After police issued a missing person alert for a 25-year-old woman, she popped up online, not in distress, but very much alive and apparently very annoyed.
Alicia Forbes, who authorities said was last seen on November 13, showed up in the comments under the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Facebook post to clear the air.
According to her, the only thing missing was the ‘truth’.
Using the name Baby Queen, Forbes wrote, “This is not truth.”
She added that she’s not missing. She just wanted some freedom.
“I just want to have fun… My family always have me on lockdown. I can’t go anywhere with nobody, so I keep running away,” she admitted publicly, sending the comment section into a mix of laughter, disbelief, and motherly scolding.
When commenters urged her to at least call home, Forbes insisted her family wasn’t listening.
“I tried,” she said. “I just want to have a little bit of fun, ok. I am 20 years old.”
Police said 25. She said 20. At this point, everyone was missing something.
One Facebook user, Portia Cooper, gave her a stern warning:
“Young lady, let your family know you’re safe. Too much danger in this lil island. Be careful with the fun you looking for.”
But Forbes held her ground with one final reminder: “I am not missing.”
Police have updated the poster. By now, everyone on Facebook knows exactly where she is.
The search for 30-year-old Lauren Saunders ended in heartbreak Wednesday morning when police discovered her body in bushes off Munnings Drive.
Saunders, a pregnant mother of two who went missing on Sunday, was found dead around 8 a.m., Wednesday, police confirmed. Officers say the decomposed body bore signs of gunshot wounds.
A man has been in police custody since Monday as part of the investigation.
Saunders was last seen Sunday morning on her way to work but never arrived. Her car was later found near Coral Harbour with a flat tire, and her phone last pinged near Gladstone Road. Her family had spent days pleading for her safe return, leading volunteers and police in desperate searches across western New Providence.
Her older brother, Renny Saunders, shared his grief in a Facebook post:
“My baby sister, I love you, Lauren.”
At the search site, family members wept and prayed together. “We will trust in God,” one shouted.
Search volunteer Calvin Brown said, “We walked every service road, crossed every barrier, and were met with the heartbreaking news we all feared.”
Volunteers gather to search for Lauren Saunders | Photo Credit: Calvin Brown
Cousin Simeon Rolle said his family is in pain, “This did not have to happen. You did not deserve this.”
Speaking to the perpetrator, he said:
“I hope you rot in hell.”
A woman who attended church with Saunders last week recalled her asking for prayers of protection. “She got up in the middle of service and she took the mic…and she said, ‘Pray for me, I need protection.'”
Prime Minister Philip Davis called for justice:
“Violence against women has no place in our society and must be met with the full weight of the law.”
Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe defended the police response amid public criticism, saying officers acted immediately:
“A missing person’s flyer was issued the same day, and by Monday, a person of interest had been taken into custody.”
Michael Clarke, a former classmate of Saunders’ and a volunteer in the search, remembers her as “a very sweet girl who loved to laugh and was loved by many.”
Saunders graduated from CR Walker Senior High School in 2012.
The tragedy has reignited national outrage about women’s safety in The Bahamas and renewed calls for capital punishment.
The bottom line:
Lauren Saunders’ death is more than a personal tragedy — it’s a national wake-up call about how vulnerable women remain and how urgently the Bahamas must act to protect them.
Taylor Casey, the 41-year-old American woman who went missing in the Bahamas one month ago, is seen in a resurfaced video at the Sivananda Yoga Retreat Center, singing at a microphone.
Taylor is assisted by a woman who appears to be another classmate, as both are adorned in the yoga center’s yellow t-shirt and white pants, leading a group in a chorus.
Taylor, center stage with a notebook, appears stumped and slightly nervous as the woman helps her with leading the chant. She sings with the class and then tries it on her own. At the completion, she makes a prayer hand and gives the woman a high-five. They both walk offstage.
This video is significant since Taylor, who traveled to the Bahamas alone, disappeared from the center on June 19 and it shows her interaction with the people there.
Friends at the initial phase of the investigation said they did not find Taylor in any videos posted to the yoga center’s website.
Her mother Colette Seymour said Taylor had contacted her complaining that the course was difficult and she was having a hard time.
The yoga enthusiast was on a month-long course to become a certified instructor. She lived in a tent on the property, one of the arranged accommodations available for students, but has not been seen since. Her phone was recovered but Bahamian authorities said her US passport was missing.
The disappearance of Taylor who has a ‘big footprint’ in the transgender community in Chicago, has garnered support from the LGBTQ community in her state and they are now pushing the US government to permit the FBI to investigate the case.
An unmade bed, yellow t-shirts branded with Sivananda Yoga Retreat Center hanging in a mini closet, a Bible, a collection of cotton swabs, a picture of Jesus, and a teacher training course book rested on a table.
These were some of the items Taylor Casey’s mother recovered from her apartment at the retreat center on Paradise Island. The 41-year-old went missing on June 19 while undertaking a training course there.
Police recovered her cell phone in the waters nearby and have not found her American passport.
Seymore said she also collected Louise Hay affirmation cards, Taylor’s yoga mat, books titled “We Do This Until We Free Us” and “All the Black Girls are Activists”; lavender essential oil, toiletries, a sketchpad with her paintings, yoga pants, flip flops, and t-shirts.
“The scene appeared largely unprocessed by local authorities,” she said in a press statement.
She described her visit to the retreat as “deeply unsettling.”
Taylor lived in a mini tent, a common living quarter for guests at the center since so many traveled to connect with nature and relax their body and mind through yoga.
Taylor’s friend Emily Williams also accompanied Seymore on the three-day trip and believes the center did not do all it could to provide information on their last encounter with Taylor. “It became apparent to us when we met with the Sivananda Ashram leaders that they were struggling to keep a linear and cohesive narrative regarding Taylor’s disappearance.”
Seymore added, “We had to beg to talk to [Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat] students, but then I feel like they were told what to say and not to say.
“My impression is that it (Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat) is cultish, and students were being coerced to obey them (Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat leaders) even if that meant holding back information about my child missing.”
Taylor Casey, the missing 41-year-old American woman who disappeared from Paradise Island while staying at the Sivananda Yoga Retreat Center, stayed more than two weeks in a tent living quarter.
Like thousands of guests, she experienced the “otherworldly” and “idyllic” property “flanked by dense tropical gardens and white sand beaches” as praised by Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop lifestyle brand.
Taylor was on a four-week training course to become a certified yoga instructor and would have paid $3300 for the accommodations, based on the information from the retreat’s website. Her accommodations appeared to be a private 8×8” tent hut with a single bed. Its amenities include the Bahama breeze, furnished with a closet, nightstand, bedside lamp, fan, and electrical outlets. Towels and bedding were provided onsite and shared bathrooms were a short distance away.
“Sleep in the fresh, tropical air while still enjoying indoor comforts… It’s the easiest camping you’ll ever do, while you’re safely surrounded by your Tent Hut neighbors,” the website reads.
Other guests who did not wish to use the accommodations offered by the center, were encouraged to bring their tents along with their camping gear, mattress, and towels.
“Set up your tent near the beach, bay, or amongst the palm trees. Create your own sacred space within in the Ashram to reconnect with nature and sleep close to the earth. And you won’t be completely alone — get ready to meet ‘tent neighbors’ from around the world!”
Some guests bring their own 8×8 tents to camp onsite
Because Taylor was taking the teaching course, she was expected to undertake the “ancient Holistic Yoga Philosophy (5 Points of Yoga) and Yogic Lifestyle, as developed by Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda—Karma and Reincarnation, Meditation, Yoga Anatomy and Physiology, Yoga Nutrition, and various types of yoga.
Upon graduation from the Teacher Training Course, Taylor would have been certified as a Sivananda yoga teacher and would have been able to teach at Yoga centers or offer Yoga classes in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother Colette Seymour said she was excited to return home to teach yoga before her family learned of her disappearance.
Trained teacher shown with swamis upon the completion of the 4-week courseStudents seen engaged in Yoga sessions a the Sivananda Retreat Center on Paradise Island
Taylor was to be taught by swamis– Hindu yoga guru and religious teachers and stayed at the Asham, known as the secluded dwelling of a Hindu sage or a religious retreat.
Founders of the Yoga retreat–Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda
The website says, “Living at our Ashram, you’ll experience uplifting Satsangs, engaging lectures by Swamis and expert speakers, and vibrant concerts featuring world-renowned Kirtan singers and performers.
It continues, “Our authentic ashram experience takes you to the depth and vibrancy of spiritual and cultural traditions from ancient India, right here in the Bahamas. Your journey of yoga, meditation, insight, and music, will nourish your soul, challenge your intellect, and uplift your spirit.”
The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) acknowledged though they have found Taylor Casey’s phone, they have not recovered her US passport.
“Officers diligent search efforts led to the discovery of Taylor’s journal and the retrieval of her cell phone from nearby waters. In addition, other personal effects have been found; however, her American passport has not been located,” the authorities said in a statement.
Before the statement, the RBPF seemed tightlipped on the investigations only stating they had spoken to the family, as they and the Bahamas tourism officials attempt to mitigate fallout in the tourism industry.
Taylor’s mother Collette Seymore and friend, Emily Williams have expressed a lack of confidence in the local police and advocated for support from the US government. The pair returned to Chicago after meeting with authorities in the Bahamas.
“I had to return home without her (Taylor). This is every mother’s worst nightmare. I felt an urgent need to return because, without US Government support, we may never find out what happened to my Taylor,” Seymore said of her 41-year-old daughter.
Taylor came to the Bahamas on June 2 to become a certified yoga instructor. She attended the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Center on Paradise Island where she lived. She is believed to have attended sessions until June 19. It was late that evening when she was last seen.
Seymore also said that reports are that an unidentified man wandered onto the property where Taylor stayed and may have had contact with her.
The man reportedly wore a Celtics baseball cap and was dressed in a black outfit. He claimed he was from Chicago and was interested in taking a yoga class then proceeded to follow her onto the property.
Seymore said the authorities failed to inform her of the encounter, though a statement was given to them by the retreat’s manager.
Police, however, have not confirmed this.
Taylor’s friend Williams also accused authorities of not thoroughly searching the retreat’s premises. She said they “scolded” her for taking pictures because they instead wanted to respect guests on vacation.
“What’s more important–finding Casey or people enjoying vacation?” she asked.
The family of the missing Chicago woman is expressing new concerns after being told that an unidentified man wandered onto the property where Taylor Casey stayed before she mysteriously disappeared.
Taylor’s mother Collette Seymore said the Royal Bahamas Police Force failed to inform her of an encounter the unknown man had with participants of the center, but it was revealed by the lead manager of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, who said he (the manager) had given his statements to the local authorities.
According to reports, the Monday before Casey’s disappearance, an unknown man with a walkie-talkie was seen walking the platform where Taylor’s tent was located.
“When the man saw an employee, he went in another direction and walked off of the property,” Seymore said, recounting the story as told to her.
On the day Taylor disappeared, a man approached a yoga participant while she was sitting alone on the beach, according to Seymore. The man reportedly walked from the direction of the Atlantis Resort and approached her.
The man wore all black with a Celtics baseball cap, claiming to be from Chicago, and expressed interest in taking a yoga class. He proceeded to follow her onto the property, according to Seymore.
“It’s strange.”
Seymore who arrived last week Wednesday, has since left the Bahamas after meeting with the officials of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
“I had to come home (Chicago) without my child. We need answers,” she told Brian Entin on Banfield NewsNation.
The 41-year-old’s phone pinged in waters and retrieved some “56 feet out,” the mother said.
After the cell phone belonging to missing American woman Taylor Casey was discovered in waters in the Bahamas, her mother Colette Seymore wants access to the phone.
Casey’s phone pinged in waters believed to be near the site where she went missing before attending classes at the Sivananda Asham Yoga Retreat Center on Paradise Island.
Seymore who met with investigators upon her arrival in the country to find her missing daughter, said the phone is in police custody but she has not been given access to it.
“They (Royal Bahamas Police Force) have the phone, but we have not been able to receive the phone or look into it. I think that’s gonna have a lot of our answers,” she told NewsNation Brian Entin. “They still have the phone. They haven’t given me the phone. But I want that phone before I leave.”
It is unknown when she will leave the Bahamas, only saying she hopes to carry Casey back to Chicago with her.
Seymore and a contingent of family and friends traveled to the Bahamas from Chicago, to find the missing 41-year-old woman, but to no avail.
Police said they have used dogs, drones and divers to search for the woman and are still searching extensively to solve the unusual disappearance.
Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe said last week that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is advising the police in the ongoing search for Casey who arrived in the Bahamas on June 2 to become a certified yoga instructor.
June 19th was the last day anyone saw her. Reports are that she strolled to visit the coral reefs, 15 minutes from the retreat center.
Though Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters last week that the family is “very, very pleased with the investigations thus far,” Seymore told Entin, “I do not feel as confident as I want to feel…I’m here right now. I need to know that they are taking this seriously and helping to bring our loved one home. I need to know that.
“And no, I’m not feeling that confident about that.”
Casey is described as a light-skinned African-American woman, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 145 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Taylor Casey’s family is seeking more resources in their arduous search for her in the Bahamas, wishing to raise $25,000.
The 41-year-old has not been seen since June 19 and her family travelled to the Bahamas to help solve the mystery of her disappearance.
The crowdfunding launched on chuffed.org has already raised over $11,000 to assist the family and friends in the country, to advocate for her safe return, and to hire a legal team.
The “beloved” woman is a community leader in Chicago and was hoping to become a certified yoga instructor after undertaking a course at Sivananda Yoga Retreat Center on Paradise Island. Her family said she could not wait to share her experience with friends upon her return home.
“Please help us bring Taylor home,” the page read.
Upon their arrival in the country, Taylor’s family met with the Royal Bahamas Police Force when authorities revealed her phone was discovered in waters. It is unknown how close the ocean is from where she stayed.
“We have updated the family on the investigation,” Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters. “We have a very good relationship. They are very, very pleased with the investigations thus far.
The disappearance of American woman Taylor Casey remains a mysterious case in the Bahamas and is now making headlines around the world.
The 41-year-old Chicago native is believed to be a transgender woman who traveled to the country to attend a yoga retreat on Paradise Island.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing person poster and is investigating the leads.
What we know about Taylor Casey’s disappearance
Taylor Casey came to the Bahamas on June 2 to become a certified yoga instructor. She attended the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Center on Paradise Island which sits offshore from New Providence and is connected by Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge.
Taylor Casey is seen in the Bahamas with a shirt that reads, “Yoga Teacher Training Course”
She is believed to have attended sessions up until June 19. It was late that evening when she was last seen.
Someone saw her walk to the coral reefs in the ocean which is believed to be 15 minutes from the retreat where she stayed.
Her family confirmed that her phone is pinging in the water. “Her location was followed on her phone and it shows it is in the water,” her niece Saneria Benson said.
While in the Bahamas, she lived in a tent on the property, partly to experience nature, because it was a yoga and wellness trip.
The yoga retreat center released a statement saying it is helping authorities in their investigations and is asking others with information to pass it along to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
What we still don’t know about Taylor Casey’s disappearance
Casey’s disappearance is quite mysterious and authorities have not revealed much information on the search efforts or where the investigation is leading them.
There are many unknowns:
Did she travel alone?
Did she meet up with friends in the country?
Who paid for her accommodations?
Did she leave the resort?
The family said other than what they have issued to the press, “further details cannot be disclosed at this time.”
Fears of safety for tourists
Safety concerns for tourists coming to the Bahamas are helping to mobilize the story and captivating audiences. This is why the story of Taylor Casey’s disappearance is making international headlines.
In recent times, the crime rate in the country spiraled, with the murder rate hitting double digits. This resulted in the US level 2 travel advisory for its citizens coming to the Bahamas since January of this year.
“Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas,” the US advisory read. “In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the “Over the Hill” area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population. Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas,” the US advisory continued.
However, crime against tourists is rare and the violence is more concentrated in areas where locals reside.
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Cousin Simeon Rolle said his family is in pain, “This did not have to happen. You did not deserve this.”
