PHOENIX – Wade Eugene Bradford (D.O.B. 6/17/1960) will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of release for the cold blooded killing of his former girlfriend, Natalie Allan in 2010. The Honorable M. Scott McCoy also sentenced Bradford to an additional consecutive 10-year term for his aggravated assault of Kevin Myles, who was with Natalie on the night she was killed.
Bradford is also scheduled to be tried for another murder committed earlier yet discovered after he was charged with the murder of Natalie Allan.
“This was a vicious and pre-meditated murder which justly deserves a natural life sentence,” said Maricopa County Bill Montgomery. “The defendant’s selfishly brutal actions robbed an innocent victim of her life just as she was beginning to break free of his destructive control over her.”
Wade Bradford met Natalie Allan while he ran a prostitution business out of his condominium in Tempe. The two began dating while she worked for him and their relationship quickly became volatile. Natalie repeatedly expressed a desire to leave the business and told Bradford that the lifestyle was not for her. Over the course of many months, Bradford became more demanding, possessive and controlling of Natalie. In multiple email exchanges, he promised her a better life and claimed that he wanted to marry her and start a family. He also falsely told her he no longer ran a prostitution business.
Eventually, Natalie attempted to make a break from the defendant and his business. She began a relationship with Kevin Myles and told Bradford she was leaving him for good. She made arrangements to retrieve some of her belongings that were stored in Bradford’s condominium. On the night of May 29, 2010 she arrived at the residence with Myles to get her belongings. When she walked into the garage, Bradford was waiting in the shadows with a handgun. He approached her from behind and shot her directly in the back of the head.
Bradford then turned toward Kevin Myles, who was standing in the driveway a short distance away carrying an empty suitcase. Myles attempted to run away and tripped and fell into some shrubbery. Bradford approached him and pointed the gun at his head and told him not to move. He then fled the scene. Myles immediately called 911. Natalie was pronounced dead at the scene. Bradford was located and arrested later that night.
On June 8, 2010, a Grand Jury indicted Bradford for first degree murder and aggravated assault. He chose to represent himself at trial, presenting a convoluted and fabricated version of events which was rejected by the jury. He was found guilty as charged after only a few hours of deliberation on February 5, 2014. He then engaged in numerous procedural tactics which delayed his sentencing by more than a year.
In late 2012, while Bradford was awaiting trial, investigators became aware of a storage unit that had been rented to him. Inside they found a barrel containing the remains of Eleanor Su Pigon, who had been missing since June, 2006. Bradford was subsequently indicted for first degree murder and kidnapping. His trial on those charges is scheduled to begin on September 8, 2015.
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