Nameless Houston victim resembles missing Kentucky woman

12:44 PM CST on Wednesday, January 12, 2005

By Jeremy Desel / 11 News

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HOUSTON -- A family's Internet search for their missing daughter led them to an 11 News report about the facial reconstruction of an unidentified woman found in Houston.

KHOU

The resemblance has haunted the mother of Sonya Bradley (left) who disappeared in 2002.

For over a year, the victim has been nameless. Her bones were found in a shallow grave. In September, she gained a face through a forensic skull reconstruction. But the case remained cold.

"When you don't know who the victim is, it's almost impossible to work until you make that identification," explained Lt. Danny Billingsley with the Harris County Sheriff's Dept. "There is no starting point."

The images of the reconstructed face have been widely circulated, but Be verly Miller couldn't get it out of her mind.

"There is just something about her. That just, you know, It just yelled at you!" Miller told 11 News by phone from Lyon County, Kentucky.

Miller has been looking for her daughter, Sonya Bradley, since October of 2002.

Bradley was last seen near her apartment in Kentucky -- all her personal possessions left behind, including necessary medications. Her case is also cold.

In the not so distant past, Miller would never have made the connection with the Harris County face, but she saw the picture in a KHOU.com story that had been posted on a missing persons Web site.

We took the family's interest to Lt. Billingsley.

Side by side there is a resemblance -- enough to get Harris County detectives moving.

"Especially since the family thinks that there is enough resemblance here. It is certianly enough to check out," said Billingsley.

The remains were found in October 2003 in a vacant lot in Northeast Harris County -- a nearly complete skeleton of a female estimated to be between 23 and 38 was found.

Sonya Bradley was 35 when she vanished.

Doctors think the victim was between 5'4 and 5'8. Bradley is 5'7.

"My experience tells me never give up. Always hold out some hope," said Billingsley.

Beverly Miller is listening.

"All I want is to find her and bring her home," Miller said.

Harris County has already forwarded DNA from the remains to a database in North Texas. Investigators will also ask the family in Kentucky for DNA samples for comparison.