Amy Bradley case hinges on 'somebody remembering' as investigators hunt for new leads 27 years later: expert

Fox News

3 days ago

The disappearance of a recent college graduate from her cruise ship stateroom nearly 27 years ago continues to baffle investigators as a new documentary hopes to breathe fresh air into the search for a woman who seemingly vanished into thin air.
In March 1998, Amy Bradley embarked on a Royal Caribbean International cruise with her family for a seven-day trip to the tropics. The 23-year-old had recently graduated from college and was preparing to pursue a master's degree in sports psychology.
Her story is now being revisited in the new three-part Netflix documentary series, titled "Amy Bradley Is Missing."
On the evening before her disappearance, Bradley joined her brother Brad at the Rhapsody of the Seas nightclub, where the pair remained until the early morning hours of March 24. Bradley's father, Ron, last recalled seeing his daughter asleep on the cabin's balcony.
Bradley vanished about a half an hour later, as the ship was preparing to dock in Curaçao.
An extensive search for the recent college graduate ensued, but authorities were unable to locate Bradley. The vessel continued its scheduled stops and ultimately returned to Puerto Rico four days later.
Countless rumors swirled around what happened to Bradley, including theories that she had fallen overboard and drowned, or that she had intentionally jumped to take her own life.
Her parents, however, have never wavered from their belief that their daughter was kidnapped and could still be alive, according to the documentary.
As the investigation into Bradley's death remained ongoing, Netherlands Antilles Coast Guard Lt. Sjoerd Soethout told reporters she could have fallen from the ship's balcony, The Associated Press reported. At the time, an FBI spokesperson said authorities had "no evidence of foul play," with the case ultimately running cold.
"There is decidedly little evidence of a fall or push, nor would there be," Peter Valentin, chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven and a former Connecticut State Police detective, told Fox News Digital. "There would be next to no evidence unless there would be a struggle prior to the push."
One year after Bradley's death, her parents filed two lawsuits against Royal Caribbean. The family claimed the cruise line acted negligently in the handling of their daughter's disappearance, with Royal Caribbean releasing a statement at the time insisting they acted "appropriately and responsibly at all times."
The lawsuits were subsequently dismissed in 2000.
Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
"The room was cleaned before the FBI agents had access," Valentin said. "Whether they realized it or not, they de-emphasized the value of physical evidence in that room."
Years later, Bradley's family received a set of sexually explicit images of a woman from an adult website based in the Caribbean from an anonymous tipster, further solidifying her family's fears surrounding her being forced into sex trafficking.
In the photos, the woman, identified as "Jas," posed provocatively while deliberately covering any identifiable markings, such as Bradley's tattoo of a Tasmanian Devil spinning a basketball.
Investigators were also informed of alleged sightings of Bradley.
Tourist Judy Maurer told the documentary that she witnessed a woman she believed to be Bradley while in a restroom in Barbados, before three men allegedly escorted the woman away. David Carmichael also told filmmakers he may have seen Bradley while visiting Curaçao, adding that she was "flanked by two people." Another Curaçao sighting was reported by Navy veteran Bill Hefner, who believes he saw a distressed Bradley at a local bar.
However, Valentin is skeptical of the potential sightings.
"Eyewitnesses can become very convinced of what it is they say they saw, even though the forensic evidence makes it quite clear that they could not have seen what they said they saw," Valentin told Fox News Digital.
The former investigator added that the reported eyewitness accounts of Bradley should be compared to look for similarities.
"Combine it with other forensic techniques and electronic evidence and it certainly suggests that investigative efforts should be focusing on a particular area," Valentin said.
Additionally, investigators previously looked into Alastair "Yellow" Douglas, a member of the ship's band who Bradley was seen dancing with hours before her disappearance.
Valentin points to roadblocks facing authorities regarding the lack of electronic evidence at the time of Bradley's disappearance.
"Any connection between that musician and Bradley, however fleeting it might be, could be explored through the electronic evidence," Valentin said. "So this really is a generational leap in terms of what we're capable of doing now with electronic evidence."
Throughout the years, Douglas has vehemently denied any involvement in Bradley's disappearance.
While questions still swirl surrounding how Bradley vanished from her stateroom within such a short timeframe, Valentin highlights a potential point of interest in answering what happened to the young woman.
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"I would have been very keen to know if she was missing a pair of shoes, or did she take her shoes with her?" Valentin asked. "If all the shoes are accounted for, that's an interesting observation because that actually makes it a little less likely for some of the scenarios that were discussed about her leaving on her own accord."
In 2017, the FBI previously released age-progressing images of Bradley with the hopes of igniting new leads within the search.
Despite the numerous leads, authorities have never charged anyone with a crime relating to Bradley's disappearance.
Valentin suggests the passage of time since Bradley's disappearance could encourage anyone with information to speak up.
"This case is one that I think is probably going to hinge on somebody remembering that they know something," Valentin said. "Because of this case reemerging in the public eye."
Anyone who believes they have information pertaining to Bradley's disappearance is asked to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.