VA - Amy Bradley, 23, Petersburg, 24 March 1998 - #3

[Wallrider]

Do you mean Tim Buckholtz as the PI? He was the one who had to break the news that the Bradleys were being conned by Frank Jones who claimed to be a special forces veteran who was ready to rescue Amy.

Tim is the read deal though. I looked up the company he works for and they aren't PIs so I am not sure why the show called them that. They are all ex special forces guys. It's like a company of Jason Bournes! According to the verified insider he isn't active on the case anymore but he is one of the good guys and a support to the Bradley family.

 

[dotr]

I cant see where my posts went but if you have watched the beth holloway show vanished then you will know its more then just speculation that picture of a girl with wild hair im sure its her they keep a PI there on the ground that has been following this group of traffikers so iam convinced as of a few short years ago she was 100 percent alive and still on the island...

Hi CanManEh, nice to see you here!
To be clear, I do believe that was probably AB in the escort photo. and spotted by witnesses at several locations.
An alternative scenario, ie. staging of those incidents, will either help negate that possibility, or hopefully, reinforce the idea that Amy is being held captive.
Finding those men seen with Amy seems to be key, that - and the source of those pictures showing her crudely secured to a heart-shaped bed frame. imo.

 

[Wallrider]

The verified insider said Amy’s captors most likely read here and at other forums where this is discussed so at times I’ve wondered if they simply read about the hunt for the bedframe and got rid of it. I know there was sterling work done in the last thread to try and track this down.

Let’s say there are more photos in existence than those that appeared on AAV or there were other people photographed or filmed in that same room. I would think the best bet for finding that sort of material is to go through the deep web where such material is supposedly in abundance but I have neither the computer smarts to navigate that safely nor the intestinal fortitude to come out unscathed.

I did come across a character on another forum who was a contractor employed by a govt agency to run deep web searches for CP so cases could be built against its creators/distributors. Part of the reason was because he had the right psychological make up to not be affected by what he saw. That’s the kind of person who could do this.

Like many, I believe the best source of information is Yellow who was either a spotter or the steer/barker for whichever group took Amy. Despite allegedly finding religion he has never come forward to tell everything he knows voluntarily or to the authorities.

From what I’ve read on HT there are usually three groups involved: one to lure/snatch the victim, one to manage the transport and one to take delivery and they are usually independent of each other. That’s a lot of people and at some point you have to consider to what extent elements of the local authorities were turning a blind eye to what went on. Someone knows or could supply the piece of information that could break this wide open.

 

[Kristin83]

I literally gasped when I logged on today and saw that Amy's thread was active again. I've been waiting since January 2013 for it.

If I had to pick one missing person's case to be solved.....it would probably be Amy's.

 

[Wallrider]

I literally gasped when I logged on today and saw that Amy's thread was active again. I've been waiting since January 2013 for it.

If I had to pick one missing person's case to be solved.....it would probably be Amy's.

I am right there with you. This case resonates with me more than any other for some reason. Maybe it's because of the confirmed sightings and how close Amy has come to being rescued a few times.

I joined WS to see if I could participate in this case in any way at all. I really hope that something somewhere will jog someone's memory, someone will put two and two together and there can be a resolution for the Bradley family, and justice for those who deserve it.

 

[Wondergirl]

The verified insider said Amy’s captors most likely read here and at other forums where this is discussed so at times I’ve wondered if they simply read about the hunt for the bedframe and got rid of it. I know there was sterling work done in the last thread to try and track this down.

Let’s say there are more photos in existence than those that appeared on AAV or there were other people photographed or filmed in that same room. I would think the best bet for finding that sort of material is to go through the deep web where such material is supposedly in abundance but I have neither the computer smarts to navigate that safely nor the intestinal fortitude to come out unscathed.

I did come across a character on another forum who was a contractor employed by a govt agency to run deep web searches for CP so cases could be built against its creators/distributors. Part of the reason was because he had the right psychological make up to not be affected by what he saw. That’s the kind of person who could do this.

Like many, I believe the best source of information is Yellow who was either a spotter or the steer/barker for whichever group took Amy. Despite allegedly finding religion he has never come forward to tell everything he knows voluntarily or to the authorities.

From what I’ve read on HT there are usually three groups involved: one to lure/snatch the victim, one to manage the transport and one to take delivery and they are usually independent of each other. That’s a lot of people and at some point you have to consider to what extent elements of the local authorities were turning a blind eye to what went on. Someone knows or could supply the piece of information that could break this wide open.

Well, I don't know what HT means, but, I do know that if Amy's captors are reading here, in this Parking Lot, then they are logged in.

In the same thought, any person who has looked at Amy's website, utilizing an ISP from the countries in question, would be a lead. There wouldn't be THAT many people looking at her website from there, in the year 2012/2013/2014. Geographical and statistical information that is generated from reports by a websites host server, should provide the Bradleys with valuable data.

JMO

 

[Wallrider]

HT= Human Trafficking. I can point you to the Q&A in question if you are interested although I am not sure what the policy is on posting links.

That's a great idea. I wonder if there is a way to track readers and posters. I am pretty sure there must be as you even see some websites which proudly have a graphic listing number of visitors and which country they come from.

 

[dotr]

Article from 2011.
bbm.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/p...cle_ef56c9be-78ac-5b33-987b-b8de77c26c71.html

"The Bradleys believe that their daughter is still alive based on several reported sightings of their daughter over the years. The last was on March 1, 2005, when a woman reported she saw Amy in a Barbados restaurant restroom. "She was actually able to tell a lady in a restroom her name and where she was from," Iva Bradley said.

"For people that don't have any idea what it's like to be in a Third World country, and under (someone else's) control due to fear, it's not so easy just to go to a phone," Iva Bradley said. "We feel like she's either in human trafficking, or some type of gun trafficking, or the two involved."

 

[Wallrider]

Thanks dotr. I hadn't seen that before and wasn't aware of any recent public statements from the family.

If there is gun trafficking involved it supports the idea of different groups being involved in the procurement, transport and eventual exploitation of victims like Amy. Who knows how many others have been taken and used in ways like this?

Unfortunately I still think this leaves that character Yellow as the best option for getting information. He has allegedly found religion so maybe he'll find a conscience and tell everything he knows about what happened to Amy, whether he was directly involved or not.

 

[Deleted member 96356]

Oh wow. I read and read and read about this case late last year... and now the thread is reopened! Thank you mods. Thanks also to the WS members who did such great work in the earlier threads (which are a treasure trove). Amy's case is haunting. My thoughts to the family who have endured so much over all these years.

Here's what doesn't make sense to me: even if someone involved with trafficking was willing to risk abducting an American woman from a cruiseboat (witnesses!) who is travelling with her family (someone will immediately notice she's gone!), and who has distinctive features such as the unique tattoo... why keep her alive once the case becomes high profile? They allowed multiple sightings and she was even able to speak to witnesses, however briefly. There are, sadly, so many more vulnerable and "invisible" women (including American women) to abduct and use with far less risk. How could Amy have been worth all this risk to the people who took her if this was only about trafficking? Doesn't add up for me.

Also (and mods I hope this topic is allowed, otherwise I'm sorry and please delete), the family said Amy had a boyfriend, yet when Amy went missing no boyfriend was heard from, so far as I know. Was the boyfriend ever identified?

 

[Wallrider]

Hi there. The verified insider did confirm (possibly on another forum) that Amy did have a boyfriend and he was a good guy.

We can only speculate on why the group that abducted her did so and as per the link from dotr, her own mother suspects the group is involved in people/weapons trafficking. I felt there was more to it than kidnapping an American woman for the sex trade because, as you say, it's a huge risk and not all that logical as prostitution is legal in the part of the world where she was taken. Additionally, I felt if that was the aim, they would have targeted the typical blonde prom queen type rather than Amy who had short hair and was athletic. She's attractive, intelligent, obviously an educated American and in good shape and I think these are the general characteristics that made her a target for her abductors.

I fervently hope that one day she is reunited with her family and her abductors are brought to justice. I know if the investigation was my responsibility exactly who I'd want to start with too but I don't see that happening at the moment.

 

[Deleted member 96356]

Hi Wallrider, Thank you for the clarification re: boyfriend. It's still odd to me that he was so invisible in the wake of her abduction, but we all deal with these things in our own ways...

Amy's appearance wasn't incongruent to me re: human trafficking - men have all different "types", it's not just the blonde blue-eyed stereotype that sells, ALTHOUGH pretty caucasians with fair skin/eyes/hair can command a higher price. *sigh* But Amy's circumstances were certainly incongruent to me. For a while I wondered if she was chosen specifically for a specific person, but then the public sightings wouldn't make sense.

Gun trafficking? Makes even less sense to me. What use would she be for that which would outweigh the risk of someone whose case is broadcast in the media?

What about the Fisherman's Wharf sighting? Plausible?

 

[Wallrider]

Fair point, maybe I was thinking of the movie Spartan where Val Kilmer's character rescues Kristin Bell's character from traffickers. When he won't do what she wants she asks if he doesn't like blondes. He tells her the whole world likes blondes and that's why she's in this mess.

That being said...Amy's mother mentioned gun trafficking in an interview so I can only speculate this comes from some piece of information or conjecture that was not released to the public in any other format. I am not sure what use she would serve in that capacity.

The VI had their own theories and ideas (based on more info than is available to us) and said we would all be amazed when the true story finally came out but maddeningly they could not clarify further. However, if us remaining in the dark protects any investigative efforts and Amy then I won't argue with that.

Finally, both the VI and the FBI took the Fisherman's Wharf sighting very seriously. The FBI sent their best sketch artist to work with the witnesses and the VI said it wasn't just likely that Amy was there, it was definite.

So whoever has her is confident about moving her across international borders and must have obtained fake papers for her. She was kidnapped before 9/11 so I imagine it would have been easier to do that than it is now.

 

[Deleted member 96356]

Sometimes I had the impression (while reading) that the VI was misdirecting. Presumably that would be for the good of the investigation and controlling what info is out there, particularly if they were trying to keep Amy safe. Just an impression.

The Fisherman's Wharf sighting is problematic for me. Parading Amy in public in San Francisco??? Why would they take her to a crowded top American tourist destination where cameras are ubiquitous, it would be easy for her to bolt, and cops are always around? Why bring her on U.S. soil at all? Unless we're to believe that they're so powerful they don't fear American LE in America while holding an abducted American who is being sought by the FBI. Which would take this to a whole other level. And bring us back to the question: what would make Amy so valuable???

p.s. love the Spartan reference!!!! lol

 

[masootz]

imo - the problem with the sightings over the years is there is so much hearsay and so little direct factual information.

it reminds me of the grateful doe missing person - for years in that case it was a "fact" that the guy was found with a note in his pocket. we recently found out via a huffington post investigation that this simply isn't true. a note was found near the body but may not be related to the case.

i bring that up here because there are pieces of information that don't fit together in this case but we are in the unfortunate position of not knowing which piece is wrong and which is right.

for example, as someone said upthread, it doesn't make sense to kidnap an american from a ship for prostitution purposes in a part of the world where prostitution is legal. think about it - 1) everyone knows the world makes a big deal about missing white american women so at best you'd spend years hiding her from the fbi and police, all the while risking your own imprisonment as well as ruining whatever underworld things you've got going on. 2) kidnapping someone from a ship is an order of magnitude harder than kidnapping someone from the dive bars on shore that thousands of women visit every day. 3) you have to feed and house the person all while guarding them 24/7, and all while keeping them hidden. 4) the only reason to go to all that trouble is if there's some financial benefit.

again, all that just for prostitution? it doesn't make sense. for gun smuggling? it still makes no sense. you'd have to hope that stockholm syndrome (identifying with captors to the point of not trying to escape) kicks in and that the person isn't faking it, because if you're using her to smuggle guns then obviously she has to be alone otherwise the whole point of using her to smuggle guns is lost. if she's alone and runs to the police then you're done. even if you've terrorized her to the point of not trying to escape, you're asking a terrified captor to try to cross borders with expensive weapons - something that in the best case would require a person to be "with it" and calm/collected. it doesn't make sense.

it doesn't make sense that you'd go to all that trouble just to smuggle her back into the united states for whatever reason (the bathroom sighting). you'd have to create fake documents, risk her fleeing, keep her guarded, etc.

i'll stop being long-winded (er, kinda) but my point is we've created these ridiculously complicated theories that honestly don't hold up to scrutiny because we're trying to fit a bunch of incongruous pieces of a puzzle together, when some of those pieces aren't to this particular puzzle.

on top of that, (and i've said this before) we've never heard amy's story. we don't know who she was. we've heard the version of who she was from friends and family (well-meaning i'm sure) but we're left to assume that she was exactly the version of the person she presented to others which often leads down errant paths in these type of situations.

if she didn't fall off the boat (i know, i know, i'm not going down that road) then the most logical thing that makes sense to me if we're supposed to believe the multiple sightings is that maybe we are wrong in some of our assumptions and certainly wrong about some of the "facts".

my 2 cents.

 

[Wondergirl]

imo - the problem with the sightings over the years is there is so much hearsay and so little direct factual information.

it reminds me of the grateful doe missing person - for years in that case it was a "fact" that the guy was found with a note in his pocket. we recently found out via a huffington post investigation that this simply isn't true. a note was found near the body but may not be related to the case.

i bring that up here because there are pieces of information that don't fit together in this case but we are in the unfortunate position of not knowing which piece is wrong and which is right.

for example, as someone said upthread, it doesn't make sense to kidnap an american from a ship for prostitution purposes in a part of the world where prostitution is legal. think about it - 1) everyone knows the world makes a big deal about missing white american women so at best you'd spend years hiding her from the fbi and police, all the while risking your own imprisonment as well as ruining whatever underworld things you've got going on. 2) kidnapping someone from a ship is an order of magnitude harder than kidnapping someone from the dive bars on shore that thousands of women visit every day. 3) you have to feed and house the person all while guarding them 24/7, and all while keeping them hidden. 4) the only reason to go to all that trouble is if there's some financial benefit.

again, all that just for prostitution? it doesn't make sense. for gun smuggling? it still makes no sense. you'd have to hope that stockholm syndrome (identifying with captors to the point of not trying to escape) kicks in and that the person isn't faking it, because if you're using her to smuggle guns then obviously she has to be alone otherwise the whole point of using her to smuggle guns is lost. if she's alone and runs to the police then you're done. even if you've terrorized her to the point of not trying to escape, you're asking a terrified captor to try to cross borders with expensive weapons - something that in the best case would require a person to be "with it" and calm/collected. it doesn't make sense.

it doesn't make sense that you'd go to all that trouble just to smuggle her back into the united states for whatever reason (the bathroom sighting). you'd have to create fake documents, risk her fleeing, keep her guarded, etc.

i'll stop being long-winded (er, kinda) but my point is we've created these ridiculously complicated theories that honestly don't hold up to scrutiny because we're trying to fit a bunch of incongruous pieces of a puzzle together, when some of those pieces aren't to this particular puzzle.

on top of that, (and i've said this before) we've never heard amy's story. we don't know who she was. we've heard the version of who she was from friends and family (well-meaning i'm sure) but we're left to assume that she was exactly the version of the person she presented to others which often leads down errant paths in these type of situations.

if she didn't fall off the boat (i know, i know, i'm not going down that road) then the most logical thing that makes sense to me if we're supposed to believe the multiple sightings is that maybe we are wrong in some of our assumptions and certainly wrong about some of the "facts".

my 2 cents.

Great post.

I think Amy was taken to be a white "mother" for child luring and trafficking. Perhaps she raises and "Americanizes" the abducted children for a while until they can be sold. But, this theory ignores the prostitute picture of her on the bed, IF it is her.

 

[Kristin83]

One thing that really baffled me, among various things about this case - and forgive me if this was already resolved way back when the thread was really active - the cab driver sighting which I believe was a few hours after she went missing.

Cab driver claims she approached him frantically and asked where she could find a phone. The Bradleys gave this info during their interview on Vanished. Yet, verified insider insisted that this sighting was not valid. Why would the Bradleys bring it up then? Did they intentionally bring it up, knowing it was not valid, for reasons unknown? Did they maybe not know it was not valid at the time of taping Vanished?

Not trying to accuse the Bradleys or VI of lying - just ranting about one of the many inconsistencies.

 

[dotr]

One thing that really baffled me, among various things about this case - and forgive me if this was already resolved way back when the thread was really active - the cab driver sighting which I believe was a few hours after she went missing.

Cab driver claims she approached him frantically and asked where she could find a phone. The Bradleys gave this info during their interview on Vanished. Yet, verified insider insisted that this sighting was not valid. Why would the Bradleys bring it up then? Did they intentionally bring it up, knowing it was not valid, for reasons unknown? Did they maybe not know it was not valid at the time of taping Vanished?

Not trying to accuse the Bradleys or VI of lying - just ranting about one of the many inconsistencies.

It may not have been a verified sighting of Amy, but it could be the cab driver had a true sighting of a desperate woman who looked just like Amy.

 

[dotr]

Very lengthy and detailed article, some snippets..
Bbm.


September 11, 2013
http://www.news.com.au/world/proof-of-life-behind-the-hostage-industry/story-fndir2ev-1226717583578

"THE phone call comes in the middle of the night from a secure and secret location in a country associated with strife or poverty.

The news is frightening. Men armed with assault weapons have kidnapped a loved one and taken them to a holding place, possibly the dungeon of a house, where they are locked in a room, possibly in chains.

The heavily accented voice down the phone line says you can have your loved one back, for a price, and names a large ransom sum. Fail to pay the sum, the voice says, and your loved one will die.

Kidnaps for ransom are on the rise and travellers or workers from First World countries such as Australia, Europe and the US with access to large cash amounts are prize targets."



<<<<<<<<Snip>>>>>>>


"South American nations are notoriously dangerous.

The list of countries to avoid is long, and always changing, but these are the top 10 areas for threat of kidnap for ransom, according to crisis management company red24:

1. Afghanistan: about 950 kidnappings for ransom per year.

2. Somalia: 24 vessels offshore seized in 2011, more than 400 hostages taken and 265 still captive.

3. Iraq: complex risk environment with criminal, terrorist and politically-motivated kidnappers.

4. Nigeria: well in excess of 1000 kidnappings for ransom annually.

5. Pakistan: officially 15,000 kidnappings a year, true number higher, but few are for ransom.

6. Yemen: more than 200 foreign nationals have been kidnapped over the past 20 years.

7. Venezuela: officially 1000-plus kidnappings in 2011, and one of the highest per capita rates of abduction in the world.

8. Mexico: officially 2000 kidnaps for ransom, actual number is 17,889 kidnaps.

9. Haiti: kidnaps declined to low hundreds, but per capita rate second only to Venezuela.

10. Colombia: despite a significant reduction, the official record for 2011 was 258 kidnappings.

Other locations where kidnap for ransom has been identified as a significant or growing threat include the Sahel-Sahara region of Northern Africa, Kenya, India, China, and the Philippines"


Wondering if 'parading" Amy had anything to do with" proof of life' and driving up the " emotional stakes" to increase reward, whatever that might be?
imo.


<<<<<Snip>>>>>

"Proof of Life

The first thing to establish is if your loved one is still alive. Either the kidnappers will let you speak with them or they will post a video or photograph of the victim with date evidence, such as a newspaper.

This "proof of life" also helps to crank up the ransom demand.

Shura Council of Iraq's Mujahedeen kidnapped engineer Douglas Wood and posted a video of the terrified Australian to Al Jazeerah. The footage of his begging Australia and the US to concede to his captors demands - to pull troops from Iraq - went around the world.

In the next video, the Mujahedeen had shaved Mr Wood's head and he was sporting bruises".

 

[Deleted member 96356]

on top of that, (and i've said this before) we've never heard amy's story. we don't know who she was. we've heard the version of who she was from friends and family (well-meaning i'm sure) but we're left to assume that she was exactly the version of the person she presented to others which often leads down errant paths in these type of situations.

ITA. One of the things that bothers me is that we really only hear the parents' version of Amy. Very rarely do parents have the full picture, and that's not a criticism it's just reality. Kids have private lives. But here's where the parents version falls down: On the one hand, she was just a happy all-American young woman who was good at basketball and took some computer courses, happy with her boyfriend, excited to move into her new apartment with her new dog, nothing to see here folks, move along. On the other hand, they think she is this high-value abductee for weapons traffickers and/or human traffickers. Why? This is why it's a shame not to have heard from the boyfriend.

It does make sense to me (in the awful "sense" of this underworld) that a pretty, athletic young American woman would be gold for human traffickers and other pervs. It doesn't make sense that they would pick Amy, given Amy's circumstances. Makes even less sense that they would continue to take her out in public when there is media attention, a family with resources, and an FBI investigation.

Either the sightings are hogwash and Amy hasn't been seen since she was on the ship, or there is way more to this story and the family and investigators are controlling information (for the greater good) so that it's impossible to know what's real and what's misdirection. And at the bottom of it all we have Amy, who just needs to come home safe, and a family who just want to see their daughter/sister again. What a mess.

All IMO

ETA: dotr, I did think about proof of life as a motive for taking her out in public (the brother of someone who works for my husband was kidnapped in the Phillipines), but randomly taking Amy to the beach or Fisherman's Wharf or a store bathroom in hopes that someone recognizes her and comes forward, or putting her photo on an escort site in hopes that someone comes across it and sends it to the family.. doesn't make sense because they would have no way of ensuring the "proof" of Amy's life is ever received. And it went on for far too long, imo. just my thoughts