Realtor Found Dead at Home, Husband Charged After Manhunt

A Northern Virginia real estate agent was found dead inside her home Tuesday, and her husband was arrested in Pennsylvania about three hours later after a search that crossed three states, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Roger Bradford, 60, has been charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the death of his wife, Lisa Bradford, 54.

Deputies responded to the couple’s Aldie home at about 12:10 p.m. on Sept. 22 after a relative contacted authorities. Lisa Bradford was found dead at the residence, while Roger Bradford had already left the area in a rental vehicle, officials said.

Lisa Bradford was a longtime real estate agent in Northern Virginia and a mother of three. NBC Washington reported that neighbors remembered her as an active and caring presence in the community, adding a personal dimension to a case that quickly expanded beyond the neighborhood where she lived.

A Call From a Relative

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said a relative alerted authorities after speaking with Roger Bradford. According to NBC Washington, the relative told investigators that Bradford had disclosed what had happened and directed them to the home.

The sheriff’s office said investigators believe the shooting was domestic in nature. Officials have not publicly established a motive, and the criminal charge remains an allegation that must be proven in court.

By the time deputies arrived, Bradford was gone. Investigators tracked the rental vehicle north as the search moved from Virginia through Maryland and into Pennsylvania.

The Search Ended in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Police located Bradford in Bedford, Pennsylvania, at approximately 3:15 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office. He was taken into custody and held pending extradition to Virginia.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office credited Pennsylvania State Police, Maryland State Police and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office with assisting in the search. Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the public after the arrest.

Fox News reported that investigators were still conducting searches connected to the case, including the couple’s home and the rental vehicle. At the time of the initial investigation, officials said the handgun believed to have been used had not been recovered.

A Family and Community Left Behind

Lisa Bradford had been licensed as a real estate agent since 2008, according to reporting cited by Fox News. NBC Washington described her as an accomplished agent, while neighbors spoke publicly about her involvement in the community.

Officials said the couple’s three children had been notified. Two were attending college and one was enrolled in high school, according to local reporting. None of the children was reported to have been home at the time.

Roger Bradford remains accused, not convicted. His case will proceed through extradition and the Virginia court system. For Lisa Bradford’s family and neighbors, the legal process begins after a day in which a call from a relative led deputies to her home and a multi-state search ended hours later with her husband in custody.

What Comes Next

The immediate procedural issue is extradition. The sheriff’s office said Bradford was being held in Pennsylvania pending his return to Virginia, where the first-degree murder and firearm charges were filed. That transfer will place the case before the court with jurisdiction over the charges. The public record available at the time of this batch did not establish a plea.

Investigators also asked anyone with additional information to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. That request reflects how early the case remained even after the arrest: the suspect had been located, but detectives were still working through the evidence, the vehicle and the circumstances inside the home.

References: Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office - LCSO Charges Man With Murder in Aldie Shooting | NBC Washington - Woman Killed Inside Loudoun County Home, Husband Arrested in Pennsylvania | Fox News - Husband Charged With Murder After Realtor Wife Found Dead

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