(NewsNation) — After being missing for five days, a Florida woman’s disappearance has family members shaken and detectives wondering where to look next.
According to investigators, 37-year-old Cassie Carli was last seen Sunday night in a parking lot picking up her 4-year-old daughter Saylor from her ex-husband, Marcus Spanevelo. This took place at Navarre Beach — a small Florida town on the Gulf of Mexico.
“Cassie would never just disappear like this ever, or willingly get in the car with him to go somewhere either unless coerced into or something,” her sister Raeann Carli told NewsNation Prime. “So we knew immediately something was not right.”
Saylor was found safe with Cassie Carli’s ex across the border in Alabama the next day.
Police say the fact that the mom left her purse with all her belongings in it is a huge red flag.
“And what we found concerning was inside that car was Cassie’s purse,” said Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson “And as you know, most women don’t leave their purse behind when they go somewhere. So that caused us a little concern.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and 10 local detectives are looking for whatever clues they can find in Carli’s case.
Police say Spanevelo is cooperating with authorities. At this time, he isn’t considered a person of interest.
“Well, I can say it’s an ongoing investigation and he was the last one to see or that we’re aware of,” said Johnson. “So obviously we are intent on speaking with him again. Yes.”
“Saylor is not safe until she is home with her maternal family where she resides normally,” Raeann Carli said, adding that the exes had custody issues.
After reviewing the surveillance video, detectives say they don’t have any evidence that leads them to believe this is a homicide or an abduction yet. However, they are still keeping an open mind, considering the red flags in the case.
“Missing persons cases, a lot of them, you know, we find the person, everything’s fine,” said Johnson. “But usually, it’ll go for days without hearing from them or them using a credit card, or a cellphone or something. And right as of now, we have none of that. So yeah, we’re concerned.”
“If she were to leave on her own accord, she would have her purse with her,” Raeann Carli said. “I even joked a little bit that, ‘Did she use her card? She loves to use that card.’ No, there’s been no sign or trace of her but we do have hope that she is somewhere and alive and we can bring her home.”
Raeann Carli says family members plan to travel to Alabama to search for her. They say it’s not like her to just disappear and that she was in “best place ever” after starting a new job.
Detectives are asking the public to keep an eye out and call their local Crime Stoppers hotline if they hear or see anything that could be linked to this case.