A Washington state woman was seen smiling in court this week after she was sentenced to serve 28 years in prison in connection to her father’s slaying.
Alyssa Bradburn was sentenced Thursday, April 2, in Spokane County Superior Court to serve 340 months in prison. She was given her sentence about one month after a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement for her involvement in the 2024 killing of her father, Timothy Bradburn.
Prosecutors said that Bradburn, 33, showed little emotion throughout the trial and she was even seen smiling at certain times. She also sported a bald head throughout the hearing.
The odd behavior continued when she said she “enjoyed” the trial process. However, she added that she believed she deserved punishment for the crime and would accept her sentence.
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“I killed Tim Bradburn, and I am guilty,” she said during trial while smiling, according to The Spokesman-Review. “I’m not afraid anymore. I’m OK with going to prison for however long.”
Bradburn was arrested after she called 911 on June 25, 2024, and reported that she shot her father when he returned home from a trip to Hawaii, according to court documents and testimony cited by prosecutors.
She told dispatchers that his body was in the entryway of their home and that she would be waiting outside for police upon their arrival.
Timothy was ambushed as he walked through the front door of their home, according to investigators.
While speaking to detectives, Bradburn said she believed she shot her father three times: twice in the chest and once in the head. However, an autopsy later revealed that he had actually been shot four times.
Upon further investigation, prosecutors said the killing was deliberate.
Bradburn said she started planning her father’s murder weeks in advance, and she admitted to practicing with the firearm inside the home and got help loading it at a gun range.
Additionally, Bradburn journaled about the plan to kill her father just days before the shooting.
“The evidence… demonstrated an extreme and elaborate degree of planning,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Emily Sullivan said during the trial.
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Bradburn initially claimed she acted in self-defense and alleged that her father abused her and her dogs, according to FOX 28 Spokane. However, she later withdrew the allegations.
Judge Julie McKay spoke about her decision to sentence Bradburn to 280 months, plus the 60-month firearm enhancement, which came out to a total of 340 months.
“Unfortunately, the crime Ms. Bradburn decided to start her criminal history with is the most significant and serious that we have,” McKay said during the sentencing.
Bradburn was also ordered to serve 36 months of community custody, she must pay restitution related to her father’s death and she is permanently barred from contacting her brother.
