True Crime with Kendall Rae

Episode: Vanished From Yoga Retreat In The Bahamas?! Where Is Taylor Casey?
Date: October 16, 2025
Host: Kendall Rae (Mile Higher Media & Audioboom Studios)
Guests: Colette Slo (Taylor’s mother), Emily Williams (best friend), Brian Enten (News Nation)

Main Theme

This episode shines a spotlight on the disappearance of Taylor Casey, a 43-year-old Black transgender woman and activist who vanished from a yoga teacher training retreat in the Bahamas in June 2024. Host Kendall Rae delves deep into Taylor’s background, the troubling circumstances of her disappearance, and the frustrating lack of answers or investigative action. The episode features direct input from Taylor’s mother, Colette, her best friend, Emily, and journalist Brian Enten, centering the lived experiences of Taylor’s loved ones and the urgent need for public attention and justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Taylor Casey? (02:05-10:45)

• Early Life and Activism

  • Born July 11, 1982, near Chicago.
  • Served as a program manager at Chicago Freedom School, supporting black and brown youth in social justice.
  • Worked with Howard Brown Health to provide affirming healthcare to LGBTQIA+ individuals; remembered as deeply supportive and empowering.
  • Was a member of Lighthouse Church of Chicago, which “is a predominantly black and LGBTQIA+ church” (04:00), involved in hospitality and advocacy for homeless LGBTQIA+ youth.
  • Air Force veteran—honorably discharged due to medical reasons.

• Personal Attributes

  • Remembered by her mother as her “flower child” for her love of gardening and acts of kindness (planting flowers outside her mom's door as a love gesture).
  • “She often got involved in helping others... She was really rooting for everyone around her to succeed and be their best possible selves.” (05:00)
  • Close connections with friends and family: called her mom frequently, fostered lasting friendships, and was a talented hairstylist.

• Quotes

  • Colette: “Taylor came out there... planted this flower and just said, ‘This is how much I love you, and this is how much my love grows for you.’” (08:25)

2. Taylor’s Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas (10:45-14:00)

• Retreat Details
  • Attended Sivananda Ashram Yoga retreat (Sivananda Bahamas) for month-long teacher training, starting June 3, 2024.
  • Chose this experience both for personal growth and to share yoga with her Chicago community.
  • Rented a tent onsite; described as “very excited about this for so many reasons. It was going to be a cool experience, but really completing this course was a huge step towards her end goal.” (13:00)

3. Timeline & Red Flags in Taylor’s Disappearance (14:00-25:35)

• Last Contact and Immediate Aftermath

  • Taylor missed class on the morning of June 20, 2024. Concern grew throughout the day.
  • Colette received a call from “Hannah” at the retreat around 1pm, asking if she’d heard from Taylor (Colette found this alarming: “Taylor was supposed to be with them... it sends her into a panic, as it would for any mother.” 15:20).
  • Their last conversation two days prior: Taylor told Colette, “Mom, this is hard.” Interpreted as a sign of emotional, not academic, difficulty (16:45).

• Possible Discrimination

  • Other yoga guests noted Taylor was “being separated from the group ... because she was a black transgender woman” (17:35).
  • A video shows Taylor leading a chant; her body language is fearful when touched by a staff member (17:52).

• Delayed Action

  • Retreat did not report her missing to authorities until 9:30 pm, over 15 hours after her absence was first noticed (17:57).
  • “Taylor was not the kind of person to just not show up for something... and she had spent about $4,000 to be staying there” (18:00).

• Quotes

  • Colette: (on receiving the call) “Why are you calling me and asking me, have I heard from my child, when my child’s over there in the Bahamas with you?” (18:15)

4. The Investigation—Failures, Gaps & Frustrations (20:48-44:52)

• Authorities’ Response

  • Taylor’s missing persons flyer issued by Bahamas police on June 21, details released June 24.
  • Loved ones say police focus more on “protecting the business of tourism rather than safety of an actively missing tourist” (21:30).

• Crucial Evidence Mishandled

  • Taylor’s phone: found underwater by search team after being pinged by her niece. Bahamian police unable/unwilling to recover data; family never allowed access (23:15, 54:00).
  • Colette accessed Taylor’s Verizon call log: notable final call on June 19, the night before her disappearance, lasted 16 minutes (23:39).

• Role of Bias and Discrimination

  • Discussion of the lack of urgency, empathy, or transparency from Bahamian authorities and retreat staff.
  • Guests and Taylor’s friends/family were stonewalled or even blocked from communicating with others at the retreat.

• Police Corruption Scandal

  • Chief Superintendent Michael Johnson (head of CID) suspended over voice notes suggesting dropped investigations for bribes—a context raising doubts about integrity in Taylor’s case (27:27).
  • Violence and intimidation: whistleblower in that case shot during a Facebook live stream.

• Retreat’s Response

  • Staff initially evasive. Key individuals would not speak to Colette or Emily; guests actively prevented from interacting.
  • Guests later revealed the retreat “kept it a secret from guests for almost a week when there is potentially a security concern” (35:00).
  • Taylor’s tent was not properly processed—her belongings (Bible, course book, sketch pad, shoes) left untouched, fingerprints never taken (36:00).

• Quotes

  • Colette: “You want me in a room... grieving here terribly. And you want to bring me into the room with 13 people? ... I didn’t get good vibes from them” (38:49)
  • Emily: “It felt much more like a performance than an actual briefing of an ongoing investigation” (41:36)

5. History of Abuse and Unsafe Conditions at the Sivananda Retreat (44:52-51:36)

• Patterns of Alleged Abuse and Negligence

  • Sivananda movement has a documented history of sexual abuse and coverups, including allegations against founder Swami Vishnu Devananda and senior teachers—even as recently as 2019.
  • Another guest, Wesley Bell, also went missing at the same retreat in 2013; his death attributed to drowning, but unresolved questions remain.

• Retreat’s Poor Transparency

  • No security cameras installed even after Wesley Bell’s disappearance.
  • Lack of adequate communication or community response to Taylor’s disappearance.
  • Brian Enten’s reporting: visitors and guests were not informed, no flyers posted, no group support or memorials organized.

• Memorable Moment

  • Kendall: “When I think of a yoga retreat, I’m thinking of love and community support... Why would they not all be coming together when one of their own has disappeared? ... What the hell is going on there?” (51:08)

6. Direct Experiences and Testimonies

• Brian Enten (51:36-54:17)

  • Describes seeing no active search, lack of posted flyers, and significant distress in Taylor’s family.
  • “When I went out to the ashram where she was staying, they also didn’t want to talk to me.” (51:36)
  • Taylor’s mom recalls: “My granddaughter... pinged the phone and said, grandma, Taylor’s... phone is in the water. And my. Yeah, that really was the clincher for me.” (53:12)

• Persistent Theories

  • Authorities and retreat representatives pushed the theory that Taylor left voluntarily or harmed herself, despite evidence to the contrary (passport not used or located, personal items left behind).
  • Reports of a suspicious man seen on the beach and near tents with a walkie-talkie ignored or downplayed by retreat’s HR and Bahamian investigators (54:59).

7. Underlying Issues: Race, Transphobia, and Lack of Coverage (54:59-75:03)

• Impact of Taylor’s Identity

  • Kendall highlights pervasive anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in the Bahamas, as echoed by a local taxi driver and documented by the US State Department.
  • Colette: “My child had two strikes against her. One that she was black and the other that she was trans...” (65:03)
  • Emily: “People at the ashram... did not integrate Taylor well... because Tay is black and trans.” (67:11)

• Systemic Neglect

  • Difficulty getting the FBI fully involved; when assistance was granted, data was handed to Bahamian police and not reviewed by US authorities (78:38).
  • Consistently more responsive support received only from Senator Duckworth’s office.

• Community Advocacy & Media Silence

  • July 11, 2024 rally at City Hall on her birthday to demand action; speeches by Taylor’s friends, family, and advocates stress pattern of violence toward black trans women and lack of media attention.
  • “While Taylor may be missing, she is not forgotten... Black women matter, black trans women matter— and we will not forget this situation.” (Shannon, 77:06)

• Quote

  • Kendall: “Too often our Black, trans, and gender expansive siblings go missing with little to no attention in the media or investigation by authorities.” (95:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Colette’s Memory:
  • “Taylor came out here and just planted this flower and just said, this is how much I love you, and this is how much my love grows for you.” (08:25, tribute to Taylor’s caring nature)
• On the Investigation:
  • “We had to work so hard to get basic updates... They blocked our phone numbers. It would be weeks before we heard anything.” – Emily (72:05)
• On Systemic Bias:
  • “My child had two strikes against her. One that she was black and the other that she was trans... and all of that impacted how this case was handled.” – Colette (65:03)
• On Retreat’s Response:
  • “As soon as we got there, things felt totally off. It felt much more like a performance than an actual briefing of an ongoing investigation.” – Emily (41:36)
• On the Role of Advocacy:
  • “It’s unconscionable that an American citizen can go missing in another country and so little be done about it. So ask those hard questions.” – Emily (93:57)
• About Taylor:
  • “Taylor is a light in so many people's lives... and without knowing where she is, that light is just missing. So it’s time that we bring her home and get them the answers that they deserve.” – Kendall (95:03)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:05 | Introduction to Taylor, her life, activism, personal impact| | 08:05 | Colette and Emily share personal memories of Taylor | | 13:00 | Taylor’s yoga journey; plan to become an instructor | | 14:00 | Timeline leading to her disappearance | | 17:35 | Taylor’s possible ostracization at the retreat | | 18:04 | Colette receives missing person call; her reaction | | 20:09 | Emily learns of Taylor's disappearance, begins advocacy | | 23:15 | Mishandling/loss of Taylor’s phone (critical evidence) | | 27:27 | Bahamian police corruption scandal | | 38:49 | Colette and Emily’s first-hand account in the Bahamas | | 44:52 | Sivananda retreat’s history of abuse and allegations | | 51:36 | Brian Enten’s video report from the ashram and beach | | 54:59 | Discriminatory climate for LGBTQ+ in the Bahamas | | 65:03 | Family discusses impact of Taylor’s identity on the case | | 76:13 | Community rally speeches for Taylor | | 78:38 | Fight to get FBI involvement and data access | | 92:52 | Colette & Emily’s call for continued advocacy and support | | 95:03 | Kendall’s closing: Be an active true crime consumer |

Calls to Action & Ways to Support

• Donate: Taylor's family has raised over $51,000 (toward a $100,000 goal) for travel, legal fees, and investigative costs.
• Advocate:
  • Follow and share updates from the Find Taylor Casey website and social media pages.
  • Email/call Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to pressure for FBI involvement.
  • Encourage anyone with information, especially retreat guests, to come forward (contact info: 1-773-676-0733; Crime Stoppers 328-TIPS).
• Visibility Matters: Commenting, reposting, and talking about Taylor’s story makes a real difference for her loved ones.
• Special Note: “Advocate for a safer world for black trans women and don’t travel to the Bahamas.” – Emily (95:03)

Episode Tone

Empathetic, urgent, and insistent on accountability. Kendall Rae centers Taylor’s humanity and the pain of her family, criticizes systemic bias, and directly appeals to listeners to get involved.

Conclusion

Taylor Casey’s disappearance not only highlights personal tragedy and familial grief, but also exposes systemic indifference, prejudice, and repeated failures by institutions meant to protect and investigate. This episode is both a memorial to Taylor’s spirit and a rallying cry: justice for Taylor depends on persistent public attention and action.