Above: Bradley circa, 1995
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: November 10, 1995
Missing From: Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: November 1, 1982
Age: 13 years old
Height and Weight: 4’10” and 65 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Brown hair, Blue eyes, Bradley’s hair was dyed black when he disappeared in 1995, his left ear is pierced and his nickname is “Brad”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A black collared shirt, a white t-shirt, black jeans, green paisley patterned boxer shorts, a pair of black sneakers with red laces, Bradley was last known to be wearing an Armitron watch at the time he disappeared
NCMEC Number: 812998
Details of Disappearance
Bradley was last seen in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10th 1995. He borrowed his neighbors bicycle and was heading to the home of a friend and classmate, Jeremy Bach. That day, Bradley and Jeremy didn’t have school due to Veterans Day. Their parents did not know they didn’t have school that day.
Jeremy was the only person at the home since his stepfather, Daniel Bach, left for work at 7:00 am. This meant that Brad and Jeremy would be at the home until another classmate, Taylor Smith, would come to the home. Brads mother, Rhonda Michie, found out he had no school that day and pages her son to find out where he was, he bent responded to the page.
Rhonda reported him missing when she came home that evening and he was nowhere to be found. Bach’s home was located at Ahwatukee Custom Estates in the 3200 block of east Piro Street. He initially claimed that Brad and him were fooling around with his stepdads gun. The gun was described as a .357 magnum revolver.
He claimed that Brad accidentally shot at a wall and barley missed Jeremy before fleeing the home. Bradley’s disappearance was considered a runaway case and was investigated as such for the next two months after his disappearance. There were various inconsistencies in Bach’s stories which kept changing each time he spoke to an investigator or person of authority.
Investigators started to suspect Bach knew more about what happened to Bradley that day than he was letting on. He continued to change his stories and also rumors came abound that a gun was shot in the Bach residence that day.
Taylor Smith arrived at Jeremy’s home at approximately 10:00 am or 11:00 am. Bach originally claimed that Brad fled on the bicycle he rode there but Smith testified she saw it in the driveway of the Bach home. Taylor also said that Brad’s hat was in the home and on a table in the living room along with his pager.
She also testified that she noticed a bullet casing in the trash can in the living room. Bach told her that Brad left after they got into an argument while playing a video game because Bach called Taylor a name. He claimed that he and Brad fought and that he had hit Bach in the face with a chair which caused his nose to bleed.
Taylor noticed that there was a hole in the kitchen wall and blood drops on Bach’s shirt. She also noticed a stain on the kitchen floor. He said the stain was a ketchup stain. Bach claimed that Brad threw a fork that caused the hole in the kitchen wall. He allegedly dug what appeared to be a slug from the wall.
Investigators believe that Bach knew more about what happened that day with Brad than he was letting on. It was soon evident that the .357 revolver had in fact been shot because Jeremy showed his stepdad the slug.
On January 9th 1996, investigators seized the trash bin from the Bach family residence. When a detective opened the lid on January 12th, he noticed there was a strong smell of purification but that there was no odor when the lid was closed. Sanitation workers and the maids of the Bach residence also noticed the blood on the outside of the container.
One of the maids even noticed a pant leg with something heavy inside the bun before it was emptied. Investigators found that there was blood and bodily fluids on the can. They tested the blood samples which were found to be consistent with the blood of Rhonda’s offspring.
On February 15th 1996, Las Vegas authorities and investigators from Arizona served a physical evidence order against Bach. A day later, his mother and him called the authorities and said they wanted to speak with detectives. The interview was tape recorded and Bach admitted to accidentally killing Bradley on the day he disappeared.
Bach claimed that he and Brad were playing with the gun that in the home. He said he was holding the revolver when something hit his hand and he pulled the trigger. The shot fired into Brads chest and he fell to the ground. He said it took an hour and a half for Bradley to die. Bach proceeded to place Brad’s body in the trash bin where it stayed for over a week.
Bach was charged with murder in Bradley’s case. He did change his story of how the accident occurred several times and investigators believe the shooting might have been intentional and due to an argument, Bach denies this. He did admit to not seeking help for Brad after the shooting which could have saved his life.
He would be known as the youngest person to face trial as an adult in the state of Arizona. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced a maximum sentence of 22 years. Since the gun used in the murder belonged to his stepfather, Bradley’s parents sued Daniel and claimed he didn’t store his firearms properly. They also accused him of possibly helping Jeremy to dispose of Hansen’s body.
The case against Daniel was settled out of court. Investigators spent two months and $100,000 in the search for Brad’s body. They believe the trash bin containing it was taken to Butterfield Station Landfill. They searched the landfill intensively but never found the body.
Brad has never been recovered but foul play is suspected in his disappearance.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Phoenix Police Department 602-534-3053
Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children