What happened to Amy Bradley? This is a question that still has no solid answers, but the creators of the new Netflix documentary series, Amy Bradley is Missing, say their minds were changed after gathering all of the evidence.
In the early hours of March 24, 1998, 23-year-old Amy Bradley was on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship vacation with her parents, Ron and Iva, and her brother, Brad, when she vanished without a trace.
Despite the tireless efforts of her family and a subsequent FBI investigation, no one has ever found out what happened to her. The new docu-series explores the many theories that have surfaced over the years – from trafficking, to the possibility she simply fell overboard.
There’s also a phone call with cruise ship musician Alister “Yellow” Douglas, who claims he had nothing to do with Amy’s disappearance, an argument backed by former Royal Caribbean director Kirk Detweiler. But what do the creators think?
Amy Bradley is Missing filmmakers believe Amy is alive
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Amy Bradley is Missing filmmakers Ari Mark and Phil Lott say that after gathering all of the “compelling” evidence and speaking with those involved in the case, they now believe Amy could be alive.
They were so convinced, in fact, that they thought they would be able to find her by the end of the production process.
“When we first came into this story, and when I was first introduced to the key players, everyone from the FBI, family members, friends, experts, what have you, eyewitnesses – they all convinced me that we’re gonna find her,” said Ari.
“And there was definitely a moment in this show where I’m looking at Phil going, ‘Are we getting on a plane and are we gonna, like, start walking around the Caribbean? And what happens if we [find Amy]?’ I really got convinced because the credibility element was there.”
The interviewer then pointed out that “it sounds like you believe she’s alive,” to which Ari joked, “Phil doesn’t have the guts to say this. (Both laugh.)”
“I got to the point on this show where I became close enough with the people. Of course, we remain objective, and we were objective through the whole process,” he continued.
“There are enough reasons to believe all of these things are possible. That’s what makes it compelling. But Brad, [Amy’s] brother, says, ‘I have to cling to the hope.’ He’s like, ‘I’m not saying it’s definitely this, definitely that – but I have to cling to the hope.’
“I’ve kind of gotten to the point where I have to believe she’s alive. And people will judge me for that. You immediately fall into a bucket of, ‘How could you believe the most far-fetched piece of this?’
“We’re always so used to calculating odds. ‘Well, the odds are this happened, and the statistics say…’ All of those things are true. But if we’re telling a remarkable story, I think there’s just as much of a chance that there’s a remarkable answer.”
Phil added, “When people watch this series, I think you will feel like your preconceptions have been compounded. The easiest thing in the world is to come up to us going, ‘Clearly, she fell off the boat.’
“I think we’re as guilty of that coming into this as anyone else. And as you go down the path, and you start answering the first five questions, they all lead to much bigger pieces of mystery.
“Well, now you have three episodes of that. It’s something that just gets bigger and deeper and more compelling.”
Anonymous photo is “hard to ignore”
The filmmakers went on to discuss the images advertising a sex worker in Curaçao – where she was allegedly spotted by an eyewitness after her disappearance. The woman in the photos looks remarkably like Amy.
The interviewer said they can’t believe anyone would doubt the resemblance, but Ari replied, “You’d be surprised.
“I think a lot of people don’t believe the photo could be her – not because it doesn’t look like her, not because the characteristics don’t match up, just because the scenario is so hard for them to follow through with.”
Not only is the woman in the picture positioned in a way to hide any of her identifying markers, including a tattoo, but the FBI took it seriously and called a forensic analyst in.
Erin Sheridan, an FBI agent who worked on the case, says in the Netflix docu-series, “A forensic analyst looked at the photo and believed that that was Amy Bradley.”
Ari said the fact that the FBI took it so seriously is “hard to ignore,” adding, “It wasn’t like they were like, ‘Oh, whatever,’ they really did chase that down.
“They analyzed the bed frame, tried to figure out where it was made. They sent an operative down there to actually scope it out. And they did look into that website, and they brought in that trafficking expert – it’s hard to ignore.”
Although the evidence – which supports the theory Amy may have been trafficked – is compelling, it ultimately didn’t lead anywhere. Amy was eventually declared legally dead, but the FBI investigation into her disappearance remains open.
It’s currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the recovery of Amy and the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible for her disappearance, which you can find out about here. You can also keep tabs on the Amy Bradley is Missing website.
Amy Bradley is Missing is streaming on Netflix now. For more true crime news, read about Monster Season 4, the John Wayne Gacy series, and how to watch the new Idaho college murders documentary.
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