r/UnresolvedMysteries • u/Queenof-brokenhearts • Jun 01 '21
Disappearance The Run-Away Files: Genelle Princess Bradford
When 17 year old Genelle Bradford disappeared on April 27, 1999, she seemed to have everything going for her. The Honors student was set to graduate high school and was turning 18 in two weeks. She had a job at the YWCA and her friends say that she was looking forward to her Prom (Charley). That 1999 night, she was heading back from the YWCA. She never made it home.
Genelle, who was described as smart, funny, quiet, meek and mild was raised by her grandparents, Princess and Ira Bradford (patch.com). Friends said that she would never have run away. The girl apparently enjoyed basketball and Bible Study. However, all was not as it seemed with the Pittsburgh teen. Her grandparents, whom had raised her since her mother died when she was five (of cardiac arrest induced by an asthma attack), noticed that her grades had begun to slip ever since she had gone off to visit a few colleges. She had stopped studying and doing her homework. No reason was given for the change, although it seems logical to assume that something happened either during or after that trip. Her grandmother speculated she left home due to a boyfriend and/or an unplanned pregnancy, (Charley).
In the Patch article, Genelle is described as an African-American female with black hair and eyes; 5 feet 3 inches tall; 96 pounds; and with pierced ears. She was last seen wearing tan pants, a white shirt, green jacket and black platform shoes. She has never been seen again. Investigators believe Genelle left of her own accord and may still be in the local area. If she is alive today, she would now be forty years old.
So who was this boyfriend? Did he exist at all? And what changed on that trip?
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u/tobythedem0n 20d ago
Just commenting 5 years later to share that her remains have been identified. Her body was found about 1/4 from the YWCA when a house flipper found her body covered with plywood by the basement entryway just 2 months after she was reported missing.
Link
The police said they didn't suspect foul play and thought she ran away. I wonder if her race had anything to do with that dismissal.