Shivangi Sinha
When Amy Bradley vanished in March 1998, many assumed she had either fallen or jumped overboard. However, over the years, multiple individuals came forward claiming to have seen her alive. One such account came from Bill Hefner, a former Navy officer, who stated that he had a brief but memorable encounter with someone he believed was Amy. He divulged that he did not report it immediately and waited several years before opening up about it. In Netflix’s ‘Amy Bradley is Missing,’ Bill recounted the details of that moment and explained the reasons behind his delay in contacting the authorities with what he claimed to have witnessed.
Bill Hefner Claimed Amy Bradley Asked Him For Help in Curaçao
William “Bill” Hefner had been serving in the US Navy since 1981. It was a career that saw him travel extensively and hold various responsibilities around the world. By 1999, his years of dedication earned him a promotion to Chief Petty Officer. That January, while stationed in Curaçao for work, he would often step out in the evenings and visit local places around Willemstad, not far from where his ship, the US Chandler, was docked. One of the places he frequented was a known but unofficial bar that also functioned as a brothel and it was illegal for Navy personnel to enter the establishment. Yet, due to its proximity, he found himself there more than once. During one such evening, while seated at the bar, he noticed a group of four, two men and two women, descend the stairs.
Bill said that one of the women was Caucasian and the other Hispanic. He recounted that the white woman approached him unexpectedly and told him she needed help, saying she was being held against her will. At first, he said, he dismissed her claim, having encountered many such stories during his career from individuals in vulnerable circumstances. In the interview, he mentioned that he told her the Navy ship was just minutes away if she really wanted help. That’s when Bill stated she became more urgent and told him, “You don’t understand. My name is Amy Bradley.” Before he could react, he added, one of the men with her approached, and she quickly stepped away.
The supposed interaction ended there, and Bill admitted he did not report it at the time out of fear that being discovered in an illegal location would cost him his rank and derail his upcoming retirement. It wasn’t until 2001 that he came across a report about Amy Bradley in a magazine. He acknowledged that the face in the story struck him immediately as the same woman he had seen in Curaçao. Realizing the significance of what he had purportedly witnessed, he finally came forward with the information. However, by then, too much time had passed, and the lead yielded no concrete outcome.
Bill Hefner’s Information Has Not Led to Any New Developments in the Case
Bill Hefner has shared that, in hindsight, he wishes he had taken action sooner regarding his encounter with the woman he believed to be Amy Bradley. However, he has also acknowledged the personal and professional limitations he was under at the time. He was married, and since he did not recognize Amy then, he dismissed the interaction as another instance of a distressed individual. Still, he has consistently stated that he is confident it was Amy, emphasizing that it was her eyes that stayed with him all these years. Today, Bill is believed to be living a quiet life in Fallon, Nevada. He is not active in the public eye and has kept a low profile. A graduate of Shoreline High School in Washington, there is limited public information about his life beyond his naval service.
Read More: Mollie McClure: Where is Amy Bradley’s Ex-Girlfriend Now?
