Account
Dec 22, 2009
Mar 30, 2021
Bambi
Brantley
63
25
66 inches
67 inches
110 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the autumn of 1986, 25-year-old Bambi Luann Brantley was embracing a new chapter in her life. Having recently moved from Bartlett, Tennessee, to Leesville, Louisiana, she was seeking a fresh start after a difficult breakup. She moved in with her older brother, Roddy, in the Tower Trailer Park and quickly adapted to her new surroundings. With a new job as a salesperson at Pynes Chrysler car dealership and a burgeoning social life, Bambi was known for her outgoing and friendly nature, often enjoying nights out at local clubs with her many new friends. Those who knew her described her as a happy young woman, full of life and looking forward to a future she hoped would include marriage and children. She had no history of drug use or of ever leaving without informing anyone. On the evening of October 22, 1986, Bambi found herself alone and feeling restless in the trailer she shared with her brother, who had gone out for the evening. Without a car of her own or a phone in the trailer, she decided to walk to a nearby convenience store, less than a quarter of a mile away. Around 10:00 PM, she arrived at Super Sam's, now known as Leebo's, purchased a fountain soda, and used the payphone to call her brother at the Pit Grill. She asked him to come home so she could use their shared car to go out with her boyfriend. Her brother complied, arriving back at the trailer within half an hour, but Bambi was not there. The only trace of her recent presence was the fountain drink she had just purchased, sitting on the trailer floor. Assuming she had found another ride, her brother left the car and keys for her and returned to the grill. When he came home in the early morning hours, Bambi was still gone, and the drink remained untouched. She was never seen or heard from again. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a light brown jacket, blue jeans, and ankle-length boots, and was carrying a navy blue wallet or purse. The initial investigation into Bambi's disappearance was handled by the Leesville Police Department before being turned over to the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office. Despite interviewing numerous friends and acquaintances, investigators found no solid leads. Several witnesses reported seeing Bambi walking along the highway on her way back from the convenience store, but no one saw her after that. The case eventually went cold. In the years that followed, the disappearances of two other young women in the area, Karen Hill in 1988 and Pamela Miller in 1989, raised concerns about a possible connection. Both women were of a similar age and appearance to Bambi, and both were later found murdered. A soldier named Samuel Galbraith was convicted of manslaughter in Karen Hill's death, but authorities were unable to definitively link him to Bambi's case, as he was only 16 at the time and not yet stationed at the nearby Fort Polk. Pamela Miller's murder remains unsolved. In March 2018, the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office announced they were reopening Bambi's cold case, bringing a renewed sense of hope to her family. They have continued to investigate, using drones to search various areas and re-interviewing individuals connected to the case. Bambi’s family has never given up their search for answers, enduring the profound grief of not knowing what happened to their beloved daughter and sister. Her brother Roddy and her mother, Bonnie, have since passed away without ever learning her fate. The family held a press conference in 2018, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. Her nephew, Pen Brantley, who was only eight when she vanished, spoke of the lingering pain, saying, "Her memory is perpetually suspended in limbo. She's not alive and she's not dead; she's just 'missing'". This sentiment captures the heart-wrenching ambiguity that has haunted the Brantley family for decades, as they continue to hope for the closure that would come with bringing Bambi home.
Oct 22, 1986
Leesville
Louisiana
Vernon Parish
No
3376
Leesville Police Department
Leesville
Louisiana
Vernon Parish
71496
101 West Lee Street, Louisiana
3372380331
Local
Law Enforcement
86/2228
Leesville Police Department
na
Red/Auburn
Green
Green
No
05/06/2026
