Jul 5, 2006 5:52 pm US/Central
Detective Works New Lead In Sisters' Disappearance
Diamond And Tionda Bradley Disappeared Five Years Ago Thursday
by Dorothy Tucker
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A possible new lead in the search for two young South Side sisters comes nearly five years after their disappearance.
Thursday marks the anniversary of the disappearance of Diamond and Tionda Bradley.
As CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports, a telephone call is now giving the family new hope.
According to police, a woman called the tip line last week. She didn't claim to be a psychic, but what she told them got their attention.
An entire room at the police station is devoted to paperwork involving Tionda and Diamond Bradley
Detective Maria Biggane continues to search for the girls and in an exclusive interview with WBBM Newsradio 780's Steve Miller, she talked about a tip that gives her hope.
"It just gives me a little shot in the arm to make me feed better that I need to keep pursuing the information that I have," Biggane said.
The Bradley sisters disappeared from their South Side apartment in July 2001. Diamond, who was 3 years old at the time of their disappearance, would now be 8. Tionda , who was 10, would now be 15 years old.
Biggane says she got a phone call last week from a woman who said she had a dream about the girls, but Biggane thinks the dream may be an excuse just to talk and what the woman said got the detective's attention.
"It makes me believe they are alive," she said. "Some of the information is credible, which makes me want to pursue this lead a little bit farther."
The tip is also encouraging to the sisters' family. They declined to comment, but friends say they remain hopeful.
"It's been almost five years now, and it's refreshing that the family and also the detectives are determined to find the girls," said community activist. Rev. Paul Jakes.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
