Greetings and welcome to the first episode of A Closure Denied Podcast. During today's show, I will discuss Dana Bradley's cold case murder. It has been 41 years since this terrible crime occurred. On December 14, 1981, this case occurred in my hometown of St. John's in Newfoundland, Canada. I was nine years old. Where I live, murder is still a rare occurrence even in 2022. The event occurred 41 years ago, and it was very shocking. My first episode is based on this cold case.
Dana Bradley was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, on July 24, 1967. Patrick Street was where she lived with her family. Described as being bright, an excellent student, and passionate about art, she was a ninth grader at I. J. Samson Junior High School. Besides being an artistic student, Dana had a lot of friends. She had lived with her mother, Dawn, and stepfather, Jeff Levitz. An unknown murderer took her too soon when she was just 14 years old.
Her mother's birthday celebration was around 5 pm, so she hitchhiked home from a friend's house along Topsail Road. She was last seen entering a four-door 1973 to 1976 Dodge Dart or Plymouth Valiant by two brothers. Other witnesses also provided the driver's description.
Dale Smith and his family were out on December 18. A Christmas tree was on their wish list, but they decided not to go to the lot to buy one. In Maddox Cove, they hiked into the remote woods. It was also a place where people disposed of items, and it was littered with garbage.
As soon as Dale looked at the snow, he noticed footprints. Then he saw what appeared to be a mannequin. The body was not that of a mannequin, but of Dana Bradley. The police were notified after Dale returned the family to the car.
An autopsy revealed that Dana died of blunt force head trauma. On the day of her disappearance, Dana's skull was fractured, and the medical examiner confirmed that she was probably killed on the same day that she disappeared.
The chief inspector in this case received a note in 1986. An ex-convict named David Somerton killed Dana, according to the note. David admitted killing Dana when he was confronted. As a result of being held for 18 hours, he later claimed they forced him into confessing. A two-year prison sentence was imposed on him for public mischief and for wasting police time and resources.
In 1982, a man made cruel, harassing phone calls to the Bradley family and was sentenced to nine months in prison.
It wasn't until 2014 that another suspect was raised. A man named Robert, who came forward, claimed that he witnessed the death of Dana. Despite repressing the memory of that day, Robert wanted to speak out.
He identified the killer as a family friend, Thomas Cary.
Anyone with information about Dana’s murder should contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at 709-772-5400, or call the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-8477.
Thanks so much for listening. We will be doing cold cases from around the world but the next will be a 4 part series of 4 people who went missing over the years in St. Anthony Newfoundland never to be seen again. For more information check the show notes.
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If you would like the text version of the podcast check out https://robertjglasco.medium.com/the-cold-case-kidnapping-and-murder-of-dana-bradley-1378799fd1ac
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