The disappearance and death of Laura Bradbury

[Fletch]

I'm not sure if her case was ever profiled on UM, but I was wondering if anyone had any details about her disappearance and death.

She disappeared from Joshua Tree National Park in CA in 1983. I believe she was only 4 years old. A strange man was seen in the area before she disappeared, and there was a description of a van that he may have been driving.

In 1986, some bones were found near the area she disappeared, and in 1990 they were positively ID'd as the remains of Laura Bradbury.

I am pretty sure her case is still classified as "unexplained." I am having trouble locating any info on this case on the 'net....so if anyone here can help me out, that would be great.

[Kane]

That case doesn't sound familiar, although UM did, in fact, do a story about a four-year-old girl who disappeared from a park in 1983. But that was the case of Nyleen Kay Marshall, who vanished from a Montana park that year, and who is missing to this day.

[JohnMill]

The Marshall case still gives me the creeps whenever I think about it.

[Fletch]

Yeah, I've been reading a lot about Nyleen Kay Marshall the past few days. Hopefully she is alive like the authorities think she is. I just hope one day she realizes who she is and is reunited with her family. That would be quite an incredible story.

[Mijada]

I don't believe UM ever profiled Laura Bradbury but I do recall her being mentioned on one of those missing children specials in the mid 80's. I never knew they found her dead though. :(

[icomeinpeace]

Laura Bradbury was actor Ricky Schroder's cousin or something. I remember watching a TV special in the 80s with him talking about the missing girl. I may be thinking of another case, but I think her remains were found and someone was charged with her murder.

[ddelta]

Oh my gosh...i think this is the case i mentioned awhile back on that thread (i'll bump it up) abotu some 80s special about missing kids with meridith baxter. I remember this girl being missing and then they had a possible connection case of another little boy going missing that might be linked to her case and then an older guy who was investigating the case mysteriously disappeared.....I remember it being in early 80's in a california park and he being with her family. I don't remember anything about Ricky Schroeder though.

[icomeinpeace]

If I recall correctly, Laura Bradbury was camping with her family and they think she wandered away, possibly walking right past them, hidden by the tall grasses. Wasn't she wearing a tutu or other dancing-type of outfit? It's been a long time since I've seen that show, but I remember Ricky Schroder was involved as a relative of a missing girl.

Later they determined Laura had been abducted, and then I think it was much later that her remains were found. Joshua Tree Park was the name of the camping area.

[Rhapsody]

I am amazed to find that conversations about Laura have continued. I began this search for information regarding Laura today when on my way home, Ambers Law had a search for a child, It took me back to when I was a child and a playmate of mine, Laura Bradbury went missing. For years I would think of her at night, when I had my own children, I found myself fearing the idea that they might be abducted, (they still do not get to go to the bathroom with out an adult). In searching today, I think that I was wanting to find something about her, I realize that though I was a young child at the time, only a little older than Laura, the helplessness that I felt never went away. Although I have often asked my family if there was ever a resolve, no one seemed to know. So here I am, this is the most that I could find after hours today on the computer. Nothing more than what I have been told for years. No absolute resolve. Only speculated. I would like to think that this is not a "cold case", and if anyone knows of resolve, Id like to know. Thank you. October 18th 1984 Joshua Tree CA.

[taximomg]

I'd like to know also..For some reason, this case has haunted me, and yes, she was related to Ricky Schroeder.

[ddelta]

You know it would seem kind of strange if they think she was abducted but yet her bones were found close to where they found her. I remember reading a website on some search and rescue team who were sent out to look for her and there are apparently a lot of kids who have wondered off that they found. Seems to me a more likely explanation. Watching that show in the 80s you could see how desolate it was and how easy it could be for a young child to wander off and then get lose.

[Awsi Dooger]

You know it would seem kind of strange if they think she was abducted but yet her bones were found close to where they found her. I remember reading a website on some search and rescue team who were sent out to look for her and there are apparently a lot of kids who have wondered off that they found. Seems to me a more likely explanation. Watching that show in the 80s you could see how desolate it was and how easy it could be for a young child to wander off and then get lose.

I agree. It happens all the time. Even seemingly the most thorough searches can miss areas. Chandra Levy's remains , for instance, were obviously in Rock Creek Park the entire time, even though that was an incredibly high profile case and produced extensive searching. There is at least one UM case like this, the three Indian-ancestry, or similar, young people who mistakenly drove off the road and into a ditch covered by shallow water. The local authorities insisted the ditch was thoroughly searched, but then the bodies turned up in the same place once the area dried up, in the same clothing and apparently undisturbed from the day they vanished.

[ddelta]

I agree. It happens all the time. Even seemingly the most thorough searches can miss areas. Chandra Levy's remains , for instance, were obviously in Rock Creek Park the entire time, even though that was an incredibly high profile case and produced extensive searching. There is at least one UM case like this, the three Indian-ancestry, or similar, young people who mistakenly drove off the road and into a ditch covered by shallow water. The local authorities insisted the ditch was thoroughly searched, but then the bodies turned up in the same place once the area dried up, in the same clothing and apparently undisturbed from the day they vanished.

Yes that one while interesting for UM purposes thought was bogus. I like the fact when he said the two people were in different deterioration stages....however anyone who watches those medical detectives type shows know that every body will deteriorate differently due to their body composition and the elements.

What i didn't get about that episode was who pulled the girl out of the car and why did she not come back for her cousin. They must of both been alive for a few mintues after the crash.

[Kellysocal]

Hi all,

The Laura Bradbury case has never been solved.

Laura went missing in the Indian Cove area of Joshua Tree National Park in October 1984, a few months before I moved to the area. She was 3 years old.

A skullcap and some other scattered bones (very few) were found by a Marine and his wife who were taking a walk in the area a couple of years later and they were identified as being Laura's, but investigators had very, very little to go on.

There was a lot of speculation that her family might have done it and there was the mysterious man in a white van seen leaving the area around the time Laura disappeared, but the sheriff's department never did gather enough evidence to charge anyone in the case. Most of the officials who investigated are retired now and many of them are dead.

I suspect this case will forever remain a mystery until someone comes forward with an admission of guilt.

~KellyO

[cford]

Kellysocal,

Do you know if this case was investigated by San Bernardino Sheriff's office or the Riverside County Sheriff's office?

[baby_girl741121]

I too have also wondered if they ever found who or what happened to Laura Bradbury. I grew up in Yucca Valley California and didnt leave there until I was 25. I was 10 years old when that kidnapping took place and there has always been rumors about where here bones were found. Where were they found?

[ajoelane333]

Kellysocal,

Do you know if this case was investigated by San Bernardino Sheriff's office or the Riverside County Sheriff's office?
there were several countys involved in the search including riverside and san bernardino

[Ireneparalegal]

I find it very eerie that several FIRST TIME POSTERS are posting on this topic and this topic only. Hmmmmm........could I be onto something here? A clue...

[agate]

I have tried to find more info on this case for years...There was a neighbor of mine who fit the description of the man in the van, who we found out years later was a child molester. He committed suicide several months after Laura disappeared. His grandaughter said that he would disappear for days and they never knew where he had been. His van was brand new when he returned from one of his "trips" at the time that Laura went missing, however it was blue, not white. He shot himself in the head with a rifle in the back of his van at John Wayne Airport. If it was him I believe that his family knew, as his daughter had a nervous breakdown after he returned from that trip, and that is when his grandaughter, then 8, shared the story with our family that her Grandad was not a nice person and would disappear for days at a time and it made her mother worry. I would love to know if this case was ever solved, and if it is still considered a possible murder case after the study of her bones...

[Joyce512]

Hello,
I found a copper bracelt with Laura Bradbury's picture, DOB and date missing from KMIA. I've been trying to find out if she was found, dead or alive and I guess these posts tell me that. I am sorry you have suffered so much through the years. Joyce512

[Laurasdad]

To answer all your questions about my daughters disappearance, I still have no definitive answers. Laura disappeared from our campsite around 5pm on Oct. 18 1984, after walking to the portable toilets with my son. She started back to camp, only 75 feet or so, by herself, and we never saw her again. There was a strange man there in a blue van, seen watching her and us, but he was never identified. Under hypnosis I even recalled details about him and his van, but he was never found. The partial skull cap found, was over a mile and a half away up in a canyon, a long ways from our campsite. It had been chewed on by coyotes, and was a very small piece of skull. A DNA test was run that supposedly proved it was Lauras, but, we were never convinced of it. Meanwhile, other law enforcement agencies were reporting individuals who had seen her alive, as recently as 1991 in Arizona where she was supposedly taken by kidnappers. We have never found out the true story, we have never experienced any closure on what happened to our little girl. I have my own theories based on information gathered right after Laura disappeared, but no real proof of who took her. And, yes, it still should be an open unsolved case.

[Ireneparalegal]

Again, I find it so weird that members who post here have only ONE POST and want to know things, yet don't return, and make such comments. Weird.

[nohwheregirl]

To answer all your questions about my daughters disappearance, I still have no definitive answers. Laura disappeared from our campsite around 5pm on Oct. 18 1984, after walking to the portable toilets with my son. She started back to camp, only 75 feet or so, by herself, and we never saw her again. There was a strange man there in a blue van, seen watching her and us, but he was never identified. Under hypnosis I even recalled details about him and his van, but he was never found. The partial skull cap found, was over a mile and a half away up in a canyon, a long ways from our campsite. It had been chewed on by coyotes, and was a very small piece of skull. A DNA test was run that supposedly proved it was Lauras, but, we were never convinced of it. Meanwhile, other law enforcement agencies were reporting individuals who had seen her alive, as recently as 1991 in Arizona where she was supposedly taken by kidnappers. We have never found out the true story, we have never experienced any closure on what happened to our little girl. I have my own theories based on information gathered right after Laura disappeared, but no real proof of who took her. And, yes, it still should be an open unsolved case.

Thank you for posting, Laura's Dad. I'm so sorry about your loss. I realize you don't have the kind of proof to back them up in a court of law, but would you be willing to share your theories here?

[nohwheregirl]

Again, I find it so weird that members who post here have only ONE POST and want to know things, yet don't return, and make such comments. Weird.

That's probably because this case was not on Unsolved Mysteries. People who get here via search engine are not looking for UM cases, they're looking for info on Laura.

[justins5256]

That's probably because this case was not on Unsolved Mysteries. People who get here via search engine are not looking for UM cases, they're looking for info on Laura.

I think you're right. In the past, some of these posters have turned out to be people who are involved with the case somehow, or simply have an interest in a specific case because it may have happened in their hometown or some such and are not necessarily UM fans. So it's understandable that they wouldn't want to hang around and converse with the rest of us about unrelated cases. Just my two cents.

[agate]

I am so grateful for your reply, so many people still care about the disappearance of Laura. I still feel that my former O.C. neighbor could have been involved. He seems to have fit the physical description, from what I remember, of the man in the van.
He was in his 50's at the time
Short, muscular, and pudgy round face
Balding to his ears
Wore reflecter type dark glasses

He went "missing" during the time of Laura's disappearance, returned in a new blue panel van, no plates. Some of the other coincidental happenings are posted from me on October 18th. And, sadly, we were to find out years later that he was a pediphile.
I don't know if any of this seems to fit, it has weighed on me for a long time, that he could have been involved..

Your family has been in our families prayers

[Fletch]

I am so grateful for your reply, so many people still care about the disappearance of Laura. I still feel that my former O.C. neighbor could have been involved. He seems to have fit the physical description, from what I remember, of the man in the van.
He was in his 50's at the time
Short, muscular, and pudgy round face
Balding to his ears
Wore reflecter type dark glasses

He went "missing" during the time of Laura's disappearance, returned in a new blue panel van, no plates. Some of the other coincidental happenings are posted from me on October 18th. And, sadly, we were to find out years later that he was a pediphile.
I don't know if any of this seems to fit, it has weighed on me for a long time, that he could have been involved..

Your family has been in our families prayers

I was 9, growing up in Mission Viejo when Laura disappeared....what part of OC are you referring to? Not much happens in suburbs like Mission Viejo but oddly enough the Night Stalker came all the way down there and murdered someone while we were living there. That was scary...

[agate]

South O.C. Coastal

[ddelta]

Again, I find it so weird that members who post here have only ONE POST and want to know things, yet don't return, and make such comments. Weird.

I actually wrote about Laura's case in a post a long time ago because i remembered this special that had Meridith Baxter-Berney on it. I remembered being really spooked out about it. When you search for Laura's name on the internet very little comes up about her. I think this site does and hence that is why i think a lot of people post on it as first time posters.

[ddelta]

To answer all your questions about my daughters disappearance, I still have no definitive answers. Laura disappeared from our campsite around 5pm on Oct. 18 1984, after walking to the portable toilets with my son. She started back to camp, only 75 feet or so, by herself, and we never saw her again. There was a strange man there in a blue van, seen watching her and us, but he was never identified. Under hypnosis I even recalled details about him and his van, but he was never found. The partial skull cap found, was over a mile and a half away up in a canyon, a long ways from our campsite. It had been chewed on by coyotes, and was a very small piece of skull. A DNA test was run that supposedly proved it was Lauras, but, we were never convinced of it. Meanwhile, other law enforcement agencies were reporting individuals who had seen her alive, as recently as 1991 in Arizona where she was supposedly taken by kidnappers. We have never found out the true story, we have never experienced any closure on what happened to our little girl. I have my own theories based on information gathered right after Laura disappeared, but no real proof of who took her. And, yes, it still should be an open unsolved case.

Thank you for updating us. My prayers are with you and your family.

I was wondering if you could clear something up for me...was your daughters case on a special that i have mentioned in this thread? And if so, was her case linked to another little boys disappearence and then a man who was investigating it? I remember this clearly and was hoping you could clear it up for us.

[Nick_at_nite]

Thank you for updating us. My prayers are with you and your family.

I was wondering if you could clear something up for me...was your daughters case on a special that i have mentioned in this thread? And if so, was her case linked to another little boys disappearence and then a man who was investigating it? I remember this clearly and was hoping you could clear it up for us.

I don't remember the names - but are you talking about the case where a 9 year old boy went camping with his family and disappeared and was linked to the case of a teenage girl who disappeared on her morning bike ride because a photo was found in a convenience store parking lot of a young boy and teenage girl bound and gagged?
If so, the boy's remains were later found in the woods. It is assumed he got lost and succumb to the elements.
The teenage girl was never found. I think the photo was a hoax.

[Fletch]

I don't remember the names - but are you talking about the case where a 9 year old boy went camping with his family and disappeared and was linked to the case of a teenage girl who disappeared on her morning bike ride because a photo was found in a convenience store parking lot of a young boy and teenage girl bound and gagged?
If so, the boy's remains were later found in the woods. It is assumed he got lost and succumb to the elements.
The teenage girl was never found. I think the photo was a hoax.

I believe you are referring to the case of Tara Calico.

[maplecraig]

A very good friend of mine told me in 1987 that he knew the people who killed Laura Bradbury. But, if he said anything, they would kill him. I always believed him, as he grew up in Yucca Valley during the early 80's. He was heavily involved with speed dealers who had hidden cooking facilities out in Yucca Valley. He is a celebrity in Hollywood now with a hit show on cable t.v.

It has nagged me for years that I haven't told authorities about this. I never wanted to be a snitch. What should I do?

[crystaldawn]

It has nagged me for years that I haven't told authorities about this. I never wanted to be a snitch. What should I do?

Very interesting. Laura's father posted on here not too long ago, you could tell him the info you know or if you'd rather, talk to the police. You would not have to give out your name of course. I'm sure they would appreciate any info you could give them and you could stay anonymous.

[hdgovroom]

I lived in Redlands, Ca. at the time of Laura's dissapearance. I was semi-watching the news (not really paying attention) when they showed a composite drawing of the suspect. I recognized the picture as a friend of my brothers. This was the first time I had ever connected him with the case or even thought of a connection. The news went on to describe a small, I believe green, truck with a camper shell, Not a van. The description EXACTLY fit my brothers friend's truck. The friend was at Joshua Tree campground that weekend, alone. I was told his sister, whom he lived with at the time, turned him in to Redlands police and he was questioned a few times but never charged. The van was the second vehicle I heard the news mention, but his was the first.
On several occasions I heard him tell different people his version of the events of that weekend. His story was NEVER the same. He left the Redlands area soon afterward and was gone for quite a few years. I now live in WA. While visiting Redlands a couple years ago I saw him, he was back. His story now was he was never in Joshua Tree. I KNOW better.
There are several other reasons but I believe with all my heart that man killed Laura.

[nohwheregirl]

Sorry first-time-posters, but I have to be highly skeptical of anyone who claims to know who killed Laura (or know somebody who definitely knows somebody) and has gone this long without reporting what they know to the authorities. Why now? Why in this forum? You can remain just as anonymous as an informant to the police.

[hdgovroom]

I don't blame you for being skeptical. I am ashamed of myself for waiting so long.
I knew this guy myself. He had a thing for little girls. I knew the circumstances firsthand, not heard them from someone else. I saw his face on the news and recognized it immediatly and I heard his stories from his own mouth, not heresay.
As for why this forum, when I typed in Lauras name this is the site it took me to and when I saw LAURASDAD on here I thought maybe someone would listen to me here. The police? They didn't pay attention the first time, why would they now?
Check into it. See if the Redlands, CA police ever questioned "Troy Higgens"... PLEASE!

[Laurasdad]

To those who have responded to my posting last month,thank you all for being so compassionate and concerned, that means a lot to us. Since my wife Patty died a few years ago, I am now unrestrained to talk freely about Laura's case. I seldom ever talked with her about Laura, as it brought back such sad and frightening memories for us both. The sudden disappearance of our 3 1/2 year old child is something you never get over.
As to the case. Yes, there were several "Missing Have You Seen this Person" specials done for tv by John Cosgrove. Yes, Ricky Schroeder was a cousin by marriage to Laura. And, yes there was an elderly man near Landers who claimed to have information on Lauras abductor, but he disappeared. Several years later his head was found in or near a mine shaft. His name was Jim Nestor. He suspected there was direct involvement in Lauras kidnapping by some of the drug people who lived near by. 2 other people disappeared after going to the sheriffs dept with a name of someone they thought was involved. They also disappeared and were found dead, shot in the head in the desert area outside 29 Palms. Their names were William "Bill" Leville, and a girl named Toby Santangello, both lived near Pioneertown. The name they showed the sheriffs was the same name that Jim Nestor was suspicious of.
I have that name, but we were never able to prove any direct involvement by this person. There was also a man in the Redlands area, who was heard to say he had kidnapped Laura and had her in Bakersfield before anyone even
knew she was out of the area. I also had a witness who took a polygraph back in 1986, who claimed he "saw Laura in the trunk of the car" that belonged to this suspect. Even family members of the person came forward to claim that they had heard him say the same thing about taking Laura. But, we were never able to prove his direct involvement in her kidnapping. And the sheriffs dept claimed he "was clean". A meth dealer, and an overall bad character in the drug world out there, but, couldn't prove anything.
I doo appreciate this forum to vent a little of this out my system after all these years. I will say there were many good cops who tried to work the case the best they could. But, there were govt depts, like the FBI in Palm Springs, that only perpetually dragged their feet and did nothing. In 1991, I was contacted by an LA detective, working other missing childrens cases. She told me that she had come across information, as recently as 1991, that Laura was alive, and had been raised in Arizona, by a cult group. She had talked to 3 or 4 witnesses, who all had the same story from this cult in Arizona. But, we never were able to track them down. So, the truth is, I still do not truly know what happened to my little girl, whether she died out there in the desert, or is still alive somewhere, possibly still remembering some things from her childhood that would link her to us.

[Laurasdad]

Yes, Troy Higgens name came up very early in the search for Laura, he was at the top of our list for several months. But, there was another "bad boy" of Redlands, who also fit the description exactly, blue van and all. His name was Russ.......... and he had family of sorts there too........

[hdgovroom]

Did you knowTroy was at Joshua Tree campground that weekend?

[Laurasdad]

This is a very interesting statement, I would like to talk to you informally about who your friend was and where he lived out there. Yes, the drug crowd was scrutinized continually, as people kept disappearing and ending up dead, who pointed the finger of guilt toward the meth dealers in the high desert. I still have a long suspect list of all those incriminated drug dealers from Landers, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Redlands. I am still convinced, that many people out there, know exactly what happened to Laura, and by whom.

[hdgovroom]

When I saw the composite drawing it was like looking at a photograph of Troy

[Laurasdad]

No, I did not. His name came up about 2 weeks later as a possible suspect fitting the profile...

[Laurasdad]

In regard to your skepticism, let me gently inform you. There were many people who came forward with info on my daughter early on, who just disappeared, or were found murdered. That fear was instilled into everyone out there in the high desert at the time, as the drug labs and dealers ran that area with a tight fist that even the sheriffs dept didnt seem to want to mess with...

[Laurasdad]

To those who have responded to my posting last month,thank you all for being so compassionate and concerned, that means a lot to us. Since my wife Patty died a few years ago, I am now unrestrained to talk freely about Laura's case. I seldom ever talked with her about Laura, as it brought back such sad and frightening memories for us both. The sudden disappearance of our 3 1/2 year old child is something you never get over.
As to the case. Yes, there were several "Missing Have You Seen this Person" specials done for tv by John Cosgrove. Yes, Ricky Schroeder was a cousin by marriage to Laura. And, yes there was an elderly man near Landers who claimed to have information on Lauras abductor, but he disappeared. Several years later his head was found in or near a mine shaft. His name was Jim Nestor. He suspected there was direct involvement in Lauras kidnapping by some of the drug people who lived near by. 2 other people disappeared after going to the sheriffs dept with a name of someone they thought was involved. They also disappeared and were found dead, shot in the head in the desert area outside 29 Palms. Their names were William "Bill" Leville, and a girl named Toby Santangello, both lived near Pioneertown. The name they showed the sheriffs was the same name that Jim Nestor was suspicious of.
I have that name, but we were never able to prove any direct involvement by this person. There was also a man in the Redlands area, who was heard to say he had kidnapped Laura and had her in Bakersfield before anyone even
knew she was out of the area. I also had a witness who took a polygraph back in 1986, who claimed he "saw Laura in the trunk of the car" that belonged to this suspect. Even family members of the person came forward to claim that they had heard him say the same thing about taking Laura. But, we were never able to prove his direct involvement in her kidnapping. And the sheriffs dept claimed he "was clean". A meth dealer, and an overall bad character in the drug world out there, but, couldn't prove anything.
I doo appreciate this forum to vent a little of this out my system after all these years. I will say there were many good cops who tried to work the case the best they could. But, there were govt depts, like the FBI in Palm Springs, that only perpetually dragged their feet and did nothing. In 1991, I was contacted by an LA detective, working other missing childrens cases. She told me that she had come across information, as recently as 1991, that Laura was alive, and had been raised in Arizona, by a cult group. She had talked to 3 or 4 witnesses, who all had the same story from this cult in Arizona. But, we never were able to track them down. So, the truth is, I still do not truly know what happened to my little girl, whether she died out there in the desert, or is still alive somewhere, possibly still remembering some things from her childhood that would link her to us.

[hdgovroom]

I would be happy to talk with you. I will send you a private message with my phone no. or you can email me.

[Laurasdad]

MARCH 6, 20I0 I have just finished a brand new book (LAURA ANN BRADBURY A FATHERS SEARCH) and website dedicated to Laura at; www.laurabradburymissing.com BOOK MAY BE PURCHASED DIRECT FROM THE LAURA WEBSITE.

On the website I have all the facts and data concerning Laura's case that people have asked questions about over the years. Also I have just published a book, LAURA ANN BRADBURY, A FATHERS SEARCH by Michael W. Bradbury if you are interested in reading a day by day accounting of the whole 4 years we searched for her. I also have an update on the fact there is still no Death Certificate for her, as they never were able to prove to a court that the skullcap found was definitely hers. We are currently requesting a new DNA be done to determine if in fact it is hers, or some other child's. Then we are requesting a determination of a Probable Cause of Death.

She did not wander to the area where the skull was found, that would have been an impossibility. Especially since we and the sheriffs had solid indications of a specific suspect who was seen with her on the back road to Big Bear later the night she was kidnapped. The book exposes many of the myths perpetrated by individuals whose only intent was to close the case, and questions why the authorities never confronted certain suspects in the kidnapping and the several murders of people who came forward with information on where Laura was being kept.

LAURA ANN BRADBURY A FATHERS SEARCH IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH MY WEBSITE: www.laurabradburymissing.com

There is a follow up book, that will be out soon as well, called the Dark Side of the Desert. It is fiction, but based on a multitude of actual facts accumulated during the last 23 years. My best to all you who are sincerely interested and concerned.

Mike Bradbury(Laura's Dad)

[nohwheregirl]

I don't blame you for being skeptical. I am ashamed of myself for waiting so long.
I knew this guy myself. He had a thing for little girls. I knew the circumstances firsthand, not heard them from someone else. I saw his face on the news and recognized it immediatly and I heard his stories from his own mouth, not heresay.
As for why this forum, when I typed in Lauras name this is the site it took me to and when I saw LAURASDAD on here I thought maybe someone would listen to me here. The police? They didn't pay attention the first time, why would they now?
Check into it. See if the Redlands, CA police ever questioned "Troy Higgens"... PLEASE!

Thank you for answering my question. It was unclear whether you had tried to pass on this information before. I'm sorry you were ignored. Just to make clear to Laura's father and everyone else, I would never want to discourage anyone from coming forward with information, I just feel that, after all this time, these questions need to be asked.

[Laurasdad]

There is now an official Laura Bradbury website, that chronologizes her disappearance, and the ensuing search from 1984 to 1989. It shows a history of who and what was basically involved with a timeline. There also are some interesting pictures and articles, as well as a comments forum to share what you have to say about the investigation into her disappearance.

Contact us at
laurasdad@gmail.com

Laura website is :
laurabradburyhome.com

there will be ongoing news about Lauras disappearance, and new pictures added as time goes by. Hopefully new information as well.
thank you all.

[joshypiano]

Wow, a very informative website. I never knew most of those facts about her case. I'm glad you are doing everything you can to keep her case and memory alive.

[rolomolol]

It is hard to find anything on the Internet about Laura. I was a young teenager living in Sky Valley when Laura dissapeared. Of course Joshua Tree was just a national monument then, not a park. I was sure that Unsolved mysteries did a segment on the case in the late 1980's.

[Dislimb]

Website is down.

[a1mustardseed]

To answer all your questions about my daughters disappearance, I still have no definitive answers. Laura disappeared from our campsite around 5pm on Oct. 18 1984, after walking to the portable toilets with my son. She started back to camp, only 75 feet or so, by herself, and we never saw her again. There was a strange man there in a blue van, seen watching her and us, but he was never identified. Under hypnosis I even recalled details about him and his van, but he was never found. The partial skull cap found, was over a mile and a half away up in a canyon, a long ways from our campsite. It had been chewed on by coyotes, and was a very small piece of skull. A DNA test was run that supposedly proved it was Lauras, but, we were never convinced of it. Meanwhile, other law enforcement agencies were reporting individuals who had seen her alive, as recently as 1991 in Arizona where she was supposedly taken by kidnappers. We have never found out the true story, we have never experienced any closure on what happened to our little girl. I have my own theories based on information gathered right after Laura disappeared, but no real proof of who took her. And, yes, it still should be an open unsolved case.
to: Laurasdad,
Your daughter might be alive ! In April, after she vanished a childless couple who run a PUT-PUT- golf course in Big Flats, NY; opened their park
for the season.
They had with them a 3 year old child, they said they had her while living in Florida. But we knew them for years and they were childless. They called the little girl, ASHLEY. We spoke to the police about our suspicion, but we had no proof that Ashley was NOT their own child. Our case was ignored.
Ashley looked exactly like Laura. Once while at their Golf center I saw her alone, I called out... " LAURA !, She quickly turned and looked right at me, but then the woman came and took her away. NO one has ever beleived me. But I realy do beleive she IS your daughter, Laura. My email address is:
DonnaMamadee@aol.com.

[yuppielawyer]

I was a child growing up in Southern California when this case occurred. It scared the hell out of me. I remember Laura's picture in the paper, and everyone talking about looking for the blue van. I even remember an instance where a woman who drove a blue van and had a young daughter who looked like Laura was stopped because they thought it was Laura. It turned out to be just a coincidence.

For many people, the Adam Walsh case was the first one that made them truly aware of child abductions, but for me, this was the case. I was 9 years old when she disappeared, and so it really hit me.

If Laura's father still views here, I want you to know that I have never forgotten about Laura, and I hope that one day, the mystery of her disappearance will be solved. I cannot imagine what these almost 25 years have been like for you (and I can't believe it's been that long). It would be wonderful if a miraculous reunion could happen for you and your family, but, even if that is not possible because she is no longer with us, she and your family deserve justice, and you deserve to know the truth about what happened to her. I hope that someday comes.

[angellove_29]

Seeing the news about the lil' girl in Northern CA, sparked the memory of Laura for me. I was 7 yrs old and had been living in 29 Palms for months when she went missing. like a previous poster, her story is the story that made me aware of child abductions. Her name is so imprinted in my mind that I recalled it and googled it so easily upon remembrance. It scared me too... being so young and to know that this was possible in the world at that time, and even more so now. I do not have children but I play a big role in the raising of my nieces, I get nervous when in very rare instances I let them out of my sight. I cannot even sit well with them playing in the front yard. I remembe being able to go 2-3 streets over to play growing, these poor girls barely play outside, for the sake of being safe.
If laura's dad should check on these postings, i want you to know, you, Laura and your family are forever in my thoughts.

[lisurps]

Laura's case really hit me hard when it happened and it has always caused me anguish. I prayed so hard for her return. Over the years I have occasionally thought about her and I'm glad I came across this thread of messages. It's good to see others haven't forgotten about her.

[Laurasdad]

Thank you for your interesting information. For the most part it is very accurate, but the family was never suspected of being responsible for Lauras disappearance. They took polygraphs very early into the investigation to satisfy the sheriffs that they had nothing to do with it.
To this day, I have never seen the name of the alledged marine and his wife, who found my daughters partial scullcap. I have walked to the area where it was reported to have been found, a good mile and a half from the campsite over very rough terrain that no child could have travelled alone. In my opinion and many others, the scullcap was planted there by someone, hoping to close the case and reduce the scrutiny of what was going on in the high desert at the time lof Lauras disappearance.
If you know the name of the people who alledgely discovered Lauras remains, please pass that information on to Lauras dad at;
laurasdad043@gmail.com I would greatly appreciate it, since the sheriffs would never divulge who it was, and never have to my knowledge.
Thanks, Mike Bradbury-Lauras dad

[OftenThoughtOf]

lisurps - I very much agree. I think about the case from time to time, and wonder if we'll ever have answers.

Jimmy's (Jim Nestors) death was very hard on my family and we've yet to find those answers as well.

[Laurasdad]

For all those interested in my daughter Laura Bradbury's disappearance, I have now publish an official website at www.laurabradburymissing.com where you can read all my collected data over the years including new information about the "bones." I also have written a book about the entire 4 year search which is now available at my website as well.
Best to all. Mike Bradbury (Laura's Dad)

The book is: LAURA ANN BRADBURY; A FATHERS SEARCH, by Michael W. Bradbury, and it covers all those many questions so many people have asked over the last 25 years. Day by day accounts of what happened and where. Apparent mishandlings of information, and the numerous murders related to laura's case.

It can be ordered through amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, etc. or off my website

[Laurasdad]

brand new website is up AND RUNNING!!!! go to laurabradburymissing.com