Alyssa Smith, 24, remains missing after a Chicago trip with her boyfriend, who returned home without her, and her mother says the family still has no verified contact.
Palatine police listed the Chipotle worker missing on September 30 after she last spoke with her mother on September 27. Her boyfriend, 29-year-old tattoo artist Jacob Ray Caso, came back to the northwest Chicago suburb on October 1 without her.
Daily Mail reporting describes a young woman who left home with her partner and did not return, while loved ones keep pressing for a confirmed sighting and a chance to hear from her directly.
Palatine sits about 30 miles outside Chicago. Family accounts place Smith’s last known area in the city’s 11th District, somewhere between Cicero, Pulaski, and Madison. A missing-person poster shared by her mother said she may have been wearing a grey hoodie, tan pants, and black-and-white gym shoes, and noted a possible black eye.
Rebecca Smith, Alyssa’s mother, shared posters stating that Caso returned home on October 1 after searching for Alyssa where he was last with her. The next day, Caso posted a missing-person flyer online with a short plea.
Caso wrote:
"Time to come home b. No one is mad at you."
Police described Smith as about 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Authorities noted numerous piercings and tattoos, including a distinctive “Pennywise” clown tattoo on her left shoulder, the kind of detail that can help a stranger spot someone in a crowd.
On October 3, the Palatine Police Department said it had “received information” that Smith might have been seen in Chicago’s Grant Park area. Loved ones asked the public to call 911 with possible sightings rather than contact the family directly.
Online chatter quickly filled the gaps the family cannot close. Some suggested a 24-year-old might have chosen to disappear. Rebecca Smith answered that talk on social media and refused to treat rumor as proof of safety.
She wrote:
"We appreciate everyone’s concern, opinions, and perspectives on this situation. We understand that people may have different views based on the information that has been shared. If this was your friend or family member, you'd want them located too regardless of the circumstances."
She drew a hard line on status:
"But we need to make one thing very clear: Alyssa is still missing. Regardless of what circumstances she may currently be in, what choices she may be making, or whether someone believes she simply “doesn’t want to come home,” her family and friends have not had confirmed contact with her and her safety and whereabouts have not been verified."
And she framed the search as verification, not control:
"Until Alyssa is physically located and can speak for herself and tell authorities and her family that she is safe and does not wish to return home or have contact, we will continue to consider her missing and continue looking for her. This is not about judging her choices. It is not about forcing a 24-year-old woman to come home. It is about finding her, knowing she is alive and safe, and giving HER the opportunity to make that decision for herself."
That is the standard any serious missing-person case demands: a living person located, identified, and able to speak for herself, not a theory posted by strangers.
Smith’s Instagram showed a relationship that began January 21, 2025, and warm public notes about Caso. In one post she wrote that she could not believe she had “been with this old guy for a year now,” and in another: “I love you so much and I can't wait to see what the future brings us.” A separate caption marked a sobriety anniversary: “Guess who’s a year sober 10/7/24.”
Those details humanize a name on a flyer. They do not explain how the couple got separated in Chicago, when they arrived, how a possible black eye happened, or what became of her after September 27. The provided reporting does not answer those points, and no arrests or charges are described.
Caso is a local tattoo artist. Smith worked at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Daily Mail sought comment from Rebecca Smith, Jacob Ray Caso, and the Palatine Police Department. The core public facts remain the timeline: last mother contact September 27, missing report September 30, boyfriend’s return October 1, his October 2 plea, and police word of possible Grant Park information on October 3.
Anyone who believes they have seen Alyssa Smith should contact police through 911 and leave the family free to work with investigators. Distinctive tattoos, recent clothing descriptions, and the Grant Park tip give the public something concrete to watch for without turning grief into a comment-section trial.
A missing adult is not a debate topic. Until Alyssa Smith is found and can speak for herself, her family is right to keep searching, and the rest of us should help with tips to police, not noise.
