Alyssa Bradburn, a 33-year-old woman from Spokane, Washington, was found guilty of first-degree homicide of her father, Timothy, on March 2.
This week, she was sentenced to 28 years in prison. The ruling came after the Spokane County Superior Court considered her journal as evidence, in which she revealed her plans to take out her father days in advance.
Beyond the court’s decision, what captured the attention of netizens was Alyssa’s expression. She was seen smiling during the sentencing.
She has previously spoken about the damage Timothy had caused to her while she was only a baby.
“I ki**ed Tim Bradburn, and I am guilty,” she said with conviction, according to several news outlets. “I’m okay with going to prison for however long.”
Timothy Bradburn was ambushed by his daughter when he returned from a trip
Image credits: KREM 2 News
According to police records and testimony cited by prosecutors, Alyssa called 911 on June 25, 2024, to report that she had discharged a firearm at her father as he returned from Hawaii.
She told dispatchers his body would be found in the entryway of their Northwest Spokane home and that she would be waiting outside for them.
Investigators said Timothy was attacked as soon as he walked through the front door, still holding his suitcase and keys.
Image credits: KREM 2 News
Alyssa told detectives she believed she fired three bullets — twice in the chest and once in the head — to guarantee Timothy did not survive.
An autopsy, however, determined four wounds on his body.
Alyssa admitted she began preparing for the day of the attack three weeks in advance, practicing with a firearm inside their home and receiving help loading it at the shooting range.
Image credits: KREM 2 News
She started recording her course of action in a journal four days before the offense.
The contents of the journal were not disclosed, but Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Emily Sullivan said, “It demonstrated an extreme and elaborate degree of planning.”
The court concurred, sentencing Alyssa to nearly three decades behind bars.
This came after she said she “enjoyed” the trial experience and was ready to be “punished.”
Alyssa had cited a**se as the reason for acting against her father, but later withdrew the claim
Image credits: KREM 2 News
According to a 2024 report by KHQ, an NBC-affiliated local news broadcaster, Alyssa accused her father of violating her when she was a baby.
She also alleged that he regularly harmed both her and her dogs.
She waived the claim at the end of the trial following her brother Trace Bradburn’s testimony.
Image credits: KREM 2 News
Her older brother recounted a “close” and “loving” family history when he took the stand, per Spokesman-Review, a local daily.
He said his father and mother, Garland Bradburn (who passed away from lung cancer in 2019), “would do anything for their daughter.”
At the sentencing, Trace said his “father was everything” to him.
Image credits: KREM 2 News
He pushed back on his sister’s allegations by calling them false.
“My dad was an amazing man, and he never did anything to hurt anybody,” he said.
“Whether that’s physical or s**ual, he would never have done that. Anyone who knows my father, my family, would attest to that.”
Prosecutors had demanded a harsher sentence for Alyssa, but the defense argued she was mentally ill and asked the court for leniency
Image credits: KREM 2 News
The state wanted Alyssa to be sentenced to 32 years in prison.
The defense argued for a 25-year term, saying she sometimes struggles to distinguish between reality and fantasy.
“I think the term is neurodivergent,” Alyssa’s lawyer said, per reports.
Image credits: KREM 2 News
Judge Julie McKay ultimately imposed a mid-range sentence.
Alyssa will also serve 36 months of community custody after prison and is required to pay $4,500 in restitution.
She is permanently barred from contacting her brother.
“How is she supposed to pay restitution from behind bars?” a netizen questioned.
Many others wondered about Alyssa’s “real motive” for taking out her father.
“Whatever she said he did, I believe her,” a separate user remarked
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