A growing wave of anxiety has swept through the close-knit community of Eleuthera as the search enters its seventh day for Katrina Kelly, a local entrepreneur and hospitality professional who vanished under suspicious circumstances last Tuesday night. Kelly, who serves as assistant manager at the popular Pink Sands hotel and runs a small independent car rental business, left her Bluff neighborhood home in the company of three unknown men, and no one has heard from her since.
Her 11-year-old daughter, the last person to see Kelly, gave a detailed account of the night of her disappearance to local outlet The Tribune, speaking with the full consent of her family. The child recalled that between 9 and 10 p.m., Kelly told her she was stepping out to drop off friends and collect food for the family. When the girl looked out moments later, she saw three unidentified men exit a vehicle, speak briefly with her mother, before Kelly got into the car with the group and drove away. The 11-year-old told reporters she did not recognize any of the three men, and Kelly did not share any details about who the visitors were or when she planned to return.
For Kelly’s family, this disappearance carries a devastating extra layer of grief: just 12 months prior, Kelly’s 23-year-old brother Ashantio Clevorn Johnson, a trainee officer with the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, was fatally stabbed in an incident at the Blu Ice Restaurant and Bar. What would have been Johnson’s birthday fell just one day after Kelly vanished, adding a grim timing to the family’s ongoing nightmare.
Relatives initially did not sound the alarm immediately after Kelly went missing, as they explained she had a pattern of stepping away from daily life to grieve privately around the anniversary of her brother’s death and birthday. But in previous instances, she always informed family members of how long she would be gone and checked in to confirm she was safe. This time, there has been complete silence.
Loretta Cash-Pierre, Kelly’s cousin, lifelong best friend and godsister, told reporters that a key detail has deepened the family’s suspicion of foul play: a white Nissan Cube connected to Kelly’s car rental business is also missing. Pierre explained that the vehicle was actually Kelly’s personal car, which she only rented to people she knew and trusted. According to Pierre’s account, the three men who arrived at Kelly’s home on Tuesday night had rented the car and were returning it, which is why Kelly agreed to meet them. Pierre has already turned over all information she has about the renters to investigating officers, and also handed over Kelly’s personal electronic devices to help with the search.
Red flags began to pile up quickly: by Wednesday, Kelly failed to pick up her mother from the airport after her parent returned from a trip to the United States, a responsibility she had confirmed she would handle. By Thursday, Pierre still had not received a reply to a message she sent Kelly the night of her disappearance, and other family members – including Kelly’s 18-year-old daughter – began reaching out to report they had also not heard from the missing woman.
Weeks before her disappearance, Pierre added, Kelly posted a public social media status referencing ongoing conflict with clients who had refused to pay for their car rentals. It is unclear if that conflict is connected to her disappearance, but the detail has added to the family’s concerns.
The tragedy has left Kelly’s already grieving parents shattered, Pierre said. Just one year after losing their son, the couple now faces the nightmare of having their daughter missing, and Kelly’s father has been particularly overwhelmed by the stress of the situation. Kelly’s mother, too, has been unable to handle inquiries about the search, and asked Pierre to speak on the family’s behalf. Even her 11-year-old daughter has spoken about the relentless stress of the past week, noting that while her mother had stayed away before, she always checked in with loved ones.
Local law enforcement released an official missing person poster for Kelly on Friday, two days after she was last seen, and Pierre said investigators have been cooperative and responsive to the family’s tips. Despite the growing fears and the suspicious circumstances surrounding her disappearance, Kelly’s relatives have not given up hope, and are clinging to the belief that she will be found alive and unharmed. Speaking to reporters, Pierre emphasized that violent disappearances of this kind are deeply out of character for the small, tight-knit island community. “Eleuthera is supposed to be a safe place where you let your hair down. These kind of things don’t happen in Eleuthera,” she said.