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Twenty-two years after 3-year-old Diamond Bradley went missing alongside her 10-year-old sister Tionda on July 6, 2001, a Houston-based woman has now come forward claiming she is Diamond. As of 2023, Diamond Bradley would be 25 years old.
Based on the investigation conducted by the FBI, the left side of the 3-year-old's scalp had a scar. The woman claiming to be Diamond also has a scar on her face. The woman has reportedly submitted cheek swabs and fingerprints to the FBI for a DNA test.
A TikTok video has gone viral on different platforms where the woman claiming to be Diamond looks at the pictures of the missing girls with a Harris County Constable's car standing near them. The individual recording the video requests the woman to show the scar, and the woman claims that the scar still exists.
FBI records from the time of the girls' disappearance state that Diamond Bradley had a medium complexion and wore her hair in braided ponytails. It also stated that she had purple ponytail holders in her hair alongside a scar on the left side of the scalp and deep-set eyes.
Diamond Bradley's great-aunt was contacted by the woman on Facebook
The woman claiming to be Diamond Bradley contacted her great-aunt, Sheliah Bradley-Smith, on Facebook. While speaking to ABC7, Bradley-Smith stated that she received several calls from a woman residing in Harris County, Texas. Sheliah added:
"She pretty much said that she remembered being in a car and being around Tionda for a while, but then she said she was taken away and never saw her again."
Bradley-Smith also asked the woman to speak to the cops as she was not ready to be a part of a scam. She has been operating several Facebook pages that aim to search for Diamond and Tionda.
While Bradley-Smith confirmed that DNA samples had been taken from the woman, she also expressed gratitude to all those who have contacted her regarding the TikTok video. Stating that she knows everything about the video, Bradley-Smith added:
"Due to the sensitivity of the matter, please allow time for the DNA results to be completed. Continue praying and hoping for the best."
In an interview with CBS 2, Sheliah Bradley-Smith said over the years, around 12 people have claimed that they are Diamond Bradley and Tionda Bradley. However, according to Sheliah, the woman from Houston has done something which never happened in 22 years.
Bradley-Smith said that she never saw anyone so eager to break the doors of the FBI to prove her identity. According to Chicago Sun Times, the woman "spent two hours at a police station and later went to the FBI to get DNA testing done."
Bradley-Smith said:
“I’m shocked she stepped up and took the initiative to go to the FBI.”
Another woman claimed in 2019 that she is Tionda Bradley
In 2019, when Bradley's family was still searching for both girls, they found a new hope for a short time when a woman named LayLay Rodriguez claimed she was Tionda Bradley.
LayLay was also from Texas. The family shared a Facebook post, saying that the information provided on social media about the woman claiming to be Tionda was false. They added:
"We hope that all will continue to provide any tips as to be whereabouts of Diamond and Tionda Bradley. We thank you the Community, the Law Enforcement Community, the News that covered this heartbreaking hoax. We further thank the Private Investigator and all tips that were provided to expose those responsible for this cruel and evil act."
Diamond Bradley and Tionda Bradley went missing in 2001 from their South Side apartment when the girls' mother, Tracey, was not at home. While the case has been under investigation, no leads have been found in the last 22 years. The sisters' mother returned home and discovered a note where it was written that the sisters were going to the store and the school playground.
According to Bradley-Smith, it seems strange that Tionda left a note since the spelling and punctuation were too advanced for someone who was still a kid.
