Husband arrested in wife’s fatal shooting

Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 4, 2003

JEFFERSON COUNTY &045;&045; A man is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility in connection with the Sunday shooting death of his wife, Sheriff Peter Walker confirmed Monday.

Sam Bradford, 37, of 318 Hawthorne, told authorities he fatally shot his wife, 35-year-old Althea Denise Bradford, in the driveway of a relative, about 100 yards away from the Bradfords’ home in southwest Jefferson County.

Althea Bradford was pronounced dead at the scene. Walker said she appeared to be shot at least once in the head with a .38-caliber weapon. However, an autopsy was still being performed at the state crime lab in Jackson as of Monday.

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According to witnesses, many of them family members, the shooting happened after the Bradfords, who had been married for about 11 years, were involved in a dispute.

&uot;He called 911 about 11 or 11:30 Sunday morning and said he had shot his wife,&uot; said Walker, who was the first on the scene after the shooting.

Authorities have been to the couple’s house before with regards to domestic disputes, &uot;but nothing extreme&uot; before Sunday’s incident, Walker said.

Sam Bradford’s 14-year-old child, as well as two children, age 5 and 12, that the couple had together, are being cared for by relatives, Walker said. The case is still under investigation.

The apparent homicide is the second in Jefferson County this year, Walker said.

The first happened within the town of Fayette about three weeks ago, he said, but details were unavailable as of press time.