The Dec. 7 hearing could determine whether a homicide case marked by allegations of planning advances toward a grand jury.
LEESBURG, Va. — Roger Paul Bradford will face the next major stage of the case over his wife’s killing without a conventional defense lawyer at his side after a Loudoun County judge permitted him to represent himself. Bradford, 60, is accused of killing Lisa Bradford at their Aldie home on Sept. 22 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Dec. 7.
The decision to allow Bradford to act as his own attorney has become the newest development in a case that has changed substantially since deputies first entered the couple’s home. Bradford is currently described in court reporting as facing second-degree murder and a firearm charge, although the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office initially announced a first-degree murder charge. Prosecutors have said they believe evidence supports premeditation and have indicated they intend to seek a first-degree count as the case proceeds. Bradford is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
At his first Loudoun County court appearance after extradition from Pennsylvania, Bradford told the judge that he planned to represent himself and did not want a bond hearing. The judge warned him to be careful about making statements without an attorney. During a later proceeding, Judge Charles Koehler questioned Bradford about the disadvantages of proceeding without trained counsel, including the requirement that he follow the same courtroom and evidence rules as a licensed lawyer. Bradford maintained his decision but said he would welcome standby counsel. His request for more preparation time pushed the preliminary hearing to Dec. 7.
The legal posture means the next hearing may focus not only on what prosecutors say happened at the Bradford home but also on how Bradford manages his own defense. A preliminary hearing is not a trial and does not decide guilt. Instead, the court considers whether the prosecution has established the legal basis necessary for the case to continue. Prosecutors have signaled that they expect the matter eventually to reach a grand jury if the case is certified. The exact charges that would be presented at later stages have not yet been finally resolved in the public record.
The evidence expected to shape that process extends far beyond the first emergency call. Authorities say Bradford contacted family members after Lisa Bradford was killed. According to court documents cited in local reports, he apologized and said he had shot his wife. He allegedly asked that the couple’s juvenile daughter be picked up so she would not arrive at the house and discover what had happened. The relative contacted authorities, leading deputies to the residence in the 24000 block of Quimby Oaks Place shortly after noon.
Deputies found Lisa Bradford, 54, dead when they entered the house at about 12:10 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office. Her husband was no longer there. Investigators determined that he was driving a rental vehicle and began trying to locate him as the search moved out of Loudoun County. Police agencies in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania participated. At about 3:15 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police took Bradford into custody in Bedford, ending a search that had crossed three states in only a few hours.
What police say they found with Bradford later became important to the theory of the case. A search warrant affidavit described a journal recovered from the rental car. Investigators said the journal listed several people Bradford allegedly intended to kill and that Lisa Bradford’s name appeared with the date on which she died. Authorities have not publicly released a complete list of the other names. Prosecutors have said other parts of the journal could draw attention from federal authorities or investigators connected with Iowa, where Bradford previously faced an unrelated federal fraud prosecution.
The journal is not the only evidence authorities have cited in arguing that the killing may have been planned. Investigators allege that Bradford visited a storage facility in Ashburn on the morning of Sept. 22 and obtained .45-caliber ammunition. He then allegedly traveled to a Home Depot in South Riding and bought 36-inch nylon zip ties. Court records say Lisa Bradford was found with her hands restrained. Authorities allege Bradford returned to the family home that morning before the killing. Prosecutors later told the court they believed the circumstances showed premeditation.
Those details help explain the difference between the first public announcement and the charge described at Bradford’s arraignment. On Sept. 22, the sheriff’s office said Bradford had been charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. After his return to Virginia, however, court officials referred to a second-degree murder warrant. A prosecutor told the court that the state intended to pursue first-degree murder based on the evidence. Until a charging document is formally changed, the allegations before the court and the sheriff’s first announcement should not be treated as identical.
Bradford’s statements in a separate federal case have supplied additional background but are not themselves proof of the homicide allegations. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Iowa and received a 20-month federal prison sentence in 2023. The prosecution concerned a kickback arrangement related to construction work. In a January 2026 court filing seeking to challenge his conviction, Bradford said his imprisonment had damaged his professional reputation and personal relationships. He also wrote that his marriage to Lisa was moving toward divorce and that the prospect of losing the marriage was “too much to bear.”
The homicide investigation has produced allegations that are more concrete than that earlier expression of distress. Police have pointed to the alleged journal, the ammunition, the zip ties, Bradford’s movements and his communications with relatives. Investigators also were looking for the firearm used in the killing and Lisa Bradford’s cellphone during the early stages of the case. Authorities have not publicly announced a complete account of all recovered evidence, and material gathered through search warrants may be challenged as Bradford’s case moves through court.
While the court case has increasingly focused on Bradford’s conduct, friends and neighbors have described Lisa Bradford through a different set of facts. She worked in real estate and was known in her Aldie community for professional involvement and volunteer work. Neighbors described her as generous and attentive to people around her. The Dulles Area Association of Realtors remembered her as a valued member whose kindness would be missed. She and Bradford had three children together, according to authorities and local reporting.
Her funeral took place in October at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Aldie. Hundreds attended, according to local reports. That same day, Loudoun County deputies were returning Bradford from Pennsylvania after he waived extradition. Friends who spoke outside the service emphasized Lisa Bradford’s influence on her family and community rather than the allegations against her husband, underscoring how two processes were unfolding at once: a family was mourning, while a criminal case was beginning its formal journey through Virginia courts.
Bradford’s decision to represent himself will now influence how that journey proceeds. He may receive assistance from standby counsel, but he remains responsible for his own courtroom decisions unless his representation status changes. The Dec. 7 preliminary hearing is expected to be the next major public proceeding. There, the evidence that has surfaced in search warrants and law enforcement accounts can begin moving from investigative allegations into an adversarial court process in which the prosecution must establish the legal basis for taking the case forward.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 8, 2026.