“This is not Kayla,” her mother Lisa Lucas said. “This is a very mentally sick person right now that does not need to be out wherever she is again.”
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Just weeks after being found dehydrated and disoriented in the woods, a Jacksonville mother of five, Kayla Bailey, has vanished again, Family members say she is battling severe mental health issues.
The 34-year-old was last seen at her family’s home on Blackthorn Road in the Wesconnett area early Sunday morning.
Her mother, Lisa Lucas, told First Coast News her daughter was mentally fragile and expressed deep concern for her wellbeing.
“She’s walked away from her whole life,” she said. “Her business, the kids, the family, just the house. This is not my daughter. She does not need to be out wherever she is again.”
According to the family, Bailey was released from the hospital on Thursday, less than two weeks after she was found in a wooded area suffering from dehydration. Her brother, Scott Lucas, said Kayla declined a trip to the grocery store Sunday morning and was discovered missing less than an hour later.
“I’ve walked all through the woods, and I’ve looked under all the bridges,” he said. The family says that with every hour that passes, their worries grow deeper.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office issued a statement to First Coast News saying there are many aspects in a case and multitude of factors involved in cases such as this.
JSO said there is no set time frame for launching full-scale searches when a person is believed to have left voluntarily, but confirmed Bailey’s case is active.
As the search continues, Kayla’s family and community members are pleading for help and holding onto hope for her safe return.
“If we can find her, I think she can come back to life again,” her family said. “There’s still hope. She’s never done anything like this in her whole life.”
Bailey was last seen wearing a black romper and brown sandals. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.