A woman who vanished two weeks ago leaving behind emotional support animal found murdered in the creek: ‘Worst nightmare’
A woman who went missing almost two weeks ago has been found beaten to death in a Tennessee creek – in what her dad called “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
Emily Bradley, 44, was reported missing on Feb. 21, three days after she was last seen leaving her home in East Nashville — leaving behind her emotional support dog, according to friends.
Her body was discovered Saturday in Whites Creek, near Buena Vista Pike, with the cause of death listed as blunt force trauma.
“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive your children, and on top of that to find that your child has been murdered,” Bradley’s father, Nick, told WKRN of his daughter who had “a very vivacious and sparkling personality.”
“It’s just horrible,” he said.
The news merely confirmed Bradley’s parents’ fears, with her dad previously telling WKRN late last month that they had been “hoping for the best, bracing for the worst
“Her mother and I, we’re just completely distraught,” he said even before his daughter’s body was found.
Bradley was last known to have driven away from her home on Feb. 18 in her 2014 Chevrolet Cruze, which is still missing
A detective told WKRN that a license plate recognition camera picked up a hit on the gray vehicle in Hendersonville on Feb. 21. It was unclear who was driving the car at the time.
Bradley was last seen by a male companion, a lead investigator on the case told WKRN.
Bradley’s dad told the local outlet that he believes it may be a case of domestic violence, without elaborating.
Police have not suggested that as a possible motive nor identified any suspects while appealing for more information.
Her friends believed she was in danger when they found her emotional support dog alone in the abondoned, WTVF previously reported, without detailing why she needed the animal.
“When she didn’t call me on the third day, I knew she was probably no longer with us,” her dad told WKRN, saying: “Hopefully they have a suspect.
Emily was a dedicated horse rider, a lover of music and an avid dancer, according to her dad.
“She impacted people and she loved people and she carried kind of the weight of the world. She was always working on somebody else’s behalf,” he told the outlet. “She had a very full life for such a young person.
A Facebook page seeking help while she was missing has now been renamed “Emily Bradley Memorial Page.”
“My sweet Pixie friend,” one of her friends wrote. “I am at a loss of words. You were so precious to me. I will always treasure our sweet memories.”
Another friend said: “That energy you put out on the dance floor, Sometimes it was THE reason to go to a party. You’ve been taken from us too soon, but rest in heaven sweet angel. You have a very special seat up there.”
Her dad added to WKRN: “We got her back, so we have closure on this part of it, and now we move forward with closing her life down and the police move forward with trying to convict her killer
