Woman who smiled in court gets 28 years for murdering her own father

A Washington state woman, who at times smiled in court, has been sentenced to nearly three decades in prison in the killing of her father, a case prosecutors say was marked by weeks of planning.

Alyssa Bradburn, 33, was sentenced April 2 in Spokane County Superior Court to 340 months in prison after a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder with a firearm enhancement in the 2024 killing of her father, Timothy Bradburn.

The sentence, roughly 28 years, comes about a month after jurors returned the guilty verdict.

Prosecutors said Bradburn showed little emotion throughout the trial, often sitting stoically and at times smiling. During her testimony, she said she “enjoyed” the trial process but believed she deserved punishment and would accept her sentence.

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“I killed Tim Bradburn, and I am guilty,” she said during trial, smiling, according to The Spokesman-Review. “I’m not afraid anymore. I’m OK with going to prison for however long.”

According to court documents and testimony cited by prosecutors, Bradburn called 911 on June 25, 2024, and reported that she had shot her father as he returned home from a trip to Hawaii.

She told dispatchers his body was in the entryway of their Northwest Spokane home and that she would be waiting outside for police.

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Investigators say Timothy Bradburn was ambushed as he walked through the front door, still holding his suitcase and keys.

Bradburn told detectives she believed she shot him three times — twice in the chest and once in the head to make sure he was dead. An autopsy later determined he had been shot four times.

Prosecutors said the killing was deliberate.

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Bradburn admitted she began planning to kill her father weeks in advance, practicing with the firearm inside the home and getting help loading it at a gun range. She also journaled about the plan in the days leading up to the shooting.

“The evidence… demonstrated an extreme and elaborate degree of planning,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Emily Sullivan said.

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Bradburn initially claimed she acted in self-defense, alleging her father had abused her and her dogs, but later withdrew those accusations, FOX 28 Spokane reported.

During sentencing, her brother, Trace Bradburn, described the devastating impact of the loss.

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“My father was everything to me,” he said.

He also pushed back on the earlier allegations, saying they had unfairly damaged his father’s memory.

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“The false accusations made against him have deeply tarnished his memory,” he said, according to FOX 28. “My dad was an amazing man, and he never did anything to hurt anyone.”

“I just have to live my life with that… and it just guts me every day,” he added.

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Prosecutors had asked for a higher sentence, 320 months plus a 60-month firearm enhancement, arguing the killing of her own father, combined with the level of planning, made the case especially disturbing.

Bradburn’s defense attorney argued for a lower sentence, citing her lack of criminal history and mental health issues, saying she sometimes struggles to distinguish between fantasy and reality, the outlet reported.

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Judge Julie McKay ultimately imposed a mid-range sentence of 280 months, plus the 60-month firearm enhancement, for 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 sentencing, according to the outlet.

In addition to prison time, Bradburn will serve 36 months of community custody, must pay restitution related to her father’s death, and is permanently barred from contacting her brother.

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The judge acknowledged the devastation to the family, noting that no sentence could undo the loss.

Bradburn’s legal team declined to comment on the sentencing or her change in appearance.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.