Body found dismembered in Mass. parking lot in 2000 identified as missing Pennsylvania teen

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CHELSEA, Mass. — The Suffolk County District Attorney and local officials have announced a major breakthrough in a cold case dating back 26 years.

On November 13, 2000, police made a horrifying discovery in the parking lot of Soldiers Home in Chelsea.

Officials found a body without a head. The victim had been cut in half and was missing both her head and hands.

Authorities identified the killer as Eugene McCollum after he confessed to investigators. Police later found the victim’s hands and head inside a bag buried on Nahant Beach.

The DA said police knew McCollum was the killer but did not know who he had killed.

“The story here is about an incredible 25-year effort by multiple law enforcement agencies to find the identify of a girl who had become to be known as Chelsea Jane Doe,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

‘Today we can finally say her name’

Officials were able to create a composite sketch, and thanks to the tireless efforts of investigators, prosecutors identified the victim as Tiffany Bradley, a missing 16-year-old from Allenstown, Pennsylvania.

Advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to match her DNA to her brother, who was located in Texas in April.

Hayden said Bradley had been reported missing on November 8, and investigators received two tips suggesting she had been trafficked in the Boston area.

According to Hayden, Bradley met McCollum within days of arriving in the city. He later strangled her and dismembered her body.

“Technology alone does not solve cases, people do,” said FBI Special Agent Ted Docks.

“I also want to emphasize an important point here identifying victims of violent cries matters, it matters even when the offender has already been caught. It matters even when the case has already been solved. Justice is not delivered until the victim is known until families has answers, and until communities know the full truth of what happened,” said Docks.

“It is only through their relentless pursuit and a commitment to getting it right that we’re all able to stand here today with the Bradley family,” said MSP Colonel Geoffrey Noble.

“25 years of hard work, collaboration, and persistence on the common goal of finding justice for the Bradley family, that’s what culminates in today’s announcement.”

According to family members, Tiffany was “tiny but mighty,” with a radiant smile and a love for dancing and shopping.

Her family said the last time she spoke with anyone was during a phone call in New York, when she told a relative, she would call back. No one ever heard from her again.

“The fact that we are here today is a miracle,” her cousin, Shakirah Wiggins said. “It is totally amazing that after 26 years people care enough to give her a name and return her to her family... the wills of justice run slowly but surely.”

McCollum was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2005. He was already serving a sentence for the killing of John “Jackie” Leyden.

Docks said the case also highlights the reality of human trafficking in the United States. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children can be contacted at 1‑800‑THE‑LOST (1‑800‑843‑5678).

“Today we can finally say her name,” said Docks.

“Behind every unidentified missing person and homicide victim is a human being, is a daughter, is a friend, is a sibling, and is grief that is never faced.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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