NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Bahamas government has dismissed as “material misstatements” pronouncements made in the United States media regarding the ongoing investigation into the case of missing Chicago transgender woman Taylor Casey.
The authorities said Casey, 41, travelled to the Bahamas to attend the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Centre on Paradise Beach and was last seen on June 19.
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Casey’s mother, Colette Seymore, told US television network, CBS News, that she last heard from her daughter on June 18.
Casey’s American passport has not been found, but police discovered her phone in more than 50 feet of water off Paradise Island.
At a news conference last week, Emily Williams, a friend of Casey’s, said this only happened after a relative tracked the phone’s location and shared it with police.
Last month, the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) announced that it had sought assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) in the ongoing search for the American national.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed suggestions that the local authorities were not handling the investigation into Casey’s disappearance properly, noting that Bahamian law enforcement had been praised by both the missing transwoman’s family and US officials.
“There are a number of material misstatements in the press about this matter attributed to various spokespersons for the family. The facts as they are now established do not bear the interpretations which are being described in the US media and are being advanced by various spokespersons for the missing person,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement.
“The record of cooperation and thoroughness of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, including calling on technical expertise from the United States, is clear.
“It is understandable in grief there is anxiety for a solution. We share in the concern and our country is anxious to see that this matter is resolved. There have been no complaints from US authorities on how this matter has been conducted. In fact, we have been congratulated by both the family and the US authorities,” the ministry said.
The government urged people not to make comments about the case that are prejudicial and untrue.
Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said police have launched an aggressive search effort, which included divers, the canine unit, and drone surveillance.
But some US media reports have questioned if there is a connection between the recent suspension of a senior police officer and the investigation into Casey’s disappearance.
Last Thursday, the RBPF said it was aware of an article and video that was shared on social media linking the two matters.
“Police wish to advise that the information is erroneous and unequivocally unrelated to the investigations of missing person Taylor Casey, which is still actively being investigated,” the RBPF said in a press release.
