CHELSEA — Law enforcement officials identified Tiffany Bradley as the victim known as Chelsea Jane Doe 26 years after her dismembered body was found in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The identification utilized DNA testing and investigative genetic genealogy, resolving a case that began in November 2000.
Police discovered the body of an unknown female in the parking lot of the Chelsea Soldiers' Home on Nov. 13, 2000. The victim was missing her head and hands at the time of discovery, which were later recovered from sand at Nahant Beach in 2004.
Kevin Hayden, Suffolk County District Attorney, said. "They found a body of an unknown female. Tragically she had been cut in half, she was without her head and without any hands."
Bradley was a 16-year-old resident of Pennsylvania when her family filed a missing persons report with Pennsylvania police in 2000. Law enforcement also launched an international search for Bradley with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Eugene McCollum confessed to killing Bradley during an argument over money at his room at the Lynn YMCA. McCollum pleaded guilty to murder in 2005 and was sentenced to life in prison. The victim was referred to as Chelsea Jane Doe until her positive identification in 2026.
The FBI located a family member of Bradley in Texas using national family ancestry databases as part of the identification process. Bradley participated in basketball, dancing, cheerleading, and ROTC during high school.
Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said. "We have waited so long for this day. It is rare to have a case like this one, where we knew the suspect's name before the victim's."
Janet Bradley-Knight, an aunt of Tiffany Bradley, said. "Thank you so much for letting us take her safely home. From the bottom of my heart, for not letting my baby be a box on the shelf. I thank you all for your tireless effort."