Authorities have finally revealed the identity of “Chelsea Jane Doe,” a victim of a brutal murder in Massachusetts 26 years ago. On Wednesday, officials announced that advancements in DNA testing have confirmed the victim as 16-year-old Tiffany Bradley from Pennsylvania.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden recounted the grim discovery made by police on November 13, 2000, at the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home parking lot. “They found the remains of an unidentified female,” Hayden stated. “Tragically, her body had been severed, and she was missing her head and hands.”
Eugene McCollom, who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder, confessed to authorities that he buried the victim’s head and other dismembered parts in the sand at Nahant Beach.
For years, detectives struggled to identify the victim until the FBI successfully located her brother through investigative genetic genealogy techniques.
At the time of her disappearance, Bradley’s family had reported her missing to law enforcement in Pennsylvania. Investigators suspect that she was a victim of human trafficking and may have encountered McCollom shortly after arriving in the Boston area. They believe she was murdered in his room at the Lynn YMCA.
Bradley was known for her athleticism, having played on her school’s basketball team and participated in the ROTC. Her aunt, Janet Bradley-Knight, described her as “a caring young woman.”
