Help us find Liz

To everyone invested in Liz’s story: The family will travel home today, Friday, July 31. We have done what we can here, and the investigation will continue.

To the press: Without you, so many people would not know her story. While some of you have been persistent in trying to reach us, we are nonetheless grateful. We are not ready to do any interviews at this time, but please continue reaching out to media@findliz.com. If and when we are ready, we will reply.

To the Royal Grenada Police Force: Thank you for your compassionate response. We wish you all well in your continued investigation.

To the Grenadian people: Thank you so, so much. Every Grenadian we have encountered has warmly welcomed us and expressed so much genuine concern for Liz.

To the hundreds of supporters on GoFundMe: Your support has had a meaningful impact on our efforts here. Our search-related expenses will continue while the police investigation continues, and we thank you deeply for your continued support.

To everyone else: We will continue to update here if additional information becomes available.

On a more personal note, I am simply not ready to write about all the things Liz means to me. We met in 2003 at American Dance Festival in Durham and have been together ever since. I realized this year that Liz and I have been together longer in life than we have been apart. We balance each other, and that makes for a great partnership.

For now, both of our Instagram accounts, as well as Liz’s business and personal YouTube channels, are the best examples of who she is. I was looking back through photos last night, and this picture popped up in my memories from exactly 22 years ago today. This picture, from the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, absolutely captures Liz’s spirit and sense of fun.

Today I leave Grenada with a broken heart. While the missing person investigation remains open, I am grieving. I am devastated, my heart hurts, and the world around me feels like a blur.

I floated along Grand Anse Beach this morning, spending some time enjoying the beauty of the place she was last seen. I imagined Liz's contentment relaxing in the warm calm salty water.

Liz has a magical spirit. She embraces her hot pink hair, loves unicorns, and has a deep love for the sea. She has traveled to beaches in Mexico, Thailand, and of course Grenada.

During this difficult time, we're trying to focus on who Liz is and what makes her amazing. I've reminded my kids about how the ocean is a happy place for their Aunt Liz. My children laughed when I added that Liz's magic and her love for the sea could mean she became a mermaid.

I've been holding on to that idea this week. She's not lost. She's exploring the sea, still sharing her magic with those around her.

I'm grateful for the 9 other friends and family in Grenada this week as we look for Liz. We share each other's pain and ease them by sharing memories of Liz. We honor her by enjoying the beauty the Caribbean, trying to find moments of peace in places she did. Noticing the good has also been helpful, the people of Grenada are amazingly kind and supportive of us. Likewise, my neighbors and friends back home have been offering many kinds of support to my husband and kids and sending me many messages. Many thanks to you all.

I want to update our friends, family, and the public on the search for my wife, Liz, who went missing on July 22 while traveling with her friend in Grenada. Over the past week, family, friends, local authorities, and countless Grenadian citizens have devoted hundreds of hours to trying to locate her. Despite our exhaustive efforts, we have not been successful. After careful and thoughtful consultation with family, local authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and others here in Grenada, I join authorities in believing there was no foul play. Liz was last seen swimming in the ocean near Grand Anse, around 5:30 PM, far from shore. She communicated her confidence in her swimming and location, as well as the beauty of the island.

The missing person investigation into her disappearance will continue, and we are specifically hopeful to determine her actions between the time she was last seen on video and the time she was seen in the water around 5:30, as well as any further sightings. No detail is too small.

As some friends and family begin returning home to start processing everything that has occurred, we want to thank our friends and family as well as the local authorities for their compassionate, and tireless efforts to locate Liz. I also want to thank the many friends, loved ones, and specifically every Grenadian we have encountered for their love, thoughts, vibes, energy, and prayers in response to this heartbreaking situation. At this time, I ask for privacy for my family and loved ones.

We will release further statements if additional information becomes available.

Cailen

Hi Folks

I wanted to offer a Family update. First - the search for Liz continues. We have now seen video footage that confirms on Wednesday, Liz was last seen, around 12:04 PM, about 20’ at most from shore in water around 5’ deep swimming towards the beach at Grand Anse. I went out and did this swim yesterday. It is easy, there are lots of rocks you can stop at if you need. The water is shallower near shore, where liz could touch if she wanted and the water is like a lake, not like ocean water we experience in North Carolina. Liz was wearing blue and white striped shorts, and an orange sort of loose crop top shirt. This information on her clothing is different than what was previously reported. The video evidence is obviously the most reliable. Both of these clothing items were newer, so I don’t think we have pictures of her in them. To confirm, she was wearing this clothing in the water.

You have likely seen reports from folks on Jet Skis of an interaction with a woman they potentially identify as Liz in the water farther out from shore around 5:30PM. The police are working to connect with these people and determine a more precise location, they are also working to collect security footage from all Hotels along the Beach.

We would like to determine if there is any video evidence or additional sightings of Liz after 12:04 PM as we work to determine a timeline of her afternoon. It seems improbable, if the potential sighting from Jet Skis was her, that she was in the water for 5.5 hours, yet, she did not have her wallet, cards, or cash with her, nor did she have shoes.

I understand that there are likely many questions, and there are for me too. I am heartbroken that she is missing. Those of you who knew us best knew our commitment to each other, to travel, to nature, and exploring the world as a team. I am so thankful for the outpouring of community support. It is far beyond what I ever expected, please continue to send love, good thoughts, and what every positive vibes best fit your belief system.

Thanks,

Cailen