The Dumping Ground
On December 5, 2011, personal possessions of Shannan Gilbert, a young woman missing since April 2010, were located in thick undergrowth of a swampy area on the shore in Long Island, NY. Suffolk County Police announced they had recovered a purse containing Shannan’s identification, a cell phone, a pair of shoes and clothing believed to have belonged to the missing woman. The discovery of personal belongings prompted intensive searches of the area that included investigators with machetes, dive teams, canine searches, a bulldozer, an amphibious vehicle, even ground penetrating photography equipment provided by the FBI assisting Suffolk County Police was used to search for and eventually retrieve Shannan’s remains.
After Shannan’s disappearance in 2010, authorities began search efforts in the area she vanished but made the grisly discovery of decomposed and dismembered remains of ten bodies dumped along the isolated beach parkway leading to Jone’s Beach. The discoveries created media frenzy and world-wide news reported authorities believed a single serial killer had been using the area for nearly twenty years to discard remains of prostitutes. Additional news reports cite possibly up to three killers may be responsible for the murders, though one would have to conclude coincidence that as many as three killers would use the same dumping ground.
Shannon Gilbert
Eight women, the remains of a young Asian man wearing women’s clothing and a female toddler were all found hidden in the deep thicket and bramble alongside the road. Only half of the victims have so far been identified. With the exception of the toddler, believed to be related to one of the female victims, all are believed to have been prostitutes.
Authorities Speculate
On December 13, 2011, with an official positive identification still pending from the medical examiner’s office, Suffolk County Police Commissioner, Richard Dormer, held a press conference. Dormer announced to reporters remains had been located and believed to be that of Shannan Gilbert and went on to explain if the remains were that of Shannan, the probable cause of death was accidental. Dormer stated the location where the remains were located were indicative that Shannan had attempted to make her way through the wetlands and surmised she had been trying to get to the causeway where she would have seen lights in the early morning hours but the rough terrain would have made it impossible for her. Dormer then offered condolences to Shannan’s family.
Despite Dormer’s hurried public announcement, Mari Gilbert, Shannan’s mother, maintained she would hold out hope until an official announcement was received from the medical examiner confirming the identity of the remains. On December 17, four tortuous days later, confirmation was received the skeletal remains were those of her daughter.
Based upon Dormer’s comments during the press conference, it is speculated Shannan may have fallen and drowned. Shannan’s mother also confirmed Shannan did not know how to swim. Currently, the official determination of cause of death is still pending. Due to advanced decomposition, experts agree the exact cause of death may be impossible to determine.
Shannan-Gilbert
Shannan Gilbert
Though Shannan was confirmed to have been involved in prostitution and her remains found just east of the other bodies, police continue to offer conjecture Shannon’s death is unrelated to the other homicides. Shannan’s family, other victim’s family members that were recovered and identified and even residents in the area where the bodies were located are not so sure the crimes are unrelated and questioning why authorities would so quickly dismiss a connection between the multiple homicides.
The Night of Shannan’s Disappearance – Mystery Remains
The night Shannan vanished, witnesses said they saw her running from a home in Oak Beach. It has been confirmed in April 2010, 47-year-old Joseph Brewer responded to an ad Shannan had placed on Craig’s List, a social networking site commonly used by prostitutes to solicit clients.
Brewer claims a sexual encounter did not occur. He told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that Shannan began asking him odd questions about transvestites, leading him to believe she was a man and claims he asked her to leave when she began acting erratically.
Michael Pak was Shannan’s driver that night and affirmed he drove her to Brewer’s residence at approximately 2a.m. and waited until 5 a.m. until he received her call. Upon receiving the call, Pak claims he went to Brewer’s apartment to get Shannan and witnessed Brewer attempting to grab her from behind but she escaped his grip and began cowering behind a couch inside the residence.
According to Robin Sax, an attorney hired by the Gilbert family, Shannon made a panicked call to 911 that lasted 23 minutes. “She told 911 she was in fear and they were going to get her, they were going to kill her.” Sax adds, “They is the big question. Who are they?”
According to both Brewer and Pak, Shannan was acting irrational and paranoid and ran out of Brewer’s residence to a neighbor’s home down the street. Gustav Coletti, a retired insurance fraud investigator, told the Star Ledger he heard banging at his door. When he answered and asked Shannan what was wrong she just responded, “Help me, help me, help me.” When Coletti informed Shannan he called police and they were on their way, she then bolted out of his home.
Pak claims he searched the neighborhood but never found Shannan. Coletti recalled seeing a man driving a black SUV stopping and going as if he were searching for something. Coletti’s statements to police indicate he spotted Shannan hiding under a boat in his yard suddenly running away with the man in the SUV following behind her. She then seems to have vanished into thin air.
Despite her trail going cold the evening of her disappearance, questions regarding who Shannan was fleeing from only deepens the mystery. Was she the one who almost ‘got away’ only to fall victim to the terrain and tragically drown?
Just Another Prostitute
Nearly one year later, news stories describe how the search for one missing New Jersey prostitute resulted in the discovery of ten bodies and providing some families with answers to what happened to their missing loved ones. The stories also brought attention to the high-risk lifestyle that accompanies those working in the sex trade industry and highlighted the dangers of advertising on sites like Craig’s List where there is little oversight to help ensure the safety of the site’s users. However, the news reports appeared to sidestep what the families of those branded as prostitutes went through during the years prior to discovery of the bodies.
24-year-old, Melissa Barthelemy vanished July 12, 2009. Melissa had made a move on her own from Buffalo to New York City after graduating from beauty school. Her family believed she was doing well working as a hairdresser but following her disappearance, shocked to find out she had been working as an online escort.
melissa barthelemy
Melissa Barthelemy
Approximately a week after Melissa’s disappearance, Amanda, Melissa’s 15-year-old sister received a call from Melissa’s cell phone. Relieved and excited, expecting to hear her sister’s voice, Amanda found herself speaking to a man who authorities believe was Melissa’s killer. During the call, the man said sexually explicit things to the child and began describing horrific things he was going to do to her. It wasn’t until the third phone call police finally requested a tap on the phone. On August 26, 2009 the male caller made his last call to Amanda and reportedly admitted to killing Melissa. He also warned Amanda he knew where she lived and would come and kill her too.
The common complaint made by several of the families of the Long Island victims was the lack of response they received from authorities when reporting their loved one missing. Lynn Barthelemy, Melissa’s mother, attempted to make a missing person report for three days without success. Finally, family attorney, Steven Cohen contacted NYPD in an attempt to make a report and said he was told, “She’s a hooker. She’s a prostitute. She was – she’s an escort and we are not assigning a detective to this.”
A family left feeling alone in the limbo of ambiguity. Though reports were eventually taken, the Long Island victims would never be mentioned in news headlines that captivated the country like the disappearances of Natalie Holloway, Laci Peterson or Chandra Levy. Shannan and Melissa didn’t fit the typical ‘Damsel in Distress’ case of a young missing woman commonly seen in the news headlines. The families of the Long Island victims quickly became aware empathy for missing prostitutes is minimal. In fact, it wasn’t until news of the horrific discoveries of body after body and the suspicion a serial killer was on the loose that the two words ‘Missing Prostitutes’ finally were printed on the same the front page of newspapers.
Not Just Prostitutes
The ‘hooker headlines’ finally spurred national attention but surely broke the hearts of the families of the victims who were missing a daughter, sister, mother, father, granddaughter, son, brother, aunt or uncle. It appeared the Long Island victims lives were now defined by words that lessened their value as humans who already suffered an undeserved fate dumped in an isolated personal graveyard of a human predator.
Stereotypes are used far too often and can’t begin to appropriately define the value of a human life. In fact, by using stereotypes it can reduce the compassion felt for the victims and even hinder efforts to recruit the support necessary to effectively search for the missing person.
Labeling victims is dehumanizing and can create a lack of public empathy for the victims, media and even within the investigating law enforcement agencies. Diminishing a victim’s importance in society can even hamper efforts to educate the public which is key to ultimately saving others from becoming victims.
Lessons Learned
During my nearly twenty years serving as founder and former CEO of the National Center for Missing Adults, I learned to be an effective advocate we must speak out for those who are unable to speak for themselves. Early on in my career, two young women who were best friends vanished and later found murdered, one body placed on top of the other discarded in a remote desert location. While working closely with a Glendale Police Sergeant shortly after their disappearance, I urged the Sergeant to meet with the families at a restaurant rather than the precinct. He reluctantly agreed to accompany me. The families shared stories and the devastation they were experiencing could not be ignored.
Upon the Sergeant’s retirement he informed me that one experience had changed the way he handled all missing person cases. From that day forward he said he no longer permitted his investigators to refer to any missing person as a case and required them to always refer to a missing person by their name. He thanked me but I thank every victim’s family I’ve ever been honored to serve for showing me that maintaining strength and courage is possible while enduring the unimaginable and that tragedy does not discriminate . . . it can happen to anyone.
Reducing the dehumanization can start by simply acknowledging every victim has a family who loves them regardless of where they come from or the choices they may have made. Most importantly remember the victims – for every one has a name and all grew up with dreams.
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults
& Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Phone: 800-889-3463 (FIND)
Michael Sean Grenley, 41 years old, left his home near 75th Ave and Deer Valley in north Glendale, at 1pm on July 19th. His wife had thought he had simply gone to get lunch, but concerned, reported him missing later that day after he did not return.
Michael enjoyed driving his Jeep Rubicon to remote areas north of Phoenix, and quickly there was speculation he may have simply gone for a ride in the desert. On August 6, 2011, a motorcyclist discovered Michael’s remains near his Jeep approximately 10 miles north of Lake Pleasant and notified Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. A spokesperson for sheriff’s office indicated the Jeep was found with the front end stuck on a large boulder.
Arizona is known for its rough terrain in the area north of Lake Pleasant. Many venture north on 4x4s, dirt bikes and quads thru unmaintained trails between Lake Pleasant and Crown King, a popular place for avid off-road enthusiasts due to its spectacular scenery and challenging landscape. Though lovely, the Arizona wilderness is also quite unforgiving.
Michael’s cause of death has not been publicly released, however the Medical Examiner indicates there was no sign of foul play or a struggle. On the day of Michael’s disappearance Arizona experienced a Haboob, a storm that created a nearly 3,000-4,000 foot high wall of dust at approximately 4:30pm as it rolled through the counties of Pinal and Maricopa, causing hazardous driving conditions throughout the valley. In addition to driving hazards, temperatures in Arizona, July through August can range from 90-128 degrees, along with potential dangers of flash-flooding where in a matter of minutes 10-30 foot walls of water can fill dry creek beds.
It is not known if weather conditions contributed to Michael’s death but in Arizona, for those suffering from a medical condition, exposure to high temperatures and possible lack of water can quickly cause health complications and death due to exposure.
Posted on an off-road website, a member wrote, “This is a sad reminder to all of us to always bring another person and be well-equipped when traveling off-road.”
Michael Grenley is survived by his wife, Melissa, of 17 years and 6 year-old son. His wife described Michael as a wonderful father and regrets he won’t be there to see their 6-year-old son grow up.
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder of National Center for Missing Adults
& Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Phone: 800.889.3463
Stunning beauty vanishes in Aruba. Family of Robyn Gardner, missing since August 2, 2011 refuse to lose focus and remind public she is a friend, sister, and daughter and they need the public’s help to bring her home safe.
Robyn Lynn Gardner
Robyn Lynn Gardner
Oranjestad, Aruba – Robyn Lynn Gardner, a 35 year-old resident of Fredericksburg, Maryland, vanished August 2, 2011. It is known she had traveled with Gary V. Giordano, to Aruba on July 31, 2011. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, now assisting Aruban authorities, Robyn was last seen in the vicinity of Baby Beach, Sint Nicolass area of Aruba, located on the southeastern tip of the Caribbean Islands. The pair had been staying at the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino in Oranjestad.
According to friends, Robyn had met Giordano online approximately a year and a half ago and described him as a platonic friend. Though it is not yet clear why she agreed to travel to Aruba with Giordano, Aruban authorities have confirmed they are making every effort to continue to detain 50 year-old, Giordano, for questioning in Gardner’s disappearance. It is reported Giordano contacted Aruban authorities at approximately 6:20pm on August 2nd, reporting he and Robyn had been snorkeling earlier in the afternoon. He claims last time he saw her, he tapped Robyn’s leg, motioning her to return to shore. He then states he proceeded to shore, noticed Robyn was not behind him, and assumed she had been swept out to sea by the current. To date, there is no confirmation that snorkeling equipment was ever rented by Giordano or Robyn. Giordano’s story just isn’t adding up.
Robyn Gardner and Gary V. Giordano
Robyn Gardner and Boyfriend, Richard Forester
Richard Forester, Robyn’s boyfriend and her brother, Andrew Colson, are both adamant that Robyn would not have had even the slightest interest in snorkeling. “Robyn is the type of woman who is very conscientious of her appearance, her makeup always perfect, she went to get her nails done regularly and took great care not to damage her hair extensions,” says Forester. “She is the type of woman who walks down the street and everyone turns and looks at her, amazingly beautiful!” Her family and friends place no credibility in Giordano’s account of the afternoon of snorkeling at an isolated beach. It doesn’t appear Aruban prosecutors place any credence in his story either.
Questions Remain
According to Richard Forester, Robyn had initially told him she was traveling to Florida to visit her family. On Monday, August 1st, Robyn informed Forester her parents had surprised her with a trip to Aruba. A phone call cut short, and a Facebook post from Robyn simply stating “This Sucks,” began to draw Forester’s concern. On August 2nd, Robyn’s last Facebook message to him said, “Don’t worry. I care about you. I love you and we will talk and sort things out when I get back.” That was the last contact he received from her. Whether Robyn agreed to travel to Aruba for a week of relaxation or if she was lured there by Giordano under false pretenses; questions remain.
Google Mail Activity
According to Forester, he noticed Robyn’s Google Mail account was active in the days following her disappearance. With Google Mail a green indicator light reflects if a person is online and available to chat. Forester sent numerous messages with no response but noticed continuous activity on her account in the two days following Robyn’s reported disappearance. Confused, he was not yet aware Giordano had reported Robyn missing and it was not until the following Friday he received notification from Robyn’s brother authorities. Forester is now concerned the Google Mail activity, he was seeing may have been Giordano accessing Robyn’s email account possibly deleting incriminating correspondence.
Background of Giordano
Giordano’s financial history is in question, but he is described as a self-employed businessman, living in a $1 million residence located in an upper-scale, Gaithersburg, MD, neighborhood. Giordano’s history with women is obviously under a microscope and so far documents two restraining orders and allegations of domestic violence. According to a former female acquaintance of Giordano, who had also met him on the Internet, she obtained a restraining order after being stalked by Giordano. She claims he also covertly videotaped them having sex, then placed sexually graphic photographs of her on the Internet. Montgomery County court records indicate when Giordano was confronted by the woman he then proceeded to place inappropriate personal photographs of her inside her neighbor’s mailboxes. Yet an additional restraining order filed by another female acquaintance states Giordano tried to choke the woman and put his fingers down her throat.
Carrie Emerson, a Richmond, VA, resident has come forward to help in the investigation of Robyn’s disappearance. Emerson has told authorities, around the same time Giordano asked Robyn to go to Aruba, Giordano had viewed online photographs of Emerson’s daughter, a beautiful blonde teen model. Giordano called Emerson claiming to be a producer and offered to take both of them to Aruba for a photo shoot. During one conversation, Emerson recalls Giordano strangely said, “This won’t be another Natalie Holloway case.” Though Emerson declined, Giordano continued to pursue her, even offering lifetime financial security if Emerson and her daughter would both sleep with him. After her own experience with Giordano, Emerson is passionate that other women need to be educated. “Giordano is only one of millions of men who try to lure unsuspecting women into potentially dangerous situations,” Emerson says. “I came forward to help find Robyn first and foremost. People need to remember that Robyn is a person, not an object, who deserves to be further exploited in the media.” Emerson is haunted by a gut feeling that Giordano had been specifically targeting blondes and wonders if he may have been working with someone else, possibly even trying to pre-arrange some kind of deal in the sex-trade industry. When a person vanishes under suspicious circumstances, Emerson’s concerns are not unreasonable and should be investigated.
Giordano’s interactions with these women validates a history of predatory behavior; then add Giordano’s ex-wife who alleges domestic violence occurred in their very short marriage. It is evident, given Giordano’s documented violent behavior that Robyn’s family has every reason to be concerned for her safety.
The Insurance Policy
Aruban authorities state it is not uncommon for travelers to purchase travel insurance. However, reports that Giordano purchased a $1.5 million ‘accidental life insurance policy’ in Robyn’s name listing him as main beneficiary could be perceived as a motive for homicide. While purchasing a travel life insurance policy may not seem unusual, Giordano’s activities following Robyn’s disappearance send some huge red flags for those investigating her disappearance. It has been reported only two-days after Robyn’s mysterious disappearance, Giordano called American Express inquiring if all insurance documents he had submitted had been received, wanting confirmation he was listed sole beneficiary and reported he tried to initiate collection on the policy. While authorities and family were desperately concerned for Robyn’s safety, it appears Giordano had only one thing on his mind, collecting money.
The Investigation
Aruban solicitor general, Taco Stein, has stated Aruban authorities remain very concerned about inconsistencies in Giordano’s account of what happened the afternoon of August 2nd and making every attempt to continue to detain Giordano in Aruba while continuing to investigate Robyn’s disappearance. Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting and searched Giordano’s home. Disappearances of United States citizens overseas tend to be complicated by jurisdictional issues and FBI investigative activity in Aruba limited. Extensive searches of the water, coastline and even phosphate mines in south and north end of the island have produced no leads.
Stein has publicly confirmed a digital camera was recovered that contains images of Robyn but stated during a news interview that Gardener did not appear to be in duress in the photographs. Though reported by some mainstream media that a source described the photographs as ‘beyond pornographic’ friends and family of Robyn are convinced that Robyn would not ever willingly participate in pornographic photographs.
On the day of Robyn’s disappearance, a surveillance camera confirmed the pair went to eat at the Rum Reef Bar & Grill located in the Baby Beach area Robyn reportedly disappeared. Staff at the Reef Bar & Grill reportedly told authorities Robyn appeared woozy during the meal. Additional reports state Giordano has claimed Robyn took a sleeping pill and drank alcohol prior to snorkeling. Giordano’s own assertion may lend credence to speculation Robyn may have been unwittingly drugged the day of her disappearance as those who know Robyn well unanimously agree that is not consistent with her behavior. One must really question what ‘good friend’ would take someone who is inebriated snorkeling, placing them in danger.
The owner of a dive shop located next to the Rum Reef Bar & Grill claims Giordano and Robyn did enter his shop several hours before she was reported missing but did not rent any equipment. The dive shop owner also claims he saw Giordano and Robyn driving on a dirt road in a remote part of the island later in the day.
The Impact on Robyn’s Family and Friends
Ambiguous loss experienced by families searching for missing loved ones is said to be one of the most traumatizing experiences to the human psyche. While imagining what may have happened to their missing loved one; if their loved one is somewhere suffering or a victim of a horrific crime, words can’t adequately describe the worry, desperation, and the terror families of missing persons feel. While in this situation, sometimes lasting months and even years, simply moving on is not an option. When someone you love simply vanishes it affects every aspect of a person’s life. Short of being informed their loved one has been located safe or even deceased, loved ones of missing persons enter a perpetual limbo; unable to move forward. The word ‘closure’ becomes a wicked word for it doesn’t exist for families of missing persons. “I was asked if I think Robyn is still alive and without hesitation I answered, yes. I have to believe that and maintain hope because we won’t give up until she is found,” says Forester.
Public Speculation – Help or Hinder?
As with most high profile missing person cases, public opinion and speculation abounds. While exhausting every ounce of energy, family members and loved ones try to remain focused on finding their loved one and utilizing every resource possible remains paramount.
In today’s society and the age of social networking, keeping people aware is vital and discussion is healthy. However, blather can ignite like unattended embers fueling a fire that quickly consumes acres of forest. Unfortunately, gossip tends to receive more focus than the missing person and sadly some can’t even restrain themselves from blaming the victim for the circumstances of their own disappearance.
Headline news reports have read “Beyond Pornographic Images found on Camera,” and presented in a manner to draw attention but can quickly stigmatize the victim, rapidly desensitizing the public and diverting focus that a young woman is terribly missed by her family. On the ‘Missing Robyn Gardner’ Facebook page, a post from a stranger reads. “Boyfriend paid 50 year-old to hack his girlfriend,” and yet another posted by a man named Chuck Webster, says, “If she had a boyfriend in MD. She was cheating on him. Bad girl!” These statements clearly reflect lack of empathy and become personal attacks on the family and friends of the missing woman. “These statements are disturbing and only add insult to injury,” says Forester.
Quickly disseminating information about a missing person is crucial and increases the potential to generate credible leads, enabling the investigating law enforcement agency to progress with the investigation. For missing person cases, the Internet enables expeditious ‘information sharing’ and is vital to successfully solving cases.
Detective Stewart Martz of Phoenix Police Department says, “Whether people realize it or not, these statements can be perceived as malicious attacks on the family and the victim when it should be a time when communities, even social networking communities, need to come together. These families need help.” Det. Martz adds, “It is a stressful enough time for the victim’s family and when insensitive statements are publicized it only further traumatizes these families. The public needs to be the eyes and ears of law enforcement and we encourage them to help the investigation and make a difference by sharing factual information and photographs of a missing person.”
Despite gossip headlines and personal questions asked during interviews, Robyn’s loved ones remain hopeful and motivated. “There is nothing that will remove my focus on finding Robyn. People need to be sensitive and remember first and foremost, Robyn is not only a girlfriend, she is a daughter, sister and a friend,” says Forester. “Everything else, all of this gossip and questions, becomes irrelevant. We just want to bring her home because she has a family who loves and misses her. I refuse to lose focus on that!”
FBI – Robyn Gardner
Missing Person Advocacy Network
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder of National Center for Missing Adults
& Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Network
Phone: 800.889.3463
Several months after Amy Lynn Bradley’s disappearance while vacationing with her family on Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, Iva and Ron Bradley receive an email from Frank Jones. Jones proclaimed himself to be a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer working with a team of ex-Army Rangers and ex-Navy Seals under his command in special ops missions. Jones assured the Bradleys his team had the experience and credentials to rescue Amy. With information Amy had been kidnapped and held on the Dutch island of Curacao and little progress made in the federal investigation, Jones offered a glimmer of hope to Amy’s parents.
Jones convinced the Bradleys to hire him in what could be defined as a private investigator role to provide surveillance of a location where there had been a potential sighting of Amy and report back to the distressed parents. Once hired, Jones claimed he sent four of his men to Curacao, assigned to develop information and confirm Amy was alive. Once confirmed he would be begin planning a rescue mission. One source of information was Judith Margaritha, a resident of Curacao, introduced to the Bradleys by acquaintances who were also residents of the island. Margaritha claimed she had knowledge Amy was being held in a barbed wire complex protected by heavily armed guards. She accurately described Amy’s tattoos and even referenced a lullaby Iva Bradley sang to Amy when she was a baby. Margaritha also claimed Amy was often seen with a man with long blonde hair and one arm sleeved with tattoos. With knowledge the Netherland Antilles is a major hub for illegal activity and sex-trafficking, the Bradleys felt they had finally received information that would help rescue their daughter. A special ops mission conducted by experienced former military seemed like the only way to infiltrate an organized crime entity in Curacao. Just like in a Hollywood movie, the operation moved forward to rescue Amy.
www.missingpersonsnetwork.org
Tattoo
Amy’s Tattoo
Jones provided a report indicating two of his Ex-Navy Seals set up surveillance locations on the island and observed Amy in a SUV driven by a man with long blond hair. Jones claimed Amy was under armed guard and in imminent danger. This information only seemed to validate the leads Margaritha had provided. Jones’ report further claimed his men were forced to leave the island after being fired upon by approximately ten armed men. Over the next few months, Jones kept payments coming by reporting to the family he had sent more operatives to the island, followed by reporting the latest sightings of their daughter.
Motivated by the hope Amy had been identified and would soon to be rescued, the cost of bringing Amy home was not to be an obstacle. While exhausting their personal savings, the family also sought help from donors and nonprofit organizations to continue to raise the necessary funds that would be needed bring Amy home alive. When the Bradleys’ received communication from Jones stating he was ready to launch the rescue mission and needed more money, the Bradley’s requested some kind of proof. Jones sent them a picture of a young woman on a beach accompanied by the ‘mysterious’ man with long blond hair and tattoos. The woman was wearing a long-brimmed hat, making it difficult to see her face but the tattoos, one of a baby Tasmanian devil and a symbol on her ankle, jumped out of the picture at Amy’s family. Desperate to know their daughter was alive and not wanting to waste any time, they immediately had the pictures forensically examined. “When I got the pictures, I knew Amy was OK, and it was just a matter of time,” recalls Iva Bradley, who recognized the tattoo on her daughter’s ankle. Upon confirmation the photographs were real and likely their daughter, the Bradleys proceeded to pay Jones.
Amy
Amy’s Tattoo
After receiving payment, Jones directed the Bradleys to travel to Florida to wait his call indicating the mission was a success and immediately depart to Curacao to be reunited with their daughter. Overwhelmed with anxiety, knowing the phone could ring at any moment, during the week that followed, Iva recalls only leaving the room two times to go to the front desk and the parking lot. A Lear jet, provided by Ron Bradley’s employer was on hold awaiting immediate departure upon receiving notification Amy was ready to transport home. Every minute was never-ending while awaiting news of their daughter’s rescue but a week passed without any word from Jones.
Meanwhile, in Curacao, one of Jones team, Timothy Buckholz, a former Army Special Forces sniper, began to wonder if Jones was telling Amy’s parents the truth. Buckholz had been assigned to head up surveillance at the location where Jones had said Amy was under armed guard however, Buckholz had only observed what appeared to be an ordinary family living at the location. While at a bar, Buckholz overheard Jones on the phone telling the Bradleys that the location was under constant surveillance and ‘his men’ were watching the house at that very moment. Buckholz then suspected Jones was conning Amy’s family and immediately contacted the Bradleys to expose Jones.
The Bradleys had expended approximately $24,000 of their personal savings and over $180,000 from the Amy Bradley fund at the Nation’s Missing Children Organization, a nonprofit that provided assistance to the family and held a restricted fund specifically for costs related to search and recovery. Utter devastation followed when the Bradleys were informed by Buckholz, that Jones had never served in the Special Forces and had fabricated the entire story, even the photograph of the woman they thought was their daughter was deceptive. The entire story began to unravel. How could someone con a family into thinking their daughter was alive? How could someone plot and go to the extent of fabricating such an elaborate story? The pain the Bradleys were experiencing was unimaginable.
Later, Jono Senk, who had been working with Jones, told authorities he wore a blond wig, posing as the kidnapper. According to Senk they staged the photograph on a Pensacola beach with a young woman who resembled Amy and was an acquaintance of Jones. They even went to the extent of having two temporary tattoos matching Amy’s painted on the woman’s back and ankle to fool the Bradley’s into thinking it was their missing daughter.
As it turned out, Judith Margaritha’s story that she had seen Amy in a guarded compound in Curacao was also false. Giovanni Margaritha, the son of Judith Margaritha, stated what his mother had done was a lie. He later said in a media interview, “It’s just using Amy’s mother as a way of stealing.” Margaritha maintained she had never lied to Amy’s parents but had been paid approximately $8,000.00 for her information.
In February 2002, federal prosecutors in Richmond charged Jones with defrauding the Bradleys of $24,444 and the Nation’s Missing Children Organization of $186,416.00. In April 2002, Jones pleaded guilty to mail fraud, was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to repay the money. Judge Richard L. Williams imposed an enhanced sentence on Joes, twice the maximum called for by federal guidelines. Jones conviction was an end to an unbelievable journey but not the end of the family’s hope.
The Bradleys are not the first or the last family of a missing person to be preyed upon by those claiming they can help find a victim. When a loved one goes missing and the case is publicized, especially high profile media cases, frantic families become an immediate target of unscrupulous individuals claiming they have information as to the missing person’s whereabouts. Psychics, tipsters, and those claiming to be credentialed and reputable private investigators have invaded family’s lives in order to fraudulently benefit from monetary gain.
When your child is missing, families have no choice but to extend trust to those they feel have credible information. During an interview, Ron Bradley later told Primetime, “If there’s a chance, what else do you do?” Ron Bradley says. “If it was your child, what would you do? I guess we took a chance. And I guess we lost.”
Despite, the few who prey upon other’s misfortune, there are many more good people who are willing to do the right thing and help families in distress. Unless one has experienced the psychological trauma associated with ambiguous loss cause by the ‘not knowing’ if someone you love is safe, one may never understand the sheer determination possessed by families of the missing. Giving up the search for your missing loved one is never an option. The Bradleys epitomize the meaning of courage when faced with unimaginable adversity in their search for their daughter. One thing is certain; the heart never gives up hope!
Links:
FBI.GOV – Amy Bradley
Amy Bradley – Official Site
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder of National Center for Missing Adults
& Social Network Advocate
Missing Persons Network
Phone: 800.889.3463
Arizona is one of the most rugged terrains in the United States. With the Sonoran desert’s extraordinary scenery; deep canyons and Saguaro cactus scattered across the desert, breathtaking sunsets, the majestic red rocks of Sedona, to the pines of Flagstaff, outdoor enthusiasts revel in exploring the beautiful landscape. Arizona’s countryside is also one of the most unforgiving with triple digit temperatures in summer months. July through August temperatures can range from 90-128 degrees. Arizona’s monsoon season also brings perilous flash floods consuming everything in their path. In a matter of minutes, 10-30 foot walls of water can fill canyon streams and dry creek beds. This, combined with some of the most deadly critters in the country, such as the Arizona Diamondback rattlesnake, makes Arizona not only one of the most beautiful places to explore but one of the most dangerous.
Michael Sean Grenley, 41 years old, left his home near 75th Ave and Deer Valley in north Glendale at 1pm on July 19th. He was driving his red Jeep Rubicon, AZ license plate 797-VZS. He is described as an avid off-road enthusiast and often drives to remote areas in his jeep. Grenley, an employee at Honeywell, also suffers from a medical condition and needs his prescription medicine. Friends and family describe Grenley as a very experienced 4-wheeler.
On July 19, Arizona experienced a storm that created a nearly 3,000-4,000 foot high wall of dust at approximately 4:30pm as it rolled through Pinal and Maricopa counties. The National Weather Service reported the storm reached 20-40 mph and reduced visibility up to 60 feet in some areas. Also, known as a ‘Haboob’ in Arabic, this storm was significantly smaller than the July 5th dust storm that produced a wall of dust 5,000-8000 feet high. However, the most recent storm brought with it rain and winds that brought down trees and the potential of major flash flooding in the desert. Weather officials say Haboob only occur in Arizona, parts of the Middle East and the Sahara desert due to dry conditions and high amounts of sand. This extreme weather would pose hazard to anyone caught in its path.
amily and friends continue to wait for any word that Michael Grenley is safe. Glendale Police Department continues to search for the missing man.
