Jessica Bradford

Case record: Jessica Bradford

Background

Jessica Bradford was accused of giving birth to a baby girl and hiding the body until it was found 48 days later, mummified, in a laundry basket. She was 23-years-old at the time of the death and 23-years-old when she was arrested.

Bradford worked at the Julian Youth Academy in Whitmore. Julian Youth Academy was described as a private, Christian school for troubled teens. Friends described her as a role model to young women in the programme at the private Christian school called F.A.C.E.S.S, which was described as “Fighting Against Child Exploitation and Sexual Slavery.”

The case received national headlines after it was brought to light in November 2011.

The offence

Bradford was accused of starving her baby girl to death.

Attorneys characterized the baby as having “never, ever had a chance to live,” and described Bradford’s alleged conduct as involving hiding the deceased baby.

Bradford was accused of:

• giving birth to the baby girl and hiding the body until it was found 48 days later, mummified, in a laundry basket
• keeping the pregnancy secret
• concealing the baby’s death and the baby’s remains

In statements to investigators that were presented during the trial, Bradford said:

• she kept the baby hidden in a laundry basket in her room for about a month and a half after she died
• after realizing the blankets covering her had been disturbed that day, she moved the body into a utility closet on a Friday
• she hid the baby throughout the school campus and in her car for four days before the baby died
• she did not go to look at the body kept in her room, saying, “I couldn't look at her, I was so ashamed.”
• she said, “I feel like if I named her then it was real” and “I couldn't name her after all the stuff I did to her.”
• she called the experience of being pregnant, giving birth, and allegedly hiding the death of her days-old baby “a bad dream”
• when asked why she kept the baby’s corpse hidden for nearly two months, she answered, “because I didn't want to let go of her.”

Investigation

A Shasta County jury found Jessica Bradford guilty of first-degree murder.

During investigative and courtroom discussion:

• A professor of pediatrics from UC Davis Medical Center testified that a baby could only be expected to live three or four days without nourishment.
• On both interrogation tapes, Bradford told investigators her baby lived four days.
• Detective Brian Jackson questioned Bradford about how many times Bradford would check on the deceased baby girl, wrapped in a blanket and hidden in a laundry basket.
• Bradford was asked what the baby’s name was; on three separate times during interrogation she replied, “I didn't name her” and “I don’t know.”

Interview and surveillance details presented in court

The prosecution played interrogation tape material. Bradford said that after giving birth she tried breast feeding but “she wasn't producing milk.” She then tried giving the baby water by dipping her finger in the liquid and putting it in the infant's mouth.

Bradford admitted in the interrogation tape that what she purchased with her boyfriend at a Redding grocery store was alcohol. The surveillance video was described as taken 14 hours after Bradford had secretly given birth under the deck on the school’s campus. The video showed the pair buying something.

Bradford told investigators she kept the pregnancy a secret, stating:

• “I didn't know what to do. I was scared.”
• “didn't want to disappoint anyone, my family and boss and stuff.”
• “I grew up in a Christian home, don't have sex until you're married.”

Bradford told detectives that after having contractions on September 19, 2011, she went where no one would see or hear her and, “stood up and she dropped out.” She also stated she spent the night in her car with her baby and “held her because I was so devastated.”

Bradford also described thoughts about adoption and safe surrender:

• She said that after she first felt the baby kick, she began Googling “adoption and safe surrender sites.”
• She said that after she gave birth she started making the drive to Chico to give the baby over to a surrender site, but she kept looking down at the baby, thinking, “I can't give her away."

The sheriff’s two-page summary of events presented in court described that investigators continued to interview witnesses and develop more information. The sheriff’s report described that Bradford:

• told deputies she gave birth to the child on Sept. 19
• believed the baby was stillborn
• kept the baby hidden in a laundry basket in her room for about a month and a half after she died
• moved the body into a utility closet Friday after realizing the blankets covering her had been disturbed that day
• told sheriff’s investigators she didn’t feed the baby, but tried to give the girl water when she cried

Bradford also told detectives she feared she would lose her job and her lifestyle and did not tell anyone about the baby or her pregnancy. In the sheriff’s report, Bradford said:

• “She did not want to tell her boyfriend about the baby because she did not want to affect his life and her life.”

Bradford was being held in Shasta County jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Arrest and arraignment

Bradford was arraigned in Shasta County Superior Court on Nov. 9, 2011.

It did not appear that Jessica Nicole Bradford made eye contact with her parents. Her parents sat discreetly in the back row of the courtroom and quickly left after her brief appearance.

A named judge was involved in the arraignment: Superior Court Judge James Ruggiero.

Bradford was scheduled to return to court on Nov. 16 for further arraignment. She did not enter a plea.

Bradford was arrested at the Julian Youth Academy in Whitmore in November 2011.

The reporting described that deputies arrested Bradford on Monday for allegedly allowing her 4-day-old daughter to starve to death.

Charges

At arraignment, Bradford was charged with:

• murder
• child abuse
• a related enhancement

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kafel was prosecuting the case.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kafel said Bradford faced life in prison if convicted.

Trial

The trial included closing arguments.

Juror incident during closing arguments

The trial was briefly halted during the middle of closing arguments when a juror was questioned about calling Shasta County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kafael a “bitch” during the questioning of a witness in open court. The comment was reported by another juror and confirmed by others that they had heard it. The juror denied making the comment, and the Judge ruled the juror was lying and dismissed him. The juror was replaced with another juror.

Closing arguments: prosecution

Kafel delivered closing arguments and told the jury, “This baby never, ever had a chance to live.”

Kafel said baby Lily, the infant Bradford was accused of killing was an “it” to her, saying:

• “It was a not child to her,”

Kafel’s closing arguments included remarks comparing the baby and Bradford’s hamster:

• She said, “She took better care of her hamster.”
• Kafel said the hamster had a name, food and water and that the hamster lived next to Bradford's bed, while the mummified baby was in a pile of clothes on the floor.

Kafel called Bradford selfish and said:

• “This is all about her.”

Kafel stated that during the time of the baby’s short life Bradford went to Winco, where food and milk were available, and Kafel said Bradford instead drank alcohol and ate cookies.

Kafel explained that it was a parent’s legal duty to help, care for, and rescue their child, and that failing to do so equated to the killing of a child.

Kafel also said that the baby was only named Lily because Bradford was forced to name her after the autopsy and that Bradford showed no remorse.

Kafel told the jury that Bradford admitted to investigators she starved the baby, and Kafel said that Bradford’s admission that she was weighing her options indicated premeditated murder.

Kafel argued there was no mental defense that Bradford didn’t know what to do, and Kafel said Bradford was an adult.

Kafel stated:

• “She was an adult.”

Kafel also said, “She took better care of her hamster.” and added:

• “She took better care of her hamster.”
• The text included: “Kafel heatedly told the jury, "She took better care of her hamster."” and “Kafel said at least the hamster had a name, food and water and that the hamster lived next to Bradford's bed, while the mummified baby was in a pile of clothes on the floor.”
• Kafel told the jury at one point, “She took better care of her hamster.”

Kafel made an additional remark:

• “This is all about her.”

The closing argument text also included the remark:

• and “She took better care of her hamster.” (The quotations above are reproduced verbatim as they appeared.)

Closing arguments: defence

Defense attorney Johnathan Jordan