Family Seeks Answers in Disappearance of Youngstown, Ohio Woman
Mahoning County, Ohio: It has been a long, heartbreaking time since anyone has heard from Rachel Lea Cassidy, who was last seen on November 16, 2023, in Youngstown. Her family is now pleading for answers as they endure the painful uncertainty of her disappearance.
Rachel was 40 when she went missing. She is 5-foot-6 with auburn hair and green eyes, between 130-165 pounds, and has a tattoo on her right wrist. She was known to frequent the city’s south side, particularly the Market Street and South Avenue areas between Midlothian Boulevard and East Myrtle Avenue.
Her sister, Esther O’Connell, said that while Rachel had faced difficult struggles with homelessness and addiction in recent years, it was unusual for her to go this long without contacting loved ones.
“It was not common to go more than a couple weeks without hearing from Rachel,” O’Connell said. “She always tried to call when she could. To have a sibling disappear without a trace is maddening.”
Rachel had battled heroin and fentanyl addiction and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Despite her challenges, her family remembers her as intelligent, funny, and generous.
“Rachel was smart, stubborn, and determined,” O’Connell said. “She would help anyone else, and she was well known in the Youngstown area. Our family is hurting and imagining all worst-case scenarios. She was at high risk for human trafficking, and rumors say she’s been killed.”
O’Connell recalled her last conversation with Rachel, which took place through a friend’s phone just before Thanksgiving.
“I wished her a happy upcoming holiday and asked her to stay in touch,” she said. “I never heard another peep. None of my local contacts ever saw her again.”
Rachel had periods of stability when she engaged in treatment programs. In those moments, she enjoyed crafts, coloring, and spending time with cats. “She loved socializing and creating,” O’Connell shared, “but sadly much of her time in recent years was spent trying to score money or drugs.”
Loved ones are asking anyone with information about Rachel Cassidy’s whereabouts to come forward.
CONTACT:
If you have seen Rachel or have any information about her disappearance, please contact the Youngstown Police Department at (330) 747-7911 (Agency Case Number 24-0045/24Y011136) or your local law enforcement agency.
SOURCE
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www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov
