POWHATAN COUNTY, Va. — It has been 64 days since anyone has seen or heard from 16-year-old Joni Bradley.
The Powhatan teen went missing on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at about 4 p.m.
“In my heart, I don’t feel like she’s okay and I need help to find her,” Bradley’s stepmother Kelli Bradley said at a Wednesday press conference.
Powhatan County Sheriff Bradford Nunnally joined Joni’s mother in pleading to the public for help.
“Joni left an appointment here in our Village area after telling her father she left her phone inside at the appointment. Shortly thereafter she was observed on video leaving, exiting the rear of that building alone,” Nunnally explained.
Kelli Bradley admitted her daughter has run away before, but never for this long.
“She’s a 16-year-old female that’s not been home in two months and that’s dangerous enough on its own,” Nunnally said.
For years, her family has fought to get the teenager mental health treatment.
Kelli Bradley has previously shared with CBS 6 her struggles of finding help for her daughter during the pandemic.
She said it’s been difficult to watch Joni spiral from isolation and stress which had further complicated mental health issues she’s suffered since childhood.
It took a court order to get Joni a bed at a facility.
“She was in the hospital, and she had an in-home therapist that would come to our home. We had a family therapist. We are all kind of working together,” Bradley explained.
She then shared a letter written by Joni’s little sister.
“Dear Joni, I love you so much and I miss you so much,” she read. “Please let us know you’re safe. My heart hurts.”
Sheriff Nunnally said the teen has not used her cell phone or social media since she went missing. She may be in Amelia County, Brunswick County, Lunenberg County, Blackstone or Petersburg.
The family has launched a GoFundMe account to "raise money for a cash reward for information that leads us to find her."
"It has been almost 3 months and her whole family misses her tremendously," family members wrote.
Anyone with information about Joni Bradley is urged to call Det. Danny Joyner at 804-598-5654 ext. 4.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
