What happened to the Bradley sisters? Explained

When Tracey Bradley returned home on July 6, 2001, she didn’t expect the home to be empty. The single mother of 4 had left her 10-year-old, Tionda, and her three-year-old, Diamond, home alone in the wee hours of the morning for work. Though police were quickly notified, and Chicago’s citizens rallied the largest search party the city had ever seen, the Bradley sisters were never found.

After more than 20 years of looking, the family has had their hearts broken time and time again as women claiming to be the missing girls are debunked. Still, the search continues as the Bradley clan hopes for any advancements in the case, and true crime connoisseurs rage over the confusing evidence left behind.

What Happened to the Bradley sisters?

Tracey Bradley lived in an apartment on Chicago’s South Side with her four daughters, Rita, 12, Tionda, 10, Victoria, 9, and Diamond, 3.  The apartment complex was near the family, and the children’s grandmother, Martha, regularly helped Tracey watch the girls while she worked. July 6, 2001, may have been the eve of Victoria’s 9th birthday, but it was just another day for the family. Rita and Victoria were staying at their grandmother’s house, where they had stayed the night before. Tracey had to work early that morning, but planned to be home before noon to check on Tionda and Diamond.  

By all accounts from the family, Tionda was very motherly. She took her responsibility as an older sister very seriously, and stepped up to help her mother regularly. She was outspoken with those she knew, and was incredibly smart, so it wasn’t unusual for her to watch her younger siblings. While many frown on the idea of latchkey kids, 1 in every 5 children in America can be considered latchkey kids.

Tracey says she woke before 6 am, tucked in her girls, and locked up the apartment before her on-again-off-again boyfriend, George Washington, took her to work that day. The girls were accustomed to the arrangement, and had strict instructions not to leave the apartment, or let anyone inside.  Phone logs show that Tracey tried calling the girls between 7-8 times that morning, but when they didn’t answer, she assumed they must be asleep. Several other numbers rang throughout the morning, all of which went unanswered.

By 11 am, when she returned — or, perhaps, they, as there are conflicting reports as to whether or not George Washington was with her — the girls were gone. In their place was a simple note, telling their mother of their plans to head to a nearby grocery store, Jewel-Osco, and then after, the playground. Though the note didn’t mention which playground, Tracey thought it might be a nearby school where Tionda was enrolled in classes.

Family members noted that the note was out of character for Tionda. First, the grammar and spelling were too advanced for a girl her age, and the handwriting was too perfect. Second, it was unlike Tionda to leave a note; she was far more likely to call her mother for permission. The family has also noted that, while both girls were open and loving around family, they were well aware of “stranger danger,” and were shy around those they didn’t know. This has led investigators as well as family members to believe that the abductor was someone the girls were familiar with.

The family rallied to search for the girls. Tracey tapped everyone she knew to help her find her missing daughters. Despite the outpouring of support from friends and family, one person never showed up to the search party; 3-year-old Diamond’s father, George Washington. After nearly 7 hours of searching the neighborhood, the grocery store, the park, and everywhere in between, the family informed the Cook County Sheriff’s Department.

Law enforcement immediately organized the largest search the city had ever seen. Hundreds of Chicago police, Federal law enforcement officers, and citizen volunteers spent weeks searching the city. The sewers, streets, abandoned factories, and even the homes of nearly 100 registered sex offenders were searched. Despite the overwhelming support, nothing turned up.

Tracey’s sister, Faith, discovered a voicemail left on Tracey’s phone. According to Medium, in the voicemail Tionda can be heard saying, “Ma, George is at the door.” It’s speculated that the girl was referencing a neighbor named George, who had babysat for the family on occasion, but the family has said he had a specific nickname.

Tracey was questioned for more than 20 hours, but investigators turned their attention to George Washington. P. Foster, a private investigator hired by the family, uncovered what he believes to have been a fraudulent camping trip. Washington was allegedly planning a camping trip for himself, Diamond, Tionda, and Tracey, but lacked any of the resources necessary to carry it out. George Washington submitted to a search of his house, and though one source from the Chicago Tribune claims that nothing was found, another claim from the Black and Missing Foundation says that investigators uncovered receipts from July 7 for neoprene gloves, gardening gloves, and heavy duty trash bags — 5 of which were missing from the box.

Likewise, one report claims a neighbor saw nothing amiss that day, while the other claims that a neighbor reported George Washington burning something in a 50-gallon drum in the following days.

George has remained a person of interest in the case, but nothing concrete was ever found, and no suspect was ever named. Despite 22 years of searching, evidence more conflicting than Britney Norwood’s alibi has made this case nearly impossible for investigators to crack.

How many people have claimed to be Diamond?

The very public struggle the family has faced has led more than a dozen women to claim that they are one of the missing children. The family has gone through at least 3 of these emotional rollercoasters. In 2019, a woman in Texas claimed to be Tionda. She strung the family along with text messages before becoming aggressive and blocking them. The FBI determined it to be a fraud.

Another woman claiming to be Diamond contacted the family in early 2023. She reached out to the family’s primary spokesperson, Sheilah Bradley-Smith, and submitted to a DNA test voluntarily.  A documentary Disappeared: The Bradley Sisters was released the same year, documenting the sister’s story, and culminating with the reveal that the woman was not Diamond.

The case remains unsolved, but the family’s dedication to finding their missing loved ones is unshakeable.

If you have any information about Tionda and Diamond’s case, contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-5789, the FBI Illinois at 312-421-6700, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1(800) 843-5678.

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