Netflix has added another compelling entry to its growing library of true crime content with its new docuseries Amy Bradley Is Missing. The three-part series delves into the decades-old mystery of Amy Lynn Bradley, a 23-year-old Virginia native and openly lesbian woman who vanished without a trace while vacationing aboard a Caribbean cruise in 1998. Despite global media attention, FBI involvement, and years of family-led efforts, her case remains unsolved.
Bradley disappeared under baffling circumstances on March 24, 1998, while traveling with her parents and younger brother aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Rhapsody of the Seas. The ship had departed from Puerto Rico and was en route to Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island, when Amy was last seen. What was meant to be a celebratory family getaway turned into a harrowing, lifelong search for answers.
A Vanishing at Sea
In the early hours of the morning, Amy’s father, Ron Bradley, noticed his daughter asleep on a lounge chair on their cabin balcony. Less than an hour later, she was gone. The ship was still at sea, preparing to dock in Curaçao. When Amy was nowhere to be found, her family immediately alerted ship personnel, triggering a search of the vessel and surrounding waters.
Despite efforts by the cruise crew and local law enforcement, including Curaçao’s harbor police, no trace of Amy was found. Adtzere “John” Mentar, the Harbor Police Chief at the time, was one of the lead investigators. Speaking candidly in the Netflix series, Mentar remains mystified: “I’m telling you, if she came off the ship or fell off the ship, we would get a body,” he says in an interview. “She would have washed ashore.”
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation soon joined the case, pursuing multiple theories. Did Amy fall overboard? Was she abducted? Or did she leave the ship voluntarily, only to fall into danger later? Over the years, these questions have remained unanswered, despite several leads and reported sightings in the Caribbean.
A Queer Woman in Peril
Although much of the media attention at the time focused on Amy’s athleticism, independence, and strong bond with her family, Amy Bradley Is Missing brings new attention to another important part of her identity—her queerness. As an openly lesbian woman, Amy’s case has taken on new cultural significance in the LGBTQ+ community, where disappearances and violence often go underreported or under-investigated.
The docuseries doesn’t shy away from highlighting the potential vulnerability Amy may have faced not just as a woman alone in an international setting, but as a queer woman who might have been targeted. Some theories presented in the series suggest she may have been trafficked, a disturbing possibility that underscores the need for continued attention to cases involving missing LGBTQ+ individuals.
A Family’s Unending Search
Over the last 27 years, Amy’s family has never stopped searching for her. In interviews included in the series, her parents, Ron and Iva Bradley, speak about the agonizing passage of time without answers. The series also includes commentary from Amy’s brother, Brad, who was among the last to see her alive.
The Bradleys have followed up on countless tips, some of which have led them to the Caribbean multiple times. In 1999, a member of the U.S. Navy claimed to have seen a woman matching Amy’s description in a Caribbean brothel. Years later, another witness came forward, saying they believed they saw her in Barbados. None of the sightings have been confirmed, and none have led to her recovery.
The family’s relentless advocacy brought national and international attention to Amy’s case in the early 2000s, including features on Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted. Now, Netflix’s docuseries reintroduces her story to a global audience—and perhaps a new generation of viewers who may hold the key to solving the case.
New Leads, Old Questions
Over the show’s three tightly constructed episodes, viewers are taken through a meticulous investigation that explores various possibilities. Could Amy have gone overboard in a tragic accident? Was she lured off the ship by someone she met onboard? Did the ship’s crew or security overlook vital evidence in the early hours of her disappearance?
The filmmakers weave together archival footage, reenactments, and deeply emotional interviews with those closest to the case. Law enforcement officers, FBI agents, cruise ship employees, and Amy’s close friends offer their perspectives, all contributing to a haunting narrative that still lacks a clear resolution.
The production also critically examines the cruise industry’s response – or lack thereof – to disappearances at sea. As one interviewee points out in the series, ships operate under complex jurisdictions and fragmented oversight, often making investigations difficult.
Why Her Story Still Matters
Amy Bradley Is Missing does more than recount a cold case. It highlights the systemic issues surrounding maritime safety, the vulnerabilities faced by women – especially queer women – traveling abroad, and the deep, often invisible pain experienced by families of the missing.
At its core, Amy’s story is one of a vibrant young woman with her whole life ahead of her, taken too soon under circumstances that remain unclear. For queer viewers, her disappearance hits particularly hard, serving as a reminder of how LGBTQ+ individuals are too often rendered invisible in mainstream narratives.
As the docuseries continues to trend on Netflix, true crime fans, queer audiences, and justice-seekers alike are once again being drawn into the mystery. Whether this renewed attention will generate new leads remains to be seen. But for now, Amy Bradley Is Missing is a poignant and necessary reminder that her story isn’t over—and that someone, somewhere, knows what happened.
The series is currently streaming on Netflix.
