It’s been 20 years since Tionda and Diamond Yvette Bradley were reported missing to the Chicago Police Department, and law enforcement agencies are releasing new age progression photos in hopes of solving the long-standing mystery.
On July 6, 2001, Tionda, 10, and Diamond, 3, were reported missing to police. According to the girls’ mother, a note purportedly written by Tionda was found, which stated that the girls were going to the store and to the playground.
The girls never returned, and exhaustive searches turned up nothing.
On Tuesday, family and friends gathered for a vigil near the apartment where the girls were last seen.
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“We have to keep them in the public eye, in the news, and hope it breaks through,” Tracey Bradley, the girls’ mother, said.
According to law enforcement, the girls’ family have expressed doubts that the note was actually written by Tionda, saying that the grammar and spelling seemed “too advanced” for her age. The family says that the girl may have been coerced into writing the note on the day of their disappearance.
On Tuesday, the 20th anniversary of the girls’ disappearance, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released new age-progression images to show what the girls may look like now.
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Shelia Bradley-Smith, the girls’ great aunt, believes that someone who knew the girls took them.
“They did not just vanish. It’s time to break the silence. Speak up,” she said.
The family is now calling on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to reopen the case in an effort to turn up new clues and new leads.
“Start from the beginning and work through to the end,” Bradley-Smith said.
Anyone with information on the girls’ disappearance is urged to call Chicago police, the FBI’s Illinois division at 312-421-6700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
