Her father has spent a decade not knowing where his daughter is. Now, new technology is giving police a fresh set of leads to chase.
The Disappearance
Julie Danielle Ray was last seen in the Calera, Alabama, area on December 24, 2015, with her last known contact coming on Christmas Day. She has not been heard from since.
Reopening the Case
Nearly a decade later, Calera Police Chief David Hyche announced the department was reopening Ray's case with renewed urgency. "We want to investigate this case and every other case just like it was a family member," Hyche said, adding that he believes the case did not receive the level of attention it deserved when it was first investigated.
New Technology, New Leads
Detective Jacob Reach said advances in technology, including facial recognition software, have opened up investigative avenues that weren't available at the time of Ray's disappearance, including the possibility of determining whether she relocated to another part of the country. These tools have already surfaced leads investigators hadn't previously considered.
Obstacles
One significant challenge facing investigators is that the last person known to have possibly seen Ray around the time of her disappearance has since died, limiting what new information can still be gathered from direct witnesses.
A Father's Hope
Ray's father, Richard Bradshaw, described a decade of not knowing what happened to his daughter as one of the hardest things he's lived with, and called the reopening of her case "an answered prayer" after years of hoping for progress.
Reward
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Julie Ray's whereabouts.
FAQ
Has Julie Danielle Ray been found?
No. As of the available information, she remains missing.
What new tools are investigators using?
Facial recognition software and other technology unavailable at the time of her original disappearance.
Who should be contacted with information?
Crime Stoppers or the Calera Police Department.