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About Tionda and Diamond

Tionda Bradley was born on January 20, 1991, to her mother, Tracey, and her older sisters, Victoria and Rita. Although Tionda’s birth father was not in the picture (and never named publicly), Tracey and the girls lived near several family members, who would often take turns caring for the children. Once Diamond was born on November 25, 1997, she was added to the mix and cared for alongside her older sisters.

Diamond’s father, George Washington, had an on-again, off-again relationship with Tracey. From what information is available, he did not live with Tracey and the girls at the time of Tionda and Diamond’s disappearance.

When describing Tionda, her aunt described her as an energetic girly girl who loved gymnastics, riding her bike, dancing, and participating in talent shows. While shy and reserved with strangers, she was known to be sassy and quick-witted with people she knew. She enjoyed calling her great-aunt and often cared for Diamond, who was described as quiet, shy, and laid-back with a sweet smile.

While little is known about the girls’ early life, we know that at the time of their disappearance, Tionda and Diamond lived with their mom and sisters at an apartment complex on the South Side of Chicago. The younger two would often spend time at their grandmother’s apartment.

Disappearance

On the day of their disappearance, Tracey left the apartment to go to work at 6:30 AM, leaving Tionda and Diamond alone. For unknown reasons, Victoria and Rita had gone to their grandmother’s home the night before, and they remained there during the day on July 6th. It’s also unknown why Tionda and Diamond stayed at the apartment alone instead of accompanying their older sisters.

Tracey reported that both girls were asleep by the time she left. It’s unknown what happened that morning after she left, and it’s been subject to debate for over 20 years. According to various sources, she returned to the apartment between 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM, accompanied by Diamond’s biological father, George Washington.

Instead of being greeted by the girls, the apartment was empty. The only thing she noticed was a note, allegedly written by Tionda, which said that she and Diamond were taking a walk to a nearby store and then a school. Tionda was enrolled in a summer school program at the Doolittle School, but she was marked absent that day.

Upon realizing the girls were missing, Tracey called family members and searched for them for several hours. Washinton reportedly left instead of helping with the search. She finally called the police to report her daughters as missing, roughly five to six hours after she realized they were gone.

Investigation

After hearing about their disappearance, the authorities responded quickly. Within hours, they organized a massive search and interviewed about 100 sex offenders in the area. Officers were quickly added until there were over 100 assigned to the case. They searched the sewers, abandoned buildings, bodies of water, landfills, dumpsters, and any other place the girls might be. As the sun set, they continued their search with flashlights and spotlights. Despite their diligence, the girls were never found.

With few leads to go on, investigators turned to the family and began to interview them. While they interviewed over 30 relatives, their attention quickly turned to Tracey, as they noted inconsistencies in her story. At first, she claimed she had taken a nap, and when she woke up, the girls were gone. Later on, Tracey admitted that she wasn’t home that morning. She also admitted that she had purposely distorted her timeline to hide the fact that the girls spent several hours home alone, unsupervised. She was reportedly afraid that she would be arrested and/or have child protective services remove her kids, and that’s what caused her to delay reporting her daughters’ disappearance.

As the investigation continued, the authorities continued to examine the evidence. Upon closer inspection of the note, they began to wonder if someone had written it posing as Tionda or told her what to write. Several family members agreed, saying that the spelling and grammar were too advanced for a ten-year-old. She also wasn’t known to leave notes; she was more likely to make phone calls. Later on, the FBI compared the note to a handwriting sample provided by her school. They determined that Tionda had written the note, but whether or not she was coached remains unknown.

With every inconsistency, lie, and changing story, investigators quickly grew suspicious of her and George Washington. Within the first week, they interviewed her extensively, trying to glean more information about what happened.

During one of these interviews, Tracey left her cell phone with family members. They opened her phone and saw that Tionda had left a voicemail on the morning of the disappearance, which stated the following:

Mama, this is Tionda. Mom, pick up the phone. George is at the door. Can I open the door? He said we’re going to Jewels to pick up the cake there. We’re going to pick you up from work.

This voicemail raised several questions. There were two Georges known to the family, George Washington and George Sr, a man who lived in their apartment building and sometimes babysat the girls. Authorities theorized that if the cake Tionda mentioned was related to Victoria’s birthday, then it would make more sense if she was referring to George Washington.

Unfortunately, the voicemail was lost. Whether it was accidental or intentional remains unknown.

As time wore on, the relationship between Tracey and the authorities fell apart. While she appeared to be helpful at first, she stopped cooperating with the authorities. She refused to let them interview Rita or Victoria, she wouldn’t provide a sample of Tionda’s writing, and she skipped several appointments with the authorities.

At one point, the authorities reviewed surveillance footage from Jewel’s, a local store, and saw two girls that matched Tionda and Diamond’s description on the day they disappeared. They tried to seek confirmation from Tracey, but for unknown reasons, she refused to look at the footage at first. The FBI even brought the footage to her apartment, but they were met with resistance.

The next day, she came forward to authorities and requested to view the footage. At that point, it was in the possession of the FBI, so a meeting was arranged with them for her to view the footage. Once Tracey and other family members viewed the footage, it was confirmed that the girls seen were not Tionda and Diamond.

In response to Tracey’s resistance, the authorities requested that she take a polygraph test. She took the test and reportedly passed.

Some eyewitnesses, a group of children, reported that they saw Tionda and Diamond around noon on the day they disappeared outside of their apartment building as they played. However, they were unable to verify the date they saw the girls. As a result, this sighting was never confirmed.

Others came forward with various tips and sightings, but they all turned out to be dead ends. They even searched nearby Dan Ryan Woods and brought tracking dogs. None of these tips uncovered any evidence or located either girl. 

Some came forward to accuse an unknown Moroccan man, a man who was allegedly Tionda’s birth father, of kidnapping both girls and taking them out of the country. As a result, members of the FBI went to Morocco to investigate this lead. Unfortunately, they did not find any evidence to corroborate this claim, and it turned into another dead end.

Over the years, women have come forward, claiming to be Tionda or Diamond. In 2007, relatives received an email with a link to a MySpace page. This page contained a photo that bore a striking resemblance to age-progressed photos of Tionda. Unfortunately, the woman depicted in the MySpace account was later confirmed to not be Tionda or Diamond.

In total, the authorities interviewed over 1,100 people. However, due to a lack of evidence, the authorities have been unable to rule anyone in or out. As of this writing, no charges have been filed, and the disappearance of Tionda and Diamond Bradley remains unsolved.

My Thoughts

The disappearance of Tionda and Diamond Bradley is frustrating and tragic. Two young girls disappeared one summer morning under mysterious circumstances, never to be seen again. From the get-go, the authorities were playing catch-up due to the delayed missing persons reports. Not only that, but when they investigated Tracey, they noticed lies and inconsistencies in her story. She might’ve had her reasons for withholding the truth, but I believe this decreased the chances of the case being solved.

When it comes to this case, there are several theories, mainly due to the lack of evidence. The main ones include the following:

1. Tionda and Diamond left the apartment voluntarily and were later abducted.

2. Tionda and/or Diamond became severely injured or died while being unsupervised.

3. Tionda’s birth father, the unknown Moroccan Man, kidnapped the girls.

4. Tracey and/or George Washington were responsible for the girls’ disappearance.

Let’s address these one by one.

For starters, we have the theory that Tionda and Diamond left voluntarily and were later abducted. At first glance, this seems like the most likely theory. Two young girls walking in public without adult supervision are at a higher risk for kidnapping. A stranger might have offered candy, told them their mom sent them to pick them up, asked for help to find for their puppy, or any number of other excuses. It explains why Tionda left the note and there were no signs of forced entry.

However, there were very few sightings of the girls that day, and the few that exist are unconfirmed. I find it hard to imagine that both girls were abducted and no one heard or saw anything definitively. After all, this was a summer morning in Chicago. Kids were likely playing outside and walking to various destinations. Unless someone has kept quiet for all these years, I find it hard to believe that both of them were taken without being seen or heard. When you factor in Tionda’s shyness with strangers, it makes this theory even less likely. As a result, I believe we can safely set aside this theory.

The second theory is that Tionda and/or Diamond became severely injured or died while they were left alone that morning. At first glance, this seems like a possibility. Young children like Diamond are prone to injury, and ten-year-olds are often unable to handle emergencies. This is why children are supervised, at least until they’re old enough to handle issues that come up.

There are 1,001 scenarios that could’ve played out, but assuming this theory is correct, it’s possible that Diamond got hurt or died while under Tionda’s care. She could’ve climbed on a table and fallen or choked while she was eating. After that, George Washington and/or Tracey could’ve lashed out at Tionda, accidentally killing her. All of that is pure speculation on my part, though. If one of the girls got injured, there would’ve been evidence of some kind. But the apartment was (supposedly) just how Tracey left it. The only thing unusual was Tionda’s note. Because of this, I find this theory unlikely.

The third theory is that Tionda’s birth father, the unknown Moroccan Man, kidnapped the girls. This theory is hard to examine since we don’t know much about this man. The only thing we know is that he was paying child support for one of the girls until shortly before their disappearance, as he was not the biological father. Many details about this situation are fuzzy at best, so it’s hard to figure out what happened.

We know the authorities investigated this lead, and they couldn’t find any evidence. That, for me, weakens this theory. Not only that, but this theory has holes. If this man wasn’t either girl’s biological father, I suppose he could’ve abducted both girls out of anger, as if to say, “if I can’t have them, then no one can.” We’re grasping at straws, though, because there isn’t any evidence. For these reasons, I believe we can safely set this theory aside.

The last theory is that Tracey and/or George Washington were responsible for the girls’ disappearance. For many, this is the most likely theory. They point to Tracey’s lies, inconsistencies, and lack of cooperation.

I’ll admit, her behavior in the days and weeks after her daughters’ disappearance didn’t do her any favors. But at the same time, it’s hardly concrete evidence. She claimed she was fearful that CPS would take her children since she left Tionda and Diamond home alone.

Unfortunately, there are racial disparities in the U.S. Foster Care system, and Black children are more likely to enter the foster care system than white children. According to the National Library of Medicine, Black children make up about 20% of the general population in the U.S., but they make up 40% of the foster care population. Because of this, it’s easier to see why Tracey would be so concerned.

That being said, many of her actions confuse me. For example, why did Victoria and Rita go to their grandmother’s home? Why didn’t Tionda and Diamond go too? I know some families have no choice but to leave their young kids home alone, often because they can’t afford childcare. But why send your older children to grandma’s home yet keep the younger two kids home alone?

The inconsistencies and unusual behavior don’t stop there, though. The authorities were frustrated when Tracey refused to provide a sample of Tionda’s handwriting, prohibited the authorities from interviewing Victoria and Rita, and initially refused to watch surveillance footage of two girls thought to be Tionda and Diamond. Many believe these lies, inconsistencies, and unusual behavior caused the investigation to stall.

However, none of this is evidence that Tracey had anything to do with their disappearance. You can argue that she showed poor judgment and made poor decisions, but neither are crimes.

No one has ever been charged in either girl’s disappearance. Any evidence in that apartment was most likely destroyed years ago. At this point, it’s going to take someone coming forward and telling the authorities everything they know, whether that’s Tracey, George Washington, or an unknown perpetrator.

Tionda and Diamond Bradley were 10 and 3 years old, respectively, when they disappeared from their Chicago apartment on July 6, 2001. They were young, sweet, innocent girls with their whole lives ahead of them. In all likelihood, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they paid the price for it.

However, there’s still a chance that they’re alive. But the only way for them to come home and receive justice is if the right person comes forward. The beginning of this investigation was obstructed by lies; the truth is what will resolve it.

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If you’re looking for more information about the disappearance of Tionda and Diamond Bradley, there are several news articles, podcasts, and Facebook pages. The following sources helped me as I wrote this post:

• The Charley Project, Diamond Bradley
• The Charley Project, Tionda Bradley
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Missing Poster
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, “Keeping the Faith: A Family’s Search”
• NBC News
• Trace Evidence Podcast

If you have any information about the disappearance of Diamond and Tionda Bradley, please contact the Chicago Police Department at 1-312-745-5020 or the FBI Field Office at 1-312-421-6700. You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.

What do you think happened? Let me know in the comments.