True Crime with Kendall Rae - The Largest Manhunt in Chicago History at the Time & Still No Answers – The Bradley Sisters

Episode Date: February 21, 2023

On July 6, 2001, 10-year-old Tionda Bradley and her 3-year-old sister Diamond Bradley disappeared from their Chicago home. After 20 years, the family is still looking for answers… and their missing girls. Donate to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: https://give.missingkids.org/campaign...  If you know anything about the abduction of these girls, please call the Chicago Police Department: [phone] or the FBI Illinois Field Office: [phone] Kim Foxx is the first African American woman to lead the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office – the second largest prosecutor’s office in the country. The Bradley family is seeking her help to help reignite the investigation into the disappearance of Tionda and Diamond.  Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimfoxx?lang=en Email: [e-mail] Shop my charity merch! https://milehighermerch.com/  All profits from this charity merch will be donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: https://www.missingkids.org/  This episode is sponsored by: Béis Honey Check out Kendall's other podcasts: The Sesh & Mile Higher Follow Kendall! YouTube Twitter Instagram Facebook Mile Higher Zoo REQUESTS: General case suggestion form: https://bit.ly/32kwPly Form for people directly related/ close to the victim: https://bit.ly/3KqMZLj Discord: https://discord.com/invite/an4stY9BCN CONTACT: For Business Inquiries - [e-mail]

Good sleep leads to less stress and less stress leads to better sleep. Natural melatonin gummies help you fall asleep faster so you get a good night's sleep, which is one of the best ways to help with occasional stress. Put an end to the sleep stress cycle. Shop now at natroll.com. Natural melatonin helps with occasional sleep business. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose treat cure or prevent diseases.

Hello everyone and welcome back. Thank you for joining me today to discuss yet another case. And if you are new, then welcome. So today we have a very upsetting case to discuss. We're going to be talking about Diamond and Tiana Bradley, who have been missing for 22 years. They went missing when they were very young, 10 and three years old. So now they would both be adults. Tiana would be 32 and Diamond would be 25. This case actually did get a decent amount of attention when it first happened. However, it's obviously been a long time and it's possible you have heard of this case but haven't heard all of the details so I'm thankful today that I can share their story with you and fill you in on some of the very upsetting details of what happened to these two young

sisters. Obviously, the more people who know about this story, the more likely it is that it will reach someone who may have the answers that this family so desperately needs. And if you are already familiar with the case, you'll know how important it is that we continue to keep these girls in the spotlight and show this family all the support that they still need. Even after 22 years, this family has not given up, they're still hopeful that one day justice may be served or that they will at least get some answers. As you guys know, I believe it is our duty as true crime consumers to support families

as much as we possibly can. And I'm sure that this family will appreciate any support that you can offer, even if that's just watching this video or sharing it or continuing on to their Facebook page and offering them just words of encouragement. I know that goes a long way. I know this family is wanting as much coverage on the girl's case as possible and just knowing that people haven't forgotten about them, I think really fuels their mission. National Center for Missing the Exploited Children is also very involved in this case and so I just want to remind you guys of our Neck Met campaign which is now close to $180,000 raised.

Thank you so much everyone who has participated over the past year. If you would like to make a donation, I will have that linked below. So let's begin here by talking about Tiana. So Tiana Z Bradley was born on January 20th, 1991, to her mother Tracey. And she lived in the south side of Chicago with her mom and her older sister Rita. Tiana actually got her name from her auntie Faith, who said that their neighbor was named Tiana. And they absolutely loved the way it sounded, but she and Tracey wanted to make it uniquely their own, so they added a D to it. And that's how Tiana got her beautiful name and from the time that Tiana

Was born she loved the spotlight We've all been around a kid that loves attention loves to make other people smile and show off little skills that they've learned and Really just has that charismatic Vibrant contagious nature about them and that's exactly how Tiana was. She loved to dance, and she would pretty much dance for anyone no matter where they were. Her great aunt, Shalia, has said that Tiana was born to be an entertainer. Even if they were just out walking along a busy sidewalk,

Tiana was known for whipping out her dance moves no matter where or when it was. And she danced, and she ran her bike, but dancing wasn't her favorite hobby, you know? Yeah. She used to do a lot of stuff like she saw with them. Jim Math, did she all just come to first place? She loved double the, she loved dancing.

And she was just the outspoken one of the best. Even me, you know, I was the, we was a blade back there. And she just go out. She was a bit sassy. She was very smart, very quick-witted, but she also had a huge heart and really cared for the people close to her. So just one year after she was born, her mother gave birth to another daughter, named Victoria, and then seven years later she gave birth to Diamond.

So having two younger siblings was very exciting to her, and she also really became a responsible young girl. Tiana loved being a sister and she also didn't mind taking on some of the responsibility that came with that. Obviously, it's not uncommon for children with single working parents to pick up some of the extra slack and responsibility in the family, especially in the late 90s early 2000s. And this is exactly what Tiana had to do. Her mother Tracy obviously had to work to support herself and her four daughters. And even though they did live near a lot of family members who occasionally helped out with child care, it wasn't uncommon for Tiana to be

home alone with her sister Diamond, who was three at the time and Tiana was 10. And I already know that there will be people who have things to say about this, given the fact that Tiana was 10. And I already know that there will be people who have things to say about this, given the fact that Tiana was so young and looking after a three-year-old home alone. But obviously, these circumstances cannot be changed now. Everything is different in hindsight, and I don't think it's helpful to judge this family on actions from 20 plus years ago.

So it's wishful thinking it's the internet. I know people are gonna say what they're gonna say, but just keep in mind that the family can always read the comments. And if you were in their situation, would you want people adding to the judgment, adding to the stress, the guilt that you probably already feel? No, you wouldn't. I just don't think it's appropriate to judge. It's unnecessary. And frankly, it's just rude. So just be kind in the comments, please. Hindsight can be a very tricky thing.

Obviously Tracy would probably do things differently if she knew how things would unfold for their family. However, all we can do in these situations is listen and learn and make our own choices for our families. These days my life is so fast-paced between being a mom and working full-time. I need as many organization solutions as possible. And in the past year, I've been able to really get my life organized, I think. And one thing that has really helped me to do that, especially when it comes to my travel

organization, is base. Today's sponsor. For example, with my Weekender bag from base, gone are the days of having to sacrifice style for function. I can keep track of all of my things, hello, key leash and laptop sleeve, while also dressing to impress everywhere that I go. If you've never heard of base, you are missing out friends.

Base was created by actress Shay Mitchell to make sleek and affordable bags, luggage, and accessories designed to help you travel effortlessly while still looking fashionable. Now, I have been a base customer far before they started sponsoring my show, and I can't even tell you how much I love everything that I have gotten from base. I have their diaper bag, their bottle cooler, I have a suitcase, I have the wikinder bag, of course, and there are still many base items on my wish list. When it comes to traveling, base has seriously thought of everything you could ever want in a piece of luggage. 360-degree gliding wheels, a cushioned handle, built-in weight indicator, which is awesome, washable bags for

your dirty clothes, and all the interior pockets you could possibly need to keep organized. Their luggage comes in multiple sizes and colors, and for shorter trips, the WKNR bag, like I mentioned, is super functional and even has a place to store your shoes separately, which is genius. And every piece is made to look better with miles so you don't have to worry about it being in cargo or overhead. And the reviews speak for themselves. Base has over 30,000 five star reviews.

Whether you're packing for a quick trip or looking to breeze through the security line, base has your personal items covered. And right now, Base is offering my listeners 15% off your first purchase by going to base travel.com slash Kendall Ray. That's base travel.com slash Kendall Ray for 15% off your first purchase. That's base spelled at B-E-I-S. Travel. .com slash Kendall Ray. But anyway, let's talk about Tiana's younger sister, Diamond.

Diamond, Yvette. She was born on November 25th, 1997, and like her older sisters, she spent her few short years living in the Bronzeville neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. Now unlike Tiana, who is very outgoing, Diamond was a bit more reserved. Obviously, she was only three when all this happened, so it's hard to get a gauge on her personality fully, but her family said that she was a lot more laid back and would often shy away from people that she didn't know.

But she had always been very loving to her family, especially her big sister, Tiana, who absolutely loved being a big sister to Diamond. She would carry her around on her hip. She loved to take care of her and had like some motherly instincts going on from a young age. Just like Tiana, Diamond is absolutely adorable. She had the sweetest little smile and I can only imagine how much joy she brought her family in the short time that she was with them.

And from everything I've read, Tiana, Diamond, Rita, and Victoria were very happy children and loved their family. Family was very important to the Bradley's. And like I mentioned earlier, everyone would help out whenever they could. And on July 6th, 2001, it was one of those days where the Bradley family was leaning on each other for help. Rita and Victoria had actually spent the night with their grandmother, Martha Torres,

and Tiana and Diamond slept with their mother at Lake Grove Village Apartments in Brunsville. Tracy was working at the time at Robert Taylor Park, where she helped make lunches for kids enrolled in the summer camp. This job did require that she get an early start in the morning and that wasn't really a problem for her. Tiana was familiar with her mom's work routine

and she knew that it was her responsibility to look after Diamond while her mother was at work. And even though she was only 10 years old, she was very responsible and aware of the rules that her mother had said, particularly, she was aware that her mom said absolutely under any circumstances you are not to leave the house.

And you were not allowed to open the door for anyone either. Tiana understood what stranger danger was, she understood the importance of staying in the apartment and how following the rules from other set was absolutely vital to keeping her and her baby sister protected. So knowing that and knowing how aware Tiana was of the rules her mother had set makes what happened that morning even more confusing. So that morning around 4.30am, Tracy's on and off again boyfriend named George Washington came and spent time with her before she went to work. So he was there for about an hour and a half and then he takes her to work around 6am at Robert Taylor Park.

And once she was at work, Tracy figured that her kids would have a pretty typical day. They would stay home and play games, sit on the couch, flip through the TV, all usual things for young children to do in the very early 2000s. But then she tried calling them three times between eight and nine a.m. And she could not get an answer.

And so she couldn't help but wonder what they were doing. From what I can tell, she wasn't immediately concerned because it was still early and she figured maybe they had went back to sleep. I've read a lot in online forums like Reddit that people are upset with Tracy for not immediately leaving work and going home to check on them.

And again, hindsight is 2020. I'm sure if she knew for certain that something was wrong, she would have dropped everything and gone home to them. But like I said, she called them three times and they didn't answer. And phone records also indicate that a few other numbers attempted to call their apartment that morning, most of which went unanswered, except for two calls that appear to be hang-ups. And I am a little confused about what exactly that means. Everything that I have read just says hang-up calls. And I don't know if that meant

that the person who called hung up or if someone picked up the phone in the apartment and then immediately hung it up. I'm just guessing here, but I'm leaning towards this meaning that the caller did hang up before someone had the chance to answer, but I just wanted to mention these

even though there's not much that we know about it. So sometime between 11 and 11, 30, Tracy gets back from work. Now the next detail is also a bit confusing. It has been reported in some places that Tracy gets home from work at 11am. Some sources say 1130. So I haven't been able to figure out exactly when she arrived home, but between 11 and 1130 her shift ends and she is back at the apartment. And what's really confusing here and very important to note is that some sources say that she arrived home with her boyfriend George Washington, and some sources say that he wasn't with her. And it's conflicting information like this that

has made this case not only hard to cover, but also hard to solve. But regardless of what time exactly she got home and who was or wasn't with her, one thing is for sure. Tiana and Diamond Bradley were nowhere to be seen. Tracey and possibly George look around the apartment hoping to find the girls But it becomes clear very quickly that they are gone But they did find a note and they found this note bundled up in a bunch of clothing, and it was presumably written by Tionda, and it said that she and Diamond left to go to a nearby store called Jewels, and then afterwards they would go play at the school playground. And the playground that she is most likely referencing is the Do Little Elementary playground, where Tionda was signed up for summer classes, however she wasn't an attendance

on that day. Now, seeing this note, Tracy immediately felt like something was off with it. First of all, Tiana would have never written a note. She would have called her mom and let her know where they were going. That was very clear in her rules. And not only that, Tiana would have never just left the apartment in the first place. A note said they had gone to the store in the park, but the family says the note seemed off. Well, for one, Tanda would not have written a note. Tanda would have called her mom cell phone.

After finding the note, Tracy's next move was to go and talk to some neighbors and see if anyone had seen them. And when no one had seen them, she starts calling friends and family. But nobody has seen them. And it becomes very clear that the girls are missing and so their family jumps into action and starts searching for them. They search the neighborhood, they search that jewels store, anywhere else that they thought the girls may have gone, the school park. My cousins and I saw my auntie April as I was walking and she was like, have you seen

Tiana and Dam and I'm like, no. So she walked the car straight and got on the bus on her way to 35 and like five hours later a police car came and picked me up with my unceased faith in the car. I just remember my mom coming to pick me up and she told me like, how you seeing Tiana? I'm like, no she like Tiana here wasn't no. When I got there I seemed to know and I was like maybe they just like went to the park for some of these, when I come back, but like they never came back.

So the Bradley family searched for almost seven hours that afternoon, and they really focused their efforts in the neighborhood and the area of the school. But there is no sign of the girls anywhere. And something I want to note is, even though dozens of family and friends were helping Tracy search for the girls, one person was not, and that is George Washington, her. On and off again, boyfriend,

who may or may not have been with her when she got back to the apartment, he did not participate in the search at all. Instead, and I can't confirm this, but it's been said that he was off with another girlfriend. And Tracy and George definitely had a pretty toxic relationship, so this is not totally surprising, but given the circumstances, to me, with another girlfriend. And Tracy and George definitely had a pretty toxic relationships.

This is not totally surprising, but given the circumstances, to me this is very weird. Why would he not want to help find the girls? And the police wondered the same thing, which I will get into here shortly. So the police weren't actually notified that the girls were missing until 7 p.m. that day when Tracy called and reported them missing.

And again, this is something that Tracy has gotten a lot of heat for. A lot of people have really scrutinized her decision to not report them missing until 7pm. The fact that she waited nearly eight hours to report her daughter's missing has definitely rubbed people the wrong way. But since then she has come out and said that she was absolutely terrified when her daughter's went missing and her immediate thoughts weren't to go to the police, but instead to exhaust every possibility to find them on her own. Tracy has explained that she was very afraid that the police would call child protective services because she left a 10-year-old and a three-year-old at home alone, and she was

worried that maybe they would take her other two daughters. Also, we can't forget that there has always been a major lack of trust between the Black community and law enforcement. This is still very prominent today. You never really know how a certain department is going to react. So we have to remember that this is a historical issue and it definitely could have contributed to her hesitation to get law enforcement involved. Also, it's not like she waited an entire day to call them.

She and her family did do their best to go look for the girls themselves. And that evening, she called the Cook County Sheriff's Department to make the report. Diamond was just three

years old. Her sister, Tiana, 10, when they disappeared the morning of July 6, 2001. Their mother, Tracy Bradley told police she last saw the girls around 630 in

the morning when she left for work and returned around one to find a note. But luckily, once the police were notified, they did jump right into action. I mean, so many times, especially in older cases, we hear of police telling families that they need to wait at least 24 hours to even file a report sometimes longer. And this could have contributed to her waiting to call as well. And if you are a true crime consumer,

you know that the first 24 to 48 hours in a disappearance are absolutely crucial. But in this case, the Chicago police took this case extremely seriously and started a massive search effort. And if you've heard of this case before, you know that the search for Tionda and Diamond Bradley became the largest manhunt in Chicago's history at the time.

Today's episode is sponsored by Honey, the easy way to save when you're shopping on your iPhone or computer. You guys know that feeling when you get a deal on something. You feel smart, you feel lucky, you feel excited. But what about when you're surprised by a deal? A deal you didn't even know you were gonna get? That feels like you're getting a treat for free. Thanks to Honey, manually searching for coupon codes is a thing of the past and I am so glad because

the amount of time I used to waste looking for coupon codes would blow your mind. Honey is the free shopping tool that scours the internet for promo codes and applies the best one that it finds to your cart. Just imagine you're shopping on one of your favorite sites and when you click checkout, the honey button just appears and all you have to do is click Apply coupons. Then just wait a few seconds as honey searches for coupons it can find for that site. And if honey finds a working coupon, you'll just watch the price drop. And I love that I can shop right through the honey app on my phone. Just last night, I was shopping for some new makeup products and I used my honey app. It is so easy you

guys. I was able to save 10% of my purchase so over $10 which was not something that the website was advertising so I would have missed out on that without honey. And many people don't know that it doesn't just work on desk tops. It works on your iPhone too. Just activate it on Safari on your phone and save on the go. If you don't already have honey you could be straight up up missing out guys. And by getting it, you'll be doing yourself a solid and supporting this show. Get PayPal Honey for free at joinhoney.com slash kendalray. That's joinhoney.com slash kendalray. Just in the first few hours, they sent dozens of officers and two canine units out to search the bronzeville area. They searched dumpsters, yards, railways,

and countless vacant properties. They even went up and down the lake front hoping that there would be some sign of the girls. And as the days went on, the search efforts only continued to grow. Hundreds of officers were continuing to go door to door, asking people about the disappearance and even started air,

water, and horseback search efforts. Seeing they gone to play it in nearby school. Hello, ladies. Check it on the missing tools. We're getting an area. Their disappearance sparked

a massive search. Police department. Hundreds of Chicago police, federal law enforcement officers, and civilian volunteers spent days checking sewers, lagoons, abandoned

buildings, and factories. You hear a scene and you know, look here's my little thing. Can I units volunteers spent days checking sewers, lagoon, abandoned buildings and factories. You hear or see anything, you know, look here's my little. My blood canine units were also sent into the forest reserve, which was located only two miles from the apartment where the girls

were last seen and they did find a few items of clothing that were sent in for testing, although it's unclear if these items were ever confirmed to be evidence in this case and the police even got the FBI involved and they took on a very important role. So let's go back a little bit and talk more about the note, which, as I mentioned, her family does not think that Tiana would have written a note she would have called her mom.

And that's not the only weird thing about it. The Bradley family is convinced that this note was not written by Tiana, or at least not willingly. However, the FBI was able to confirm through handwriting analysis that Tiana was the person who wrote the note. But the Bradley family has noted several inconsistencies that make them believe that this note could be the work of their kidnapper,

or maybe she was forced to write it. The biggest thing that they have noticed is off is the actual wording itself. The spelling and grammar in the note was absolutely perfect, which is weird if a 10-year-old wrote it. And it doesn't match up with the way that Tiana spoke. And since the FBI did confirm that it was written by her, their family believes that she was forced to write the note

by a potential kidnapper. They think that it's possible that she was told what exactly to write and how to write it. And again that it's possible that she was told what exactly to write and how to write it. And again, it's just very, very weird that she would write a note and not call her mom. She absolutely would have called her mom if she wanted permission to leave the apartment. They have reiterated over and over that she knew better than to leave without getting a verbal confirmation that she could go. So writing a note was just completely out of character for her. And the suspicious communication doesn't end with the note. Tracey's sister, Faith, had once been

in charge of setting up the family's phone plan and voicemail. And so she asked Tracey if she thought to go and check her voicemail for a message from the girls and she said no. So Faith took upon herself to check for one just in case. And that's when she discovered a message from Tiana that stirred up even more questions. In the message to her mother, Tiana stated something to the effect of mom, mom. This is Tiana, answer the phone. George is at the door.

Can I open the door? He wants to come in and take us to get a birthday cake. And I know you're probably thinking, George, the George who had access to the apartment that morning, who didn't assist in the search, who had a toxic relationship with Tracy, and may or may not have come back with her to the apartment when the girls first were discovered

to be missing, well, not necessarily. Possibly, but there's also another George that lived in the apartment complex. And he wasn't a stranger to the Bradley's, and he had even babysat for the girls on occasion. And because of this, it's a possibility that Tiana was referring to that George. However, it's important to note

that this neighbor George had some nickname that he went by. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but they believe that if Tiana was referring to this George in the message that she would have called him by that nickname. You're also probably wondering if I can play this voicemail for you and I wish that I could. This is yet another piece of information

that has been reported in several different ways. I've read that the FBI has the voicemail and isn't releasing it. And I've also read that this voicemail was somehow deleted. And I'm not sure what actually happened. So that's just another very frustrating element to this case. So as the days started to pass and there was no sign of the girls and no solid clues, investigators did not give up. Dozens of people were interviewed including several members of the Bratley

family and they actually brought in over 100 sex offenders to be questioned. Interviewed nearly a hundred registered sex offenders living in the area. We cannot rule out anyone. And emotional pleas from the girl's mother. We must be as old as a mom. They need me. Tracy herself was also questioned heavily and she actually talked about this in a radio interview shortly after the girls disappeared and she said that she was questioned for 22

hours and that to her the experience felt like torture. But even with all the extensive questioning of many many people, there was nothing concrete to give the investigators an indication of where the girls might be, let alone who was responsible for taking them. So they looked over the information that they did have, especially the note in the voicemail, and George Washington kept coming up. Tracey's boyfriend, and they definitely wanted to look into him further. And after they did, they found out that Tracey and George had recently been arguing over the paternity of Diamond. George had always denied being the father of Diamond, however, a paternity test came back three weeks before she disappeared

and confirmed that he was in fact her father. Now, this alone doesn't necessarily make him look suspicious, however there were a few more details that investigators uncovered that made them want to look into him even further. It turns out that in the days leading up to their disappearance, George had been planning a camping trip for Tracy, Tiana, and Diamond. I wasn't able to figure out how involved Tracy was in this alleged camping trip, but I do know that she was aware that it was supposed to happen.

And what makes this so strange is that there was no indication that George was actually getting the things that they needed to go camping. He didn't buy any food, he didn't make any reservations at campsites, and he borrowed a small amount of equipment that wouldn't have been enough for the four of them. And so many people believe that this camping trip was a cover-up. It was a plan trip for these children to go on a

camping trip. That camping trip was all fraudulent. That camping trip never manifests. And another weird thing about this camping trip is that it was scheduled over Victoria's eighth birthday Yet she wasn't invited on the camping trip with her mom and two of her sisters And if we circle back to that voicemail, it seems more likely that George Washington the boyfriend would know that Victoria's birthday was coming up and less likely that George the neighbor would know that obviously I can't say for sure That's just speculation, but that did come to my mind when I read that. Next, on July 12, just six days after the girls

went missing a newspaper article was released that stated that George Washington's house had been searched. And this article notes that he was extremely cooperative and consented to the search without causing any issues. They didn't have a search warrant, and they weren't looking for anything specific, but George's cooperation allowed them to look regardless. And according to this specific article, police didn't find much. But a report from the Black and Missing Foundation says something pretty different.

According to their report, investigators did find a few interesting things in their search of his house. Receipts found by investigators shared that one day after the girls went missing, George purchased a package of 42 gallon contractor bags, gardening gloves, and a pair of neoprene gloves. And when his house was searched, investigators found that five of the 42 gallon contractor bags were missing from the pack.

Not only that, the gloves, the gardening gloves were nowhere to be seen. And this report says that a neighbor saw him burning something in a 55-gallon drum. However, the newspaper article that I was talking about contradicts this entirely, and says that a neighbor who was outside the entire evening saw no indication of a fire happening near George's house. And if you were starting to feel very frustrated by this case and all the inconsistencies you are not alone, it's very hard to tell what is true and what is not. And that's what makes cases like this just so irritating. I always try my best to bring you guys the facts in the cases that I share. And it just so happens that this one has an insane amount of conflicting information. Now, George Washington adamantly denies that any of the events that I just talked about

actually happened. However, there is one thing that we know for certain, and that is that there were hairs found in the back of his car. Specifically, they were found on a blanket in his trunk. This blanket was processed, and it is believed that these hairs belong to Tionda. But George has an explanation for why they were there. He claimed that he had recently taken Tionda and diamond to a drive-in movie theater. And in order to get away with not paying for their movie tickets, he asked the girls to

hide in his trunk while he drove in. Investigators did find evidence, including a hair matching Tionda's in the trunk of a car, but nothing conclusive enough to make an arrest. Now to me, this is a very strange and big piece of information that I feel should be talked about more. However, a few hairs being found is not enough to prove that he did something sinister. So that same black and missing foundation article that I brought up earlier also states that his phone records were

Analyze and it showed that starting at 4.30 a.m. on July 6th George made 40 calls over the span of 24 hours But there was a break in these calls between 7 and 9 a.m. Which is approximately the time that it's believed the girls were kidnapped. Cell records also indicate that his phone Panged off towers near the forest preserve area by the house, although that area had been previously searched. So George has remained a person of interest in their disappearance, but he has never been named a suspect. In fact, no one has been named officially a suspect in the disappearance of Tiana and Diamond Bradley. There was a couple of people we were focused on in my part of the investigation. Well, unfortunately we were never able to make anything stick. Anything that we could go to

a state's attorney's way, we just were never able to do it. Like I said at the beginning of this, it has now been 22 years since the girls went missing. Tiana would be 32 years old and Diamond would be 25. And obviously with a lack of information, there's going to be a lot of speculation from people. And there have definitely been some people who have looked at Tracy's behavior in the early weeks, as suspicious as well. For example, two weeks after the girls went missing, there was a nearby store that captured surveillance footage of two girls walking by. And they matched the description of Teanda and Diamond.

This footage is not available for me to show you, but it was sent to the FBI, and they weren't able to confirm whether the girls were in the video or not. So they ended up bringing still images from the footage to Tracy's apartment, hoping that she could help identify them. But she refused to even view the images and wouldn't even let investigators in. People have definitely been suspicious of that, but we don't know what her reasoning for that was, and she did have a change of heart.

It's been reported that she did eventually schedule a time to go and review the video herself. However, I was not able to confirm whether or not she thought that the girls were her daughters. Tracy's behavior to the police also wasn't the most cooperative. However, she's been very vocal over the years saying that she felt like she was being treated as a suspect and that affected the way she behaved. Also, she and George both took polygraph tests and even though these are not reliable and can't even be used in court, they can be helpful in small ways sometimes. Now, Tr Past, however, George's test came back inconclusive. So, of course, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

was very involved in this case from the beginning. They developed several age-progressed photos of the girls to show what they may look like over the years. And, as always, their commitment to being involved in active cases has been really commendable. involved in active cases has been really commendable. This summer, FIXU Energy is back, the ultimate summer path, starting 50% off energy charges all summer. Everybody's on, for automatic energy savings. Plus free energy on the hottest day.

Don't you see? Three days are now the coolest day. In this summer's hottest blood flow, sir. Guaranteed to keep you cool. The savings are coming from inside the house. Open this summer path, energy savings and results so cool. Yes, you energy, energy for everything.

Captain Banner now to learn more. From joyful occasions to the unexpected, first Franklin financial makes loans for living, offering fixed rates and flexible terms on loans up to $15,000. The next time you're looking for some extra cash to help make ends meet, come see the friendly Franklin folks, or visit us at 1ffc.com to learn more. All loan terms and APRs depend on meeting are underwriting an income criteria and may require collateral.

First, Franklin Financial Corporation is licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission CFI-215, Georgia Residential Mortgage Licency 5656, and the MLSN of the 141654, not available in North Carolina. For 21 long years, faith Bradley Cathery has been on a mission, trying to find her two missing nieces, Tiana and Diamond Bradley. I try to share the pictures. I talk about them a lot. two missing nieces, Tiana and Diamond Bradley. I try to share the pictures. I talk about them a lot. You know, Instagram, whatever social site.

I try to share the pictures. Faith works diligently on social media every day, searching for answers. Faith was especially close to Tiana. She was like my baby for real. She was just sad. Don't have no leads, anything. I have two kids who just disappear like that.

It's just so sad it's man-bothered, you know. It happened July 6, 2001. Tiana and Diamond were home alone while their mother was at work when she returned. Both girls were gone. The investigation into the girl's disappearance was intense from the beginning. Search teams honed in on hundreds of abandoned buildings.

Police interviewed countless people, but nobody had any answers. It seemed as if the girls had simply vanished. What happened to that day is still a mystery. Thousands of leads turned up nothing. Just so sad. It's too kids to come up missing. They don't know what they're wearing about. I mean, I knew I wish I had the answers to it.

And I just know. These images put together by forensic artists at the National Center may hold the key to finding the girls today. This is what Tiana may look like now at age 32 in Diamond now at age 25. We'll never be the same until a day they come back and be returned to our family. All of our hearts are always feel empty, always. And for us, Tiana and Diamond, the search, we're going to continue to search for you to the day I die. If you have any information about Tiana and Diamond,

please call 1-800-THE-LOST. As the years passed by, the Bradley family, the Chicago community, and the police have continued to hold out hope for these little girls. There have been a few alleged sightings of the girls over the years, but each time someone comes forward claiming to be one of them, the Bradley's are only ever let down. In 2004, there was a possible sighting of the girls at a Walmart in Indianapolis, and police actually received a handful of tips regarding this sighting.

However, it turns out it was not them. In 2008, there was a photo on my space that resembled the each progressed photo of Tiana, and this really excited their family. Tiana and Diamonds' great aunt Shalia Bradley Smith even hired a forensic artist to compare the photos and determine if it could be a match. And once again, it was determined that the identities did not match. Also, someone claiming to be a minister called the tip line and said that he had a vision that the girls were dumped in a body of water. And even though this isn't a reliable tip, the police still followed up on it. And as you probably guessed, nothing was found. Most recently, in 2019, there was a girl who came forward claiming to be Tanda. She actually responded to a Facebook post made by Shalia where she was asking the girls to come home,

and she commented on it and said we're trying. This got a lot of hopes up and it was thoroughly investigated and it turns out that this person was a fraud and I don't know what makes people do things like this to a grieving family. It is absolutely bizarre and

disgusting. Through the years, several people have come forward claiming to be the girls, including a Texas woman on Facebook in 2019, who began texting the family. They became suspicious when the text turned aggressive, and then the woman stopped responding. The FBI determined she wasn't Deanda. And the lockdown used to be just... down used to be just, it's still let down. It's always a let down. But despite every let down that

they've experienced, the Bradley family has never given up hope. Shalia in particular has been a monumental figure over the last two plus decades when it comes to advocating for justice. Way to limbo like this. Nobody said nothing. No, nobody

nobody's in jail, but the she really has been the family all these years and her life towards seeking abduction. In fact, in 2015 through Wisconsin to help a text alert saying that a young boy, Barway Collins, had gone missing in the area. And having experienced that pain and panic herself, she wanted to help. And she actually organized search parties the following

three weekends for this family. Sadly, it was quickly learned that Barway's father's phone had panged near the Mississippi River the same morning he was reported missing. So Shalia told many of the search parties to direct their attention in that area and sadly on April 11th she got the call saying that his remains had been found. And even though Barway was not found alive, this was an important discovery not only for his family but for Shalia, who never wants to see another family suffer with another unknown. Because of co this so much more difficult knowing. Even though stat

the Bradley family has h course until more is known certain. Well, everybody st still coping, you know, but people change over time. She's still pushing now, pointing to age progression images that give her a sense of what the girls would look like today. What I'm hoping is that over time, somebody will feel within their hearts to whatever information it is that they know, even if it's their family member, open your mouth.

She says that's the only way they will finally have some closure in a case that has haunted them for 20 years. See people don't think that it'll happen to them, but that's not forget we have a possible murderer slash kidnapper walking the street.

Is that okay Chicago? Shalia has really been the person to rally the community year after year so that these two little girls aren't forgotten. In fact, she has created two Facebook pages, which I encourage you to check out and follow, maybe leave some words of encouragement. One is called missing, diamond and teanda Bradley, and the other one is called help find teanda and diamond Bradley. And every single year on the anniversary of their disappearance, she and Tracy have coordinated

a vigil in their honor. Friends, family, and just members of the community have continued to gather in Chicago's south side to pray for answers and justice in this case. In July of 2020, during the 19 year anniversary, Shalia, Tracy, and the rest of their family made masks with the girls' faces on them. They continue to share flyers, posters, and post-social media so that the world will never forget what happened.

The 20-year anniversary of their disappearance was especially emotional. It took place at Robert Taylor Park where Tiana and Diamond would often go visit their grandmother and run around together. Dozens of close friends and family joined together to sing, pray, and celebrate the lives of these girls who they have never given up on. And during the 20 year anniversary vigil, Tracy told a reporter that she absolutely wants coverage on this case to continue.

And she and her family are hopeful that Cook County State Attorney Kim Fox will step in and help investigate. And so I figured since we've had a lot of success with that in the past, that maybe you guys can take some action here. I'm gonna leave Kim Fox's Twitter and her email below so that you can reach out and ask that she aids

in the search for Tionda and Diamond Bradley. This is an extra step that I really hope you'll take and it has made a significant difference in cases where we have asked for this in the past. So you never know fingers crossed. I think their ability to remain hopeful is absolutely

amazing, especially after all these years and their closeness as a family has seemed to really help them stay strong. You still hold out hope that somehow they may be out there alive. We still hold out. Yeah, I mean because you can't help but hold this

entire city is behind this family with these children. This entire city, it won't go. We won't go away quietly. You have people who want to kind of patch you on the shoulder and say, okay, brace yourself for the worst and all that. I'm not bracing myself for the worst. I'm

hopeful for the best. Bradley's have even hired a private investigator named Pete Foster to independently look into the worst, I'm hopeful for the best. Bradley's have even hired a private investigator named Pete Foster to independently look into the case, but there still are little answers to this day. He says that their family is just hoping for one small piece of information to come out and hopes that that will kick start the

investigation again. Pete Foster is a private investigator who's been working with the family since the girls first disappeared. They believe there are primary suspects, one possibly two family members who had access to the girls the day they vanished. What if they were your children or grand children? You you would have every inch of manpower on the street 24 seven. And I just want to note that while Shalia has

noted there's been a lot of support and love from her family, she has definitely been transparent about thinking that someone in their family or close to their family could possibly be involved. And ultimately, she does not believe that this is a case of stranger danger. Again, Tanda was a smart girl who followed the rules and they feel strongly that she would have only left the apartment that day if she was coerced to do so by someone that she already knew. Tracy's sister Faith says that whoever took the girls had to be familiar with their situation at home. They had to have known that Tracy would be at work and that the girls were home alone.

Like I keep saying, it has been 22 years that this family has gone without answers and I've heard them say that it feels like they're stuck in 2001, like they relive that day on July 6th over and over every day. And see what people don't realize is, it's been 21 years, but to us, we're stuck in 2001. The Chicago Police Department and the FBI has sorted through 824 tips in this case. And as far as we know, none have panned out,

but they have never turned their backs on these little girls. A special agent with the FBI has called this one of the longest continuous searches conducted nationwide, and it will remain that way until Tiana and Diamond are brought home, or their family gets the answers that they need. In order to solve this case, someone has to come forward. That's really where we're out with things. Like I said at the beginning, Tiana would be 32 years old today. She was last seen wearing green ponytail holders and had a scar from a burn on her left forearm. Diamond would be 25 years old today, and she was last seen wearing purple ponytail holders. She has a scar on the left side of her scalp and has deep set eyes.

If you know anything about the abduction of these girls, please call the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-5789 or the FBI Illinois Field Office at 312-421-6700. I so desperately wish there was more information that I could give you that's really about it. I feel so badly for this family. I don't know how you continue on life not knowing what happened to your loved one. That's just torture. Honestly, I don't know how it's to put it. I just can't imagine being in their shoes. You know, you know, the quiet moments I have, I just think about like how like what it being there will steal here with us. How they can eat with us. I

think about how my kids could grow with their aunties or if Tiana would add kids, our kids plan. I think about how we could be driving together, going out together, eating together, you know, like I say, only grow a little hurt. That's it. Not in growing my other sources.

And the hurt. It's so sad to thinking about the futures that these girls could have had and what they could be doing today. They'd still be, you know, they'd be adults, but they'd still be so young and just starting their lives and to think that that was all taken from them and this family just breaks my heart. That is going to be it for me today, guys.

Thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcast. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel, which will be linked, or you can just search Kendall Ray. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then, stay safe out there. From joyful occasions to the unexpected, first Franklin financial makes loans for living, offering fixed rates and flexible terms on loans up to $15,000. The next time you're looking for some extra cash to help make ends meet, come see the friendly

Franklin folks, or visit us at 1ffc.com to learn more. All loans in terms of APRs depend on meeting our underwriting and income criteria and may require collateral. First, Franklin Financial Corporation is licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission CFI-215, Georgia Residential Mortgage Licency 5656, MMLS, and the 14165, 4 not available in North Carolina. From joyful occasions to the unexpected, first, Franklin Financial makes loans for living, offering fixed rates and flexible terms on loans up to $15,000.

The next time you're looking for some extra cash to help make ends meet, come see the friendly Franklin folks, or visit us at 1ffc.com to learn more. All loans in terms of APRs depend on meeting our underwriting and income criteria and may require collateral. First, Franklin Financial Corporation is licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission CFI-215, Georgia Residential Mortgage Licency 5656, MMLS-NB141654, not available in North Carolina. licensed by the Virginia State Corporation Commission CFI-215, Georgia Residential

Mortgage Licency 5656, MMLS-N-B-141654, not available in North Carolina.