Bahamas authorities find phone of Chicago woman who went missing during yoga retreat
Authorities in the Bahamas on Tuesday said the search for a American woman who went missing during a yoga retreat is a top priority amid calls by friends and family for U.S. intervention.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement that it found the cellphone and other items belonging to Chicago resident Taylor Casey, 41, who was last seen at a Paradise Island yoga retreat June 19.
The device was found in nearby waters, the police force said, and her journal and other personal items were also located as part of its response after Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas reported Casey missing on June 20.
Casey's U.S. passport has not been found, the force said.
The force said it has deployed divers, drones, tracking dogs and Paradise Island-based officers in its ongoing search.
Taylor Casey.Courtesy Casey family
"This is a matter of priority for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and we will continue to work arduously, doing all we can to locate Taylor and ensure her safe return to her family," it said.
Also on Tuesday, Chicago police issued a missing persons alert for Casey, asking anyone who knows where she might be to get in touch.
The activity followed a statement from friends and family criticizing Bahamas authorities and the retreat for what they characterized as a hush-hush probe more concerned with preserving the destination's idyllic image than with leaving no stone unturned.
“The consistent emphasis on not disturbing guests indicated that maintaining the tranquility and comfort of the tourism experience was being prioritized over addressing the critical issue of Taylor’s disappearance," the statement said.
The statement, issued under the Find Taylor Casey Facebook page, said Casey's local missing persons flier could not be found at the Paradise Island yoga retreat, immediately outside it, or at the closest police station, and that many of her fellow travelers didn't know about the case.
Casey's mother, Colette Seymore, traveled to the Bahamas last week to get answers and was told by police not to speak to the retreat's guests about the case, according to the statement, released Monday.
Seymore and others traveling with her to help find Casey left the Bahamas early over safety concerns, according to the statement.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State urged American visitors to the Bahamas to “exercise increased caution.”
Nassau, which abuts Paradise Island, has been beset by murder, robbery and gang crime. American travelers have been urged by the U.S. State Department to “keep a low profile.”
Last week, Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas said in a statement that it notified police Casey was missing after she didn't; show to a yoga class on June 20 and that it has been "collaborating" with authorities.
On Tuesday, retreat spokesperson Jonathan Goldbloom said it has been fully cooperative with police and family and encouraged guests to speak.
"All of us are distraught over Taylor’s disappearance, and our hearts go out to her family and friends," he said by email. "With that in mind, I wish to advise you that we did our best to provide Taylor’s mother and friends with support and comfort while they were in the Bahamas last week."
Friends and family have asked U.S. officials to take over the case, but that may be unlikely given the Bahamas' sovereign jurisdiction. A U.S. Department of State spokesperson said it has been working closely with Bahamian officials on the case. The FBI had no comment.
Casey traveled to the retreat — part of a global Sivananda Yoga organization with destinations in India, France, Austria, New York and California — to take lessons home in her pursuit of physical and mental well-being through yoga, friends and family said.
“I had to return home without her," Seymore said in Monday's statement. "This is every mother’s worst nightmare."
Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
Ava Kelley and Juliette Arcodia contributed.