During the height of true crime podcasts, there was one case that both intrigued and alarmed me — the disappearance of Amy Bradley, a woman from Petersberg, Virginia, who has been missing for over two decades.

In March 1998, 23-year-old Amy joined her family on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The ship, the MS Rhapsody of the Seas, departed from San Juan in Puerto Rico, heading to Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, and St Thomas before returning to the port at San Juan.

On March 23, Amy and her brother Brad attended a party at the ship’s nightclub. Around 3am, they returned to their cabin, but Amy chose to step out onto the balcony to enjoy the fresh sea air.

Amy Bradley remains missing. (Image: Netflix)

She was never seen again. Although she was declared dead in absentia by American authorities in 2010, the enigma of her disappearance continues to haunt her family.

Recently, a Netflix documentary titled Amy Is Missing debuted on the streaming service, featuring new interviews and previously unseen information.

The documentary has rekindled interest in the case, with the Bradley family hopeful that new details about her fate or whereabouts might emerge.

“For 27 years, my family has searched for Amy. We will not stop,” wrote Brad on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The Netflix docuseries Amy Bradley is Missing is shedding light on her story, and we need your assistance to follow leads and find answers.”

Amy with her brother Brad. (Image: Netflix)

What happened to Amy Bradley?

Tragically, no one knows for certain.

The Amy Is Bradley Is Missing documentary series delves into firsthand accounts and evidence regarding what transpired on the cruise, alongside the investigations that have followed.

The Royal Caribbean ship. (Image: Netflix)

Why has it captivated the internet for so long?

While many suspect that Amy Bradley is deceased, her body or remains have never been discovered. Consequently, her family continues to hope that she is alive.

Since her disappearance, people have reported sightings of her in various locations in Curaçao, the Caribbean island near where Amy vanished. With the surge in true crime interest in the early 2010s, her case appeared frequently in podcasts, YouTube videos, and true crime Reddit threads.

For 27 years, my family has searched for Amy. We will not stop. The Netflix docuseries “Amy Bradley Is Missing” is shining a light on her story and we need your help to follow leads and find answers. Please consider donating and sharing. ❤️https://t.co/1NNA7O1WXf

— Brad Bradley (@BradRad5Bradley) July 20, 2025

A sighting by David Carmichael, 1998

In 1998, a Canadian tourist named David Carmichael claimed to have seen Amy in Curaçao walking along a beach with two men. He noted Amy’s distinctive tattoos and claimed she was about to speak to him until the men “motioned” her away after noticing his gaze.

“If he hadn’t stared at me, I would have forgotten everything, but I can’t,” Carmichael said.

“I think about this every day. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t.”

David later identified one of these men as a person of interest named Alistair ‘Yellow’ Douglas. More on him shortly.

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A sighting by Bill Hefner, 1999

In 1999, a US Navy Officer named Bill Hefner reported seeing a woman resembling Amy in a brothel in Curaçao. She identified herself and said she was being held against her will.

“She told me she got off that ship and left on her own, because she was going to score drugs,” he said in the Netflix documentary.

“She said, ‘Well, my brother and I were partying, and I went ashore to get drugs, and now I’m stuck here with these guys’.”

Hefner stated he wasn’t aware she was missing until years later.

Bill Hefner didn’t realise how crucial this tip would be to the Bradley family. (Image: Netflix)

An anonymous tip-off, 2005

In 2005, the Bradley family received an anonymous tip-off featuring photos of a woman named Jas, who was claimed to be Amy. The images originated from an adult website in the Caribbean showcasing sex workers for hire.

“Seeing the photos was horrifying,” Amy’s mother Iva said in the documentary series.

“A level of panic. All I could think was, ‘Is that my daughter?’ We all examined it — the nose, the chin, and the hair — it took my breath away.”

While FBI agents analyzed the photos and believed they depicted Amy, they were unable to trace the website’s IP address.

Amy’s heartbroken mother Iva. (Image: Netflix)

What theories do people have about Amy Bradley’s disappearance?

Speculations about what happened to Amy Bradley have circulated for decades. Here are the prominent theories.

She fell or jumped overboard

One leading theory about Amy Bradley’s disappearance is that she either fell or jumped overboard. The last sighting of Amy was on the balcony of her family’s shared cabin.

Her shoes were found neatly placed on the balcony, while police noticed the table had been moved from its original position. However, Amy’s family doesn’t believe she jumped.

Amy’s family has never given up hope of finding her one day. (Image: Netflix)

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Alister ‘Yellow’ Douglas

When Amy was at the nightclub with her brother Brad, she was seen on camera dancing with a man named Alister ‘Yellow’ Douglas. He played bass in a band aboard the ship.

As one of the last people to see Amy alive, he became a prime suspect. Although he denied any involvement, Yellow was investigated by police and took a polygraph test, but the results were inconclusive.

Despite his claims of innocence, his daughter Amica Douglas remains skeptical and confronted him about the case during the documentary.

From a glance at Brad’s X account, he seems to believe Yellow had some involvement in Amy’s disappearance.

Alistair ‘Yellow’ Douglas performing on the ship. (Image: Netflix)

She was taken against her will and trafficked

Thanks to the eyewitness reports over the years and the photos sent to the family in 2005, many believe that Amy’s disappearance resulted from sex or drug trafficking.

So, what now?

Amy’s case has circulated among true crime enthusiasts on the internet for years, but her family hopes the Netflix documentary will shed new light on her whereabouts.

You can watch Amy Bradley Is Missing on Netflix.