Roger Bradford, a Northern Virginia data center consulting company CEO accused of killing his wife Lisa Bradford in their Northern Virginia home, was captured in Pennsylvania and awaits extradition to face first- and second-degree murder charges, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and a redacted criminal complaint.
Arrest on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Bradford residence just after noon on Tuesday, where they found Lisa Bradford, an accomplished real estate agent and mother of three, shot and dead, according to NBC Washington. Investigators tracked a rental car driven by Roger Bradford—who went by Paul—north to Pennsylvania, according to Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman. Pennsylvania State Police located the vehicle on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bedford County and took Bradford into custody at approximately 3:45 p.m.
“He actually left the scene by way of a rent-a-car, and we were able to track the rental car that went up to Pennsylvania,” Sheriff Chapman said, according to NBC Washington. Authorities noted that the gun used in the shooting had not yet been recovered at the time of the initial arrest.
Details from the Criminal Complaint
A redacted criminal complaint filed in the case details that Bradford contacted a relative after the shooting, apologized for killing his wife, and asked the family member to retrieve his daughter to prevent her from discovering the body. The relative promptly notified law enforcement. Court records and complaints cited by NBC Washington indicate Bradford had expressed suicidal intentions during the call.
In addition to first- and second-degree murder charges, Bradford faces a weapons charge for using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Court filings from January show Bradford previously pled guilty to wire fraud in 2019 in Iowa related to a kickback scheme, serving federal prison time. In those recent filings, Bradford stated that lack of mental health access in prison worsened his conditions, and he described his impending divorce as “too much to bear.” As a convicted felon, he was barred from possessing firearms.
Community Impact and Extradition Proceedings
Lisa Bradford was deeply embedded in the local community, serving on her neighborhood homeowners association board and earning recognition from the Dulles Area Association of Realtors, which posted a message on Facebook mourning her death. “She was a fixture in this neighborhood, she was on the HOA board, and just a really beloved human being,” neighbor John Niles told NBC Washington.
Roger Bradford is currently held in Pennsylvania pending an extradition hearing scheduled for Friday morning, after which he will be returned to Virginia to face prosecution.
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