Some mysteries have a way of enduring in the public consciousness. Stories of unexplained disappearances — the kind where no resolution is in sight — are particularly powerful.
It’s now been nearly a quarter of a century since Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared without a trace from the cruise ship she was on. In the 24 years since she disappeared, there have been plenty of leads and sightings — but no sign of Amy. Let’s take a deeper look into the mystery.
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1974: Amy Lynn Bradley is born.
Born in Petersburg, Virginia, she went on to attend Longwood University in nearby Farmville. She went to school on the strength of a basketball scholarship and was known by her peers as a strong swimmer.
March 21, 1998: she boards a cruise ship.
Following graduation, Amy, her brother, and their parents went on a celebratory cruise to Curaçao.
Amy and her brother stayed up late drinking on the night of March 21st. Her brother returned to his cabin at 3:35 am, while Amy checked in five minutes later.
March 24, 1998: she disappears.
Amy’s father Ron said he woke up shortly after 5:00 in the morning to see Amy sleeping on the lounge chair of their cabin’s balcony.
“I could see Amy’s legs from her hips down,” he said . “I dozed off back to sleep. The balcony door was closed, because if it hadn’t been closed, I would have gotten up and closed it.”
When Ron got up for the day at 6:00, Amy was missing, along with her cigarettes and lighter. The rest of her belongings were still in her room, including her sandals.
She was 23 years old at the time of her disappearance.
1998 and onwards: the investigation begins.
Although her family pleaded with the crew to stop passengers from leaving the ship and put out a ship-wide announcement, there was a delay in making this announcement until after the ship had docked at Curaçao and passengers allowed to go ashore.
The ship’s crew found no trace of Amy, and further investigation by the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard yielded nothing.
August 1998: possible sighting.
A Canadian in Curaçao said that he saw a woman matching Amy’s description walking down a beach with two men. He said she was trying to get his attention, but he eventually lost sight of her. The tattoos he described on the woman matched what Amy had.
January 1999: another possible sighting.
A U.S. Navy petty officer said he visited a brothel in Curaçao and saw a woman who claimed to be Amy Bradley. “Her name was Amy Bradley and she begged [me] for help,” he said, further explaining that she said she was being held against her will.
2005: yet another sighting.
A witness named Judy Maurer said she saw a woman matching Bradley’s description in a department store restroom in Barbados in 2005. The woman was with three men who were threatening her, and she told Maurer that her name was Amy and she was from Virginia.
2005-present: few leads.
Theories have abounded for years that Amy Lynn Bradley was sold into sexual slavery or worse, and the purported sightings would match that narrative. But despite years of investigation, authorities are no closer to cracking the case than they were back in 1998.
Present day: $25,000 reward.
The FBI has a reward of up to $25,000 for anyone who can provide information that might help solve the case. The Bradley family has tirelessly appeared on television programs, pleading for any help that might give them information on their daughter’s fate.
What do you think happened?
The sexual slavery theory is, sadly, the most plausible given the possible sightings. Have you heard of the Amy Lynn Bradley case? What do you think might have happened? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.