Updated August 7, 2025: Added new map, timeline details, and recommended resources.
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At a Glance:
- Missing since March 24, 1998 from Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
- Sex: Female
- Hair Color: Brown, but might dye it blonde
- Eye Color: Green
- Age: 23 (at the time of her disappearance)
- Height: 5’7″
- Weight: 115 pounds
- Clothing Description: Last seen wearing a short-sleeved white scoop-neck body-style T-shirt, maroon shorts or jeans, a silver navel loop ring with an embedded blue bead, a man’s silver watch with a blue face, a silver college class ring with a black onyx stone on her right hand, and a thin silver band with cut-out turtle figurines on her left wrist.
- Distinguishing Characteristics: Amy has multiple piercings on each ear, as well as a belly button piercing. She also had several tattoos: a baby Tasmanian devil on the back of her left shoulder, a green and blue gecko lizard around her belly button, a Japanese symbol on her right ankle, and a primitive Japanese sun on her lower back.
Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
Information Courtesy of The Charley Project
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Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and it is not meant to cause harm to anyone connected with the case. Please do not contact, threaten, harm, malign, or otherwise intimidate those mentioned in the post. Please do not release any personal information of the people mentioned in this post, and do not join in attacks conducted by others. Per U.S. law, every person directly or indirectly connected with this case is innocent until proven guilty.
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About Amy
Amy Lynn Bradley was born on May 12, 1974. She lived with her parents and her younger brother, Brad, in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Not much is known about Amy’s early life, but at the time of her disappearance, she enjoyed Coca-Cola, Miller Lite beer, and hard candies. She was also athletic and enjoyed swimming and basketball. She was such a strong swimmer that she obtained a position as a lifeguard, and she later received a basketball scholarship to Longwood University.
Disappearance
On March 21, 1998, the Bradley family went on a cruise, specifically the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s ship, the Rhapsody of the Seas. The cruise was going towards Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. Curaçao is part of a grouping of islands in the Southern Caribbean Sea, along with Aruba and Bonaire. It’s located 70 km (or 44 miles) off the coast of Venezuela.
The night before her disappearance, Amy and Brad attended a Mardi Gras party at a nightclub on the ship. While she was there, the two danced and drank with the ship’s band, Blue Orchid. At least one person was confirmed to have interacted with her at the party, other than Brad. His name is Alister Douglas (aka “Yellow”), a member of the band. According to his account, Amy left the party without Brad at 1:00 AM.
Reportedly, Brad remained at the party for another couple of hours, until he returned to the family’s cabin at 3:35 AM. However, sources vary on whether Amy and Brad returned together or separately. Some accounts state that Amy entered the cabin five minutes later, and others state that they entered at the same time. Regardless, Brad stated that he and Amy sat on the suite’s balcony for approximately two hours, around 5:30 AM.
At the time, the ship was preparing to dock in Curaçao. The Charley Project states that Amy mentioned the possibility of disembarking to purchase cigarettes, and two other passengers saw her taking the elevator to the top deck. However, I was unable to verify this information.
Sources generally agree that Amy disappeared between 6:00 and 6:30 AM, along with her room key, cigarettes, lighter, and money. After failing to locate her on their own, her family contacted the crew for help. They begged to delay disembarking and play an announcement over the ship’s loudspeakers. However, the crew proceeded to disembark, and they delayed the announcement until 7:50 AM, after the majority of the passengers had already left. A search of the ship wouldn’t begin until 12:15 PM, and it only lasted 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard conducted a four-day search that used three helicopters and a radar plane, but they walked away empty-handed. There hasn’t been a confirmed sighting of Amy since.
During the investigation, it was determined that Amy was “very unlikely” to voluntarily disappear or commit suicide, and they do not believe she fell overboard. She had just recently graduated with a degree in physical education, and she was going to start a new job after the trip. The ship was also close to shore, so there likely would’ve been witnesses had she fallen.
Summary: Timeline of Amy Bradley’s Disappearance
March 21, 1998 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – Amy Bradley boards Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas with her parents and brother.
March 23, ~1:00 a.m. – Amy is seen in the ship’s disco with the band’s bass player.
March 23, ~5:15 a.m. – Her father sees her sleeping on the balcony of their cabin.
March 23, ~5:30–6:00 a.m. – Amy is no longer in the cabin; belongings are left behind.
Morning of March 23 – Public announcements page her over the ship’s PA system; no sign of her is found.
Following days/weeks – Theories emerge: overboard accident, foul play, human trafficking.
Possible Sightings and Suspects
Over the years, there have been accounts of several possible sightings. However, as of this writing, none of them have been verified:
- Shortly after her disappearance, a cab driver described how a woman matching Amy’s description approached him, stating that she urgently needed a phone.
- In August 1998, a computer engineer reportedly saw a woman matching Amy’s description walking along a beach in Curaçao. She repeatedly tried to get his attention, but he lost sight of her at a café. The witness was completely certain that it was Amy because he saw her up close.
- In January 1999, a U.S. Navy petty officer reportedly saw a woman who claimed to be Amy while he was at a brothel in Curaçao. According to the witness’s account, the woman claimed she was being held against her will, and she wasn’t allowed to leave. As of this writing, no evidence has surfaced to support this account.
- In March 2005, a witness named Judy Maurer came forward with her account. She reportedly saw Amy in the restrooms of a department store in Barbados. According to her account, a woman who matched Amy’s description entered with three men, all of whom threatened her if she didn’t follow through on an unknown deal. The men then left, leaving the woman alone. Judy approached the unknown woman, who told her that her name was Amy, and she was from Virginia. Before Judy could do anything, the men returned and took her away.
Although no suspects have been formally named, authorities believe that two men may possess more information about Amy’s disappearance. The first man is Caucasian, in his late 30s or early 40s, approximately 6 feet tall, and has red hair and a red beard, as well as a receding hairline. The second man is in his early 30s, is approximately 5’11”, and has dark, curly shoulder-length hair. To this day, neither has been identified. Composite sketches are available, courtesy of The Charley Project.
Her case remains unsolved.
My Thoughts
The disappearance of Amy Bradley is one of those cases that has a lot of information, yet we still don’t know what’s going on. By all accounts, Amy was on the ship on the night of March 23rd up until the early morning hours of March 24th. After she and Brad finish their conversation on the deck at 5:30, she heads back to their cabin and disappears at some point between 5:30 AM and 6:30 AM, at which point her family discovers she’s missing. What exactly happened during that hour is hard to say. Between the (presumed) lack of CCTV footage and the slow cooperation of the crew, we have a lot of missing information. This makes it hard to definitively prove or disprove theories.
When people investigate Amy’s disappearance, they generally arrive at one of the following theories:
- Amy was murdered, and her body was thrown overboard
- Amy fell overboard or died by suicide.
- Amy became the victim of human trafficking.
Let’s examine these one by one.
To start, we have the theory that Amy was murdered, and her body was thrown overboard. Because of the lack of information in this case, it’s hard to determine the validity of this theory. As of this writing, the authorities have never named a person of interest in her case, never mind a suspect. While it’s possible a murder happened on the ship, I find it hard to believe that there was no evidence, no witness accounts, no screams, no blood, and no accounts of anyone acting suspicious or disappearing shortly after she did. It’s also possible she was murdered after disembarking, but if that’s the case, there would be hundreds, if not thousands of suspects to work through. Without more information, there simply isn’t enough to figure out whether or not a murder took place.
The second theory is that Amy either fell overboard or died by suicide. This was the theory that authorities believed at first. However, given that Amy was such a strong swimmer and didn’t have any known history of depression or suicidal ideation, many people think that this theory is unlikely at best. The fact that no one came forward afterward to say that they saw someone fall or jump overboard is telling. There were hundreds of people on the ship, milling about at all hours of the day and night. It’s highly unlikely that someone could’ve died by suicide or fallen overboard without at least one person hearing or seeing something out of the ordinary.
Not only that, but we have to consider human nature in a situation like this. If someone was actively attempting suicide or about to fall from a great height, most people would at least try to intervene. They would try to de-escalate the situation, encourage the other person to step away from the ledge, contact a crew member for help, or all of the above. Not only that, but most people love drama, so if something like this had occurred, rumors would’ve made their way around the ship. For me, the lack of rumors and eyewitnesses makes this theory less likely.
The last theory is that Amy became the victim of human trafficking. This is the theory that most people believe, due in part to all of the sightings. At least two of these eyewitnesses came within two feet of a woman who matched Amy’s description, and at least one witness claimed that the mysterious woman gave information that matched Amy’s, such as her name and where she came from. We even have a sighting from a U.S. Navy petty officer who found a woman matching Amy’s description at a brothel.
I could go on, but the point is that this theory seems to have merit. The only problem is that none of these sightings have been verified. As far as I’m aware, there isn’t any CCTV evidence or other eyewitnesses backing up the claim, and there haven’t been any sightings since 2005.
Personally, I think the sighting from 2005 has the most merit. Judy Maurer saw a woman matching Amy’s description, along with three unknown men. She got such a good look at the men and the woman that the authorities created composite sketches of all four of them. It would likely be difficult to supply that level of detail if Judy was lying or didn’t get a good look at them.
Unfortunately, this sighting, along with the others, stops at a dead end. The authorities tried to track down the people involved, but as of this writing, they’ve been unable to do so. Unless they track down these mysterious individuals, someone comes forward with more information, or Amy herself is found, this case will continue to grow cold.
Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared from Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas during the early morning hours of March 24, 1998. While there have been some sightings, none have been verified, and the truth continues to elude her family, friends, and authorities. Amy was a bright light who was poised to start the next chapter of her life. She finished college and was planning on starting a job as soon as she returned from her trip. Unfortunately, she was robbed of her future, and her loved ones have had a void in their lives ever since.
Someone knows something. She didn’t just vanish into thin air. This case can be solved, and Amy can come home, but she needs your help. Share this post and call the authorities if you have information. You never know what small detail could help.
Recommended Reading
Want to know more about Amy Bradley’s case?
Check out Amy Bradley Is Missing — The Mystery And The Truth That Sinks Beneath The Surface for an in‑depth look at her disappearance and the theories that surround it.
Get it here on Bookshop.org — you’ll support indie bookstores and my true crime research.
***
If you’re looking for more information about the disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley, there are articles, YouTube Videos, and podcasts covering her disappearance. Her case was also covered in segments on Dr. Phil and America’s Most Wanted. The following sources helped me as I wrote this post:
If you have any information about the disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley, please contact your local FBI field office or American Embassy.
What do you think happened? Let me know in the comments.
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Hello Margaret,
It seems like the crew on board dropped the ball in their investigation. By not locking down the ship and allowing most of their clients to disembark, any potential persons who may be involved in her disappearance could easily escape anywhere in Venezuela and even the rest of South America and blend in with the crowd. Moreover, the crew waited too long to begin their investigation as any potential evidence could have been easily tampered with or destroyed within the 5 to 6 hours of delay after the disappearance. This does not guarantee that this case would be solved; but could drastically increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome. It’s the small changes that makes a huge difference in the result of a disappearance or any case for that matter; especially early on in the first 48 hours of a case.
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Exactly. The crew should’ve locked down the ship, instead of letting people come and go as they please. I wonder if anyone besides Amy was unaccounted for once the passengers reboarded. That would’ve given them some solid leads. I doubt that was done, though.
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Judging by the lack of effort and urgency, that seems plausible. I wonder how many people have embarked on the cruise from the beginning? Did they keep good records on the attendance of that particular ship? If not, what were the protocols of the cruise line back in 1998? All these questions are essential to addressing the flaws depicted in this case to prevent outcomes like these from occurring again.
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There were probably records of some sort. Given that it was 1998, they probably relied more on hard copies than digital copies. In either case, the records could’ve been lost to time, digitalization, software updates, etc.
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