Amy Bradley: Missing woman seen in new 'facial reconstruction' in hopes she'll be found
Facial reconstruction specialist Marcel van Adrichem has shared what Amy Bradley could look like today in the hope it could help the ongoing investigation on the island of Curaçao
Amy Bradley went missing during a cruise with her family 27 years ago, and her disappearance was brought back to the spotlight thanks to a new Netflix documentary that came out this summer.
The 23-year-old from Petersburg, Virginia, disappeared on March 24 1998 while on a cruise ship en route to Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island. There are several theories about Amy's disappearance, including that she sadly fell or intentionally jumped overboard and that her body never washed up on shore.
But other people, including her own family, believe Amy was a victim of sex trafficking and was smuggled off the ship. While some sightings have been reported over the years, there has been no official confirmation that it was in fact Amy - and now, a Dutch expert on facial reconstruction has weighed in the debate.
Marcel van Adrichem, 60, has created a reconstruction of Amy's face to help the Dutch police in the Antilles. The expert, who was also once asked by the Metropolitan Police to create a reconstruction of missing British girl Madeleine MCann, said he analyses bone structures and wrinkles, projecting the aging of teeth and studying the faces of parents and relatives to create a reconstruction of how a missing person might look today.
The reconstruction specialist told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: "I've been doing this work full-time for a few years now. I travel the world to help families and investigators with reconstructions. And I don't do it for recognition - I do it to help people. I'm a father myself. A missing child is the worst thing that can happen to any parent. There are no words for it."
Mr Van Adrichem will soon travel to the Antilles, where Amy disappeared. She told the newspaper: "On the left you see a photo of her at 23. I used that as my starting point. Today she would be 51, with grayer hair, aged teeth, looser skin on the neck, and more sunken eyes."
While his reconstructions haven't yet led to a breakthrough in any cold cases, the expert vowed to keep going as he highlighted the importance of sharing such images in the hope that a missing person is found, even after many years. He said: "As long as no body has been found, there's always a chance someone is still alive.
"That's why it's essential to estimate what missing persons might look like today. Otherwise, we might walk right past them in the supermarket."
Netflix's documentary has sparked further interest in the case and the Amy's family claims they've received "thousands" of new leads, though she still remains missing. Some viewers believe Amy fell or jumped overboard the night she went missing, while others believe she may have fallen victim to sex trafficking. Her family has always believed that she is still out there somewhere.
Her brother Brad believes this may be their final chance to find out what happened to her, and is urging the public to come forward with any information they might have about Amy's whereabouts. "We do think she's still alive," he said.
"My parents and I have always shared this gut feeling that she’s still alive. And I know that to a lot of people, they can't relate to that feeling, but we’re not going to stop feeling that way unless we’re given a reason to."
He also confirmed that the FBI is still investigating the case, and that the Bradley family is working closely with a private investigator to find out what happened to their beloved daughter and sister.