The director behind the recent Netflix documentary on Amy Bradley, who mysteriously disappeared from a Royal Caribbean cruise, shared the one aspect of the case that remains perplexing to him.
Amy Bradley, 23 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship in 1998. She was vacationing with her family—mother Iva, father Ron, and brother Brad—when she was last spotted on her cabin balcony in the early hours of March 24, 1998.
The new Netflix documentary, titled Amy Bradley is Missing, delves into the enigmatic case, exploring various conspiracy theories and witness accounts.
Despite extensive searches on the ship and at various ports, Amy was never located. In 2010, she was declared legally dead, though her family continues to hope she is still alive.
Brad, Amy’s brother, noted that while the three-part series covers many elements of her case, it does not provide a “full account” of the events over the past 27 years since Amy’s disappearance. Although some poignant details are omitted, the documentary presents some truly startling revelations.
Director Ari Mark spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the aspect of the case that left him bewildered.
Among the theories investigated in the documentary is the notion that Amy was trafficked into sex work in Curaçao, where the cruise ship made port shortly after her disappearance.
Seven years following Amy’s disappearance, a photograph surfaced on a Caribbean-based sex worker website depicting a woman with an uncanny resemblance to Amy.
In the documentary, Amy’s mother, Iva, recounts her reaction upon seeing the image: “All I could keep thinking is, ‘Is that my daughter?’ We all looked at it – the nose, the chin, the hair – it took my breath away.”
Forensic experts analyzed the image and suggested it could potentially be Amy, though not everyone agreed.
Discussing the skepticism surrounding the photograph, Mark told the publication: “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.”
The manner in which the photograph was taken also puzzled Mark.
The woman’s pose concealed Amy’s distinctive features, such as birthmarks and tattoos, including a Tasmanian Devil on her shoulder and a Gecko lizard on her navel.
“That part really made us scratch our heads, too,” Mark confessed.
He elaborated on how “seriously” the FBI took the photograph, noting, “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.”
Unfortunately, the FBI was unable to trace the website’s IP address and could not determine the location where the photographs were taken.
Mark remarked that, “from the FBI standpoint, they’ve exhausted everything.”
For Amy’s family, the prolonged wait for any news of their daughter’s whereabouts continues.
Amy Bradley is Missing is now available to stream on Netflix.