough to rock the boat. (Oh my, that sounds terrible). And every week that passes just makes the possibility of a big storm blasting through a bigger and bigger danger.

So. do you have any big guns you can call in? Does she have a Go FundMe account? Do you know a state congressman? or a city representative ? preferably a big 6'3" guy with huge muscles? Or
a Chicago police sergeant who is big and scary looking? I can't help thinking that these dinky police may respond better to some big scary MEN. They don't sound like the most evolved group. All this is , of course, just MOO.

 

[MesquiteO21]

Bumping my own to add:

Report highlights lack of protections for LGBTQ people in The Bahamas

The Bahamas is the 46th most dangerous country for LGBTQ travelers, according to The LGBTQ+ Danger Index. The index, which was released last week, uses eight factors to rank the

www.thenassauguardian.com

ETA:

REPORT: LGBTQ+, migrants and people with disabilities face significant discrimination in The Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — LGBTQ+ individuals and migrants, particularly those without legal documentation, are at significant risk of facing discrimination and violence in The Bahamas, according to a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The report also highlights the pronounced challenges of

ewnews.com

didn't realize Taylor is transgender until just now reading this thread, so I do think it's important to consider that as possibly being a factor.

those statistics are very disheartening

 

[tarabull]

Guy dressed in black with walkie talkie?????...could be SECURITY!!!! IMHO