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Human Remains Confirmed to Belong to Arizona Teen Who Was Last Seen Departing from Work · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We're diving into a story today that that really really
• 0:04
  stayed with me, and I know I know a lot
• 0:05
  of you you were following it closely as well. The
• 0:07
  case of Bradley close. You know this one. It hits
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  hard because it reminds us, reminds us how how quickly
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  life can change, and and how even when we get answers,
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  sometimes those answers they just they just lead to more questions.
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  Speaker 2: It's it's the bittersweet reality of these cases, isn't it.
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  You You wait, you hope, and then even when even
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  when there's resolution, it often brings a whole new wave
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  of emotions to process.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, exactly exactly. For those who might not recall
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  all the details, Bradley was just sixteen when he disappeared
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  back in April, and and here's here's what really struck me.
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  He was he was last seen leaving his workplace in Peoria, Arizona.
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  And that's not that's not the typical scenario you you
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  hear about with with missing teens.
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  Speaker 2: You're right, you're right that that detail is unusual at
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  that age. Disappearance has often happened closer to home or
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  in social situations. Uh, the work place angle it adds
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  this this layer of mystery right from the.
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  Speaker 1: Start, right right And for five long months that mystery continued.
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  Bradley's family was tireless in their search, the community rallied
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  around them. It was this whole story of hope and
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  determination unfolding, unfolding in real time. Then just this month,
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  on September ninth, came the news everyone had been waiting
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  for but also dreading. They found Bradley's remains near deem
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  Hills Recreation Area.
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  Speaker 2: I can only imagine. I can only imagine the mix
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  of relief and heartbreak that that must have brought. It's
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  sadly not uncommon for discoveries to happen like this months later,
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  especially especially in areas like where Bradley was found, these
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  large open spaces. They present huge, huge challenges for search
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  teams and the environment itself, the exposure to the elements,
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  it all plays a role in how a case unfold.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and to make this even more complex, deem Hills
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  it wasn't anywhere near where Bradley did appeared from. That
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  just that just deepens the mystery, doesn't like like did
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  someone did someone transport him there? Did did he wander? Wander?
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  Much farther than anyone anticity.
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  Speaker 2: It's a huge it's a huge question mark. And and
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  this is where, this is where understanding the unique challenges
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  faced by individuals with autism like like Bradley becomes so crucial.
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  Now now we don't we don't want to make assumptions
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  about about what happened, but but we do know that
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  sensory sensitivity is difficulty with with communication and a tendency
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  to wander can can all factor into into how it
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  disappearance unfolds.
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  Speaker 1: And in Bradley's case, he was he was last seen
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  without a cell phone, which which could have made it
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  made it that much harder for him to reach out
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  for help or or be located. It's it's just it's
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  just heartbreaking to think about the fear and confusion he
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  might have experienced.
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  Speaker 2: It really, it really is. But but even even amidst
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  amidst this tragedy, what what shines through is the strength
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  of of Bradley's family and their community. Their statement after
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  the discovery and emphasize their deep gratitude for for the
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  outpouring of support they receive, even mentioning their faith as
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  a source of strength.
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  Speaker 1: It's a powerful it's a powerful reminder that that behind
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  the headlines these are these are real people, families forever changed,
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  and for them, I'm sure this discovery, while while bringing
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  some closure, also also opens up a whole new, whole
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  new world of questions and grief.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely, And while while Bradley's case has reached some
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  some resolution, it shines a light on the on the
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  thousands of other families still still waiting, hoping, searching for
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  their loved ones. This case and so many like it,
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  they they underscore the importance of of ongoing awareness, of
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  supporting families of missing persons, and crucially crucially, of better
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  understanding the unique needs and experiences of individuals with autism.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, it makes me think about about all
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  the ways we can better support individuals with autism in
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  our in our daily lives, to create a world where
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  they feel safer, understood and less likely to go missing
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  in the first place. That's that's something I think we
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  all need to reflect on.