The Disappearance and Murder of Dana Nicole Bradley
On December 14, 1981, 14-year-old Dana Nicole Bradley disappeared while hitchhiking to her home in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her subsequent murder remains one of the province’s most haunting unsolved cases, marking a definitive loss of innocence for the community.
The Disappearance
Following a visit to a friend’s house, Dana was last seen hitchhiking on Topsail Road. An eyewitness reported seeing her enter a four-door sedan driven by an unknown male. When she failed to arrive home as expected, her family grew concerned and reported her missing, initiating an immediate search of the area.
Discovery of the Crime Scene
On December 18, four days after she vanished, Dana’s body was discovered on Maddox Cove Road. The forensic examination determined the cause of death to be a blunt-force skull fracture and confirmed she had been sexually assaulted. Investigators noted the burial-like positioning of her body, with her schoolbooks tucked under her arm.
Investigation Highlights & Major Turning Points
A massive joint task force involving the RCMP and local authorities conducted hundreds of interviews and inspected over 800 vehicles matching the eyewitness description. In 1986, David Grant Somerton confessed to the murder but later recanted, leading to a conviction for public mischief. In 2016, a private excavation of buried vehicles in Witless Bay yielded no evidence, and a DNA breakthrough that same year isolated an unknown male profile that was ultimately ruled out as the killer.
Current Status
As of 2026, the investigation remains open and unsolved. The case fundamentally changed attitudes toward hitchhiking in Newfoundland and remains a painful historical milestone. The RCMP continues to urge anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward to help bring closure to the Bradley family.