Florida mom Kayla Bailey was reported missing by her family on August 18, 2025. Two days later, she was found lying down in the woods near her Jacksonville home. Although she was considered “alive and well,” the mom of five was hospitalized for dehydration. Only days after being released from the hospital, she has been reported missing again. According to her family, Bailey may be dealing with mental health issues that could be causing her to disappear.
A missing persons report was filed on September 7, 2025, First Coast News reported. This time, she was reported missing by her brother and grandmother. According to her brother, Scott Lucas, he asked her if she wanted to go to the store with him, she declined, and he left her and her grandmother in the home.
When he returned, their grandmother was sleeping and Bailey was gone.
“The victim did not make any statements of leaving and did not express any statements to cause harm to herself or others before leaving,” the report reads, per First Coast News. “The victim is not diagnosed with any mental illness and can take care of herself.”
But her brother told police Bailey had been “down and not herself” recently.
Bailey’s mother, Lisa Lucas, spoke with First Coast News about her daughter’s disappearance, expressing concern for the 35-year-old’s mental state.
“She’s walked away from her whole life,” Lisa Lucas 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.”
When Bailey was found August 18, she was lying on the ground in the woods, kicking her feet. She was hospitalized for dehydration, staying in the hospital for nearly two weeks. Bailey had been released only days before her second disappearance.
“I’ve walked all through the woods, and I’ve looked under all the bridges,” Scott Lucas said. Their worry is only continuing to grow the longer she stays away.
“If we can find her, I think she can come back to life again,” Scott Lucas said. “There’s still hope. She’s never done anything like this in her whole life.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a statement to the news outlet, saying the case is complex and has many factors. Although authorities confirmed that Bailey’s case is active, there is no timeline for a full-scale search when an adult leaves voluntarily.
Police have searched the home and not found the woman. They also called local hospitals and did not locate her.
On August 19, a day before Kayla Bailey was found, her husband, Joshua Bailey, was arrested. Police said that his arrest, related to violating a restraining order she had against him, was unrelated to her disappearance. He was still behind bars in jail when she went missing again.
