Death of Dana Bradley

Overview

Dana Nicole Bradley, a 14-year-old girl, disappeared in St. John's, Newfoundland, on the evening of 14 December 1981. She had been at a friend's home after school and was traveling home for a family birthday party when she was last seen hitchhiking on Topsail Road. An eyewitness reported seeing her get into a car driven by a male. When Bradley did not arrive home, her family reported her missing to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

Discovery and investigation

Bradley's body was discovered four days later by a member of the public, Dale Smith, in a wooded area on Maddox Cove Road, south of St. John's. Her skull had been fractured with a blunt object, and she had been sexually assaulted. Her body was arranged in what has been described as "burial fashion," with her schoolbooks tucked under her arm.

The resulting investigation was described at the time as the most expensive and exhaustive murder investigation in Canadian history. A task force of 35 full-time investigators from the RCMP and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary conducted hundreds of interviews, examined more than 800 vehicles, and investigated thousands of tips.

1986 confession and stayed charge

In 1986, David Grant Somerton was charged with Bradley's murder after confessing to police. He later recanted, alleging the confession had been coerced, and the murder charge against him was stayed. Somerton was subsequently convicted of public mischief in relation to the false confession and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. As of 2006, the RCMP reported still receiving approximately 50 tips per year related to the case.

2016 developments

In May 2016, a privately funded group excavated two buried vehicles on private property near Witless Bay, close to St. John's. The excavation was organized by supporters of an individual who claimed to have been an eyewitness present as a child in a car when Bradley was abducted; the vehicle was alleged to have belonged to the eyewitness's father and to have been driven at the time by a family friend. The RCMP had investigated and dismissed this eyewitness's claims over a 16-month period, but the witness and supporters continued to press for the excavation. No usable evidence was recovered from either vehicle due to nearly 30 years of burial-related degradation and contamination.

Also in May 2016, the RCMP announced new DNA evidence in the case: retesting of a sample recovered in 1981 connected the homicide to an unknown male. This new DNA evidence was also used to rule out existing suspects, including the individual implicated in connection with the private vehicle excavation.

Status

As of 2026, the case remains open and unsolved.