VA - Amy Bradley, 23, Petersburg, 24 March 1998 - #1

[Wondergirl]

I thought the purpose of a "Featured" case was to get renewed interest in the case? Maybe I was wrong.

You are correct, N/T, please stay and help raise awareness for Amy.

Your contributions are great!

I also didn't read the entire thread, until last night, I just jumped right in, that's my nature, unfortunately.

Amy's case is definitely one-of-a-kind. Especially combined with the very strange circumstances, and coincidences, like the nightlub in Aruba, as per Natalee Holloway etc.

Praying Amy is found.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I'm sure there are a number of people who know exactly what happened to Amy. You would think someone would have bragged or gone to LE by now. Nobody has any moral fiber, I take it. I wish they could drag that guy Yellow up for some more questioning! He holds the key to what happened. This is just my own speculation, but if she wasn't taken for drugs or prostitution, maybe she was a trophy for those underworld types to gain credibility? As in "Hey, we took this American woman from a cruise ship in broad daylight, so we are the top guys in the criminal circuit"? That's the only thing I can come up with.

 

[otto]

Please don't quote something I said to justify a supposition. He fell asleep for about 20 minutes, Ron Bradley said. How can anyone say what level of sleep Amy's dad was in? Is it possible he or his wife have said he's a light sleeper and would have woken up if Amy walked thru the room?
I've read repeatedly in these posts that it was highly improbable that Amy went over the balcony, and if she had, she's a great swimmer, and if she hadn't survived a hypothetical fall, it would be probable some indication would have been found on a beach. Was the balcony off her room or the parents' room? I didn't see where it was said she or her brother had to go thru the parents' room or would disturb the parents' sleep. IIRC, Amy's brother had been on the balcony briefly as well before he went inside.

I haven't read anything to suggest that Amy could not have gone over the railing. A sleep-deprived swimmer that accidentally hits the water from several stories up is going to be in trouble. The ship was between Islands when she disappeared off the balcony, so where would she wash up?

In the documentary, her father claimed that he opened his eyes (when he was in bed), saw her legs on the balcony, and went back to sleep for another 20-30 minutes. Then he got up and went out to the balcony to check on her and she wasn't there. I could understand some sort of foul play if she vanished from anywhere else on the ship, but vanishing from the balcony doesn't leave too many options.

 

[Coldpizza]

Thank you Mystery Maven. You are correct about Royal Caribbean. They were horrible to the Bradley family. They tried every legal dirty trick in the book. I personally believe that they feared a tremendous liability because Amy disappeared from their ship. It would have been very difficult for Amy to have fallen from the balcony as an accident. The railings are too high. She likely would not have landed directly in the water because there would have been impact at another point and there would have been forensic evidence. If she did fall directly into the water, she was a lifeguard and competition level swimmer. The ship was close to shore by 6:00AM.

Alister Douglas was seen by a number of people with Amy in the open disco area and the glass elevator. He was also identified by David Carmichael as being with Amy in Porto Marie, six months later. Royal Caribbean sent their attorneys to David's home in Canada to harrass him. Can you just imagine the liability that Royal Caribbean would incur if a court ever finds Alister Douglas guilty of kidnapping Amy Bradley? Alister Douglas was on Rhapsody of the Seas as an employee of Royal Caribbean.

BBM

That is unreal and from what I have read thus far David Carmichael seems very credible.

I remember Amy's case now. So glad WS does feature cold cases to spark new ideas and interest.

Is it possible there are cultures that have multiple wives in those areas?

If she was being used as a mule and they felt she was getting too much exposure was she possibly sold to a wealthy individual?

I believe RC has indeed covered their bases with Alister and kept his image clean. Money money money, just wow.

I had no idea she was at the same club as NH at one point. Really puts a different light on things.

 

[Lera213]

I'm freaking out in all honesty. For that Sketch is so undeniably familiar yet I cannot place him. I have never watched or known about this case...could I have seen this sketch on some news program long ago and my brain is remembering that? No in my brain, I was in his presence...maybe a look alike for I surely never met any bad guys. Maybe it was an actor but a "B" rated actor? I don't know, going to leave this case now...because I'm freaked out. Maybe once I'm calmed down something will come to my mind. I will call if I remember anything but as of now I just do not know enough. I see him in my brain but that is all.

I was previously married to a PR man that is why I thought he might be PR.

 

[FindAmy]

I haven't read anything to suggest that Amy could not have gone over the railing. A sleep-deprived swimmer that accidentally hits the water from several stories up is going to be in trouble. The ship was between Islands when she disappeared off the balcony, so where would she wash up?

In the documentary, her father claimed that he opened his eyes (when he was in bed), saw her legs on the balcony, and went back to sleep for another 20-30 minutes. Then he got up and went out to the balcony to check on her and she wasn't there. I could understand some sort of foul play if she vanished from anywhere else on the ship, but vanishing from the balcony doesn't leave too many options.

I have no idea what is being reported on documentaries, but I will give you information directly from the source.

The ship was not between islands. It was docking at the cruise terminal in Curacao. The photo is below.

Ron Bradley was not the last person to see Amy. Numerous people testified before a Grand Jury and Court that they had seen Amy in the elevator and the disco after 6:00 AM. By 7:00AM, people were preparing to disembark into Curacao.

I do not know why Ron Bradley didn't hear Amy leave the room. If you look at the floor plan of the family suite, she probably left quietly through the sitting area. The floor plan is below.

There have been numerous verified sightings of Amy Bradley. There have been witnesses who have spoken to her. She has identified herself to American witnesses who afterwards passed FBI polygraphs.

 

[Coldpizza]

To share a brief story, I use to cruise with my much older brother. We went to many exotic locations around the world. My brother was extremely smart and could be temperamental and introverted at times, but yet could command a room with his knowledge and personality.

On one cruise off of Spain and Morroco (over 2 weeks) we got to know some of the crew members even going out off ship for the night life. My brother was fluent in many languages including Castillian.

Weird things would happen with my brothers behavior, some funny, others not...lol

Well come to find out after he passed a few years ago, I learned he was with the CIA for YEARS!

My point is, traveling like that to so many countries and cultures you realize how vulnerable you are and can be subjected to so much beyond imagination.

 

[Wondergirl]

BBM

That is unreal and from what I have read thus far David Carmichael seems very credible.

I remember Amy's case now. So glad WS does feature cold cases to spark new ideas and interest.

Is it possible there are cultures that have multiple wives in those areas?

If she was being used as a mule and they felt she was getting too much exposure was she possibly sold to a wealthy individual?

I believe RC has indeed covered their bases with Alister and kept his image clean. Money money money, just wow.

I had no idea she was at the same club as NH at one point. Really puts a different light on things.

BBM: I agree. Follow the $$$.

Could they be using her for elaborate fraud schemes?

 

[FindAmy]

BBM: I agree. Follow the $$$.

Could they be using her for elaborate fraud schemes?

This is very possible.

We know that Amy was well educated, in good athletic shape, very personable with a nice personality, American, English speaking, computer literate, she had a degree in education, "All-American" in appearance, and she was very smart.

We know that she wasn't seductive in appearance or sexually forward. She wasn't good prostitute material.

We know that she has been guarded by at least two or more handlers. Why would a prostitute need guards?

We know that she made several attempts to identify herself to witnesses. How could she be left alone as a prostitute with some man?

She speaks English. Why would she be an escort at a resort that catered to Canadian and American men?

As a South American prostitute she would probably have physical altercations with the local prostitutes and she would have likely been sick in a short period of time.

She has been moved to several different countries. Why would a prostitute be moved around?

Prostitution is legal in the Caribbean. If someone wanted a fair prostitute they could find one in one of the South American countries. Why risk kidnapping an American woman?

 

[otto]

I have no idea what is being reported on documentaries, but I will give you information directly from the source.

The ship was not between islands. It was docking at the cruise terminal in Curacao. The photo is below.

Ron Bradley was not the last person to see Amy. Numerous people testified before a Grand Jury and Court that they had seen Amy in the elevator and the disco after 6:00 AM. By 7:00AM, people were preparing to disembark into Curacao.

I do not know why Ron Bradley didn't hear Amy leave the room. If you look at the floor plan of the family suite, she probably left quietly through the sitting area. The floor plan is below.

There have been numerous verified sightings of Amy Bradley. There have been witnesses who have spoken to her. She has identified herself to American witnesses who afterwards passed FBI polygraphs.

Amy was last seen by her father at 5:30. Wasn't the ship docked at about 8 AM? That's 2.5 hours after she was last seen, so the ship was between Islands at 6 when her father noticed that she was no longer on the balcony. According to her father, she vanished between 5:30 and 6 AM.

If Amy was tired and feeling unwell (she had been partying until after 4 in the morning and then talking with her brother until almost 5 AM), why would she be half asleep on the balcony at 5:30 and back partying at the disco at 6 AM? That sounds like a rather unlikely choice for a woman like Amy.

I don't believe the bathroom story either. First the witness is in the bathroom, petrified because two men are talking in the women's bathroom, but when she comes out of the stall there's a woman there. The two women are alone, yet this supposedly desperate woman can't communicate that she needs help. When she leaves the washroom, the very scary men don't bother her at all.

There's no value in a 37 year old prostitute, but $250,000 is a lot of money for a criminal. Surely a customer or criminal would choose the money.

 

[smile22]

I'm freaking out in all honesty. For that Sketch is so undeniably familiar yet I cannot place him. I have never watched or known about this case...could I have seen this sketch on some news program long ago and my brain is remembering that? No in my brain, I was in his presence...maybe a look alike for I surely never met any bad guys. Maybe it was an actor but a "B" rated actor? I don't know, going to leave this case now...because I'm freaked out. Maybe once I'm calmed down something will come to my mind. I will call if I remember anything but as of now I just do not know enough. I see him in my brain but that is all.

I was previously married to a PR man that is why I thought he might be PR.

whatever is bothering you will come to you i have had those moments where someone is so familar yet i cannot place a name time or date that i knew them. like yesterday at my church fest ( it was open to non church members) some lady comes in to the pastry table and says i know you from someplace and she blurted out the name of the store i work at and i was like yeah but for the life of me i cannot place her at all or her name.

i would suggest you stay off line for a few days stay away from the tv. relax your mind do something that you absolutely love to do. his name will come back to you. do you know anyone else who may have known the person in the photo? if so show them the picture and see if they can recoginize him.

 

[Lera213]

yeah not going to stress over it...I probably just seen this sketch in the past. Knowing me. LOL

 

[EXIA15145]

Sorry, I already understood why it wasn't likely he saw her running all over the place, etc. I only asked why the taxi driver said what he did. To be more clear, I wondered how the taxi driver was aware enough of the situation to make the claim. I understood the other. But, thank you.

someone posted a while back i think it was find amy or someone else that it was highly unlikely she was ever in the parking lot running around

one of the reasons was she had no shoes
the parking lot was right next to the ship or something so she could have went into the ship.

the sighting could have been someone trying to make it look like she was in the parking lot and the people who took her could have found someone to look like her

 

[concernedmother]

Wasnt there another young girl that disappeared off an island or something around that time too? I cant think of her name. I thought she was a writer?

 

[FindAmy]

Wasnt there another young girl that disappeared off an island or something around that time too? I cant think of her name. I thought she was a writer?

Yes, her name is Claudia Kirschhoch. She was a Frommers writer who disappeared from Sandals in Jamaica, in May of 2000. She disappeared without a trace, just like Amy. Claudia went for a morning walk on the beach and she was never seen again. Claudia had been around a resort bartender and another employee the day before. They couldn't prove that the bartender was responsible for her disappearance.

 

[EXIA15145]

I really do feel badly, but I can't answer some of your questions. As I explained before, information about sightings has not been shared with the public since Barbados in 2005. This is for the integrity of the investigation and Amy's safety. Details from the previous sightings have not been shared, either. I will tell you that this is not a cold case. It is an active investigation.

We don't know why Amy's photograph appeared on the escort resort website because there was absolutely no evidence that she had ever been there. Her photographs don't even match the rest of the escorts. I have personally wondered if someone wanted us to think that she was an escort or prostitute. It seems pretty dumb to me to post the photograph of a high profile missing American woman on an escort website.
The "brothel" where she was seen in Curacao was not a brothel..... The hotel had a bar that was an attraction in the harbor area. This is where the Navy sailor saw Amy and she spoke to him. She might have just been staying there with the two handlers because the hotel was a regular hotel for guests.

Frequently, photos are posted on sites to leave the impression of an abundance of attractive escorts when there isn't or they aren't so young or so attractive. I would suspect this was the possibility of including Amy's photo if she wasn't used in the trade. Another possibility for using Amy's photo would be to manipulate Amy. As example, Amy may have been told 'Look, your photo is all over these sites, everyone believes you're nothing but a prostitute. No one wants you back, no one is looking for you. There isn't anyone out there that cares.'
I would imagine the psychological affects could be very disheartening, and a person (like Amy) being in that situation could possibly lose hope.

 

[smile22]

what about setting up a sting of some sorts having a guy pose as another trafficer or something and try and find these guys like he can talk to people and see if they can link up with him he can then ask for women who are older and give descriptions of amy but only a few things and add in some that are not amy at all to throw them off then see if they can capture her.



maybe the cab guy was paid to say that so it could throw off the investigation?
maybe the people who have her are keeping her in hiding because they know what she might say in public


of the sketches of the guys
the first one looks def white or mixed white and hispanic
but more white. he has features that make him look like an italian or french canadian or even native american

the second guy is white but i cannot tell by his face what nationality he could be

the third guy is def hispanic or mexican maybe possible native american or someone in that nature his facial features his long hair hair everything about him. i don't see any white in him

 

[EXIA15145]

FindAmy, I believe that Amy's parents are most likely aware of the consistency and texture of Amy's hair and whether it would have a tendency to have that 'wild look' if it was long, but could you confirm that?

It is an artist sketch from the witness who saw Amy in Barbados in 2005. The sketch has also been confirmed as looking like Amy by other witnesses who have seen her. Her hair is long and cut in layers in all of the sightings. It has a wild look.

Curacao is on the United Nation's list for countries with human trafficking problems. Drugs from Venezuela are also a major problem. Drugs go through Curacao before they spread out to North America and Europe.

 

[FindAmy]

what about setting up a sting of some sorts having a guy pose as another trafficer or something and try and find these guys like he can talk to people and see if they can link up with him he can then ask for women who are older and give descriptions of amy but only a few things and add in some that are not amy at all to throw them off then see if they can capture her.



maybe the cab guy was paid to say that so it could throw off the investigation?
maybe the people who have her are keeping her in hiding because they know what she might say in public


of the sketches of the guys
the first one looks def white or mixed white and hispanic
but more white. he has features that make him look like an italian or french canadian or even native american

the second guy is white but i cannot tell by his face what nationality he could be

the third guy is def hispanic or mexican maybe possible native american or someone in that nature his facial features his long hair hair everything about him. i don't see any white in him

The large balding man had fair skin with red hair and a red beard.

The dark haired man with the thin mustache has been described as being Colombian in appearance.

 

[FindAmy]

FindAmy, I believe that Amy's parents are most likely aware of the consistency and texture of Amy's hair and whether it would have a tendency to have that 'wild look' if it was long, but could you confirm that?

Yes, the Bradleys are convinced that it is Amy. The hair seems to be styled and layered in that way, and it has been consistent through the sightings. Amy does have thick hair. She has also been described as wearing heavier makeup than she wore before her disappearance. This is probably an attempt to make her less recognizable. Amy could have greying hair at this time, it could be dark as we have seen it, or it could be blonde.