Fresno jurors return quick verdict in trial of man accused of murdering girlfriend
It took a Fresno County jury less than three hours to find James Gonzales-Gay guilty of first-degree murder for fatally shooting his girlfriend Breanna Bradford in 2017.
Gonzales-Gay, 39, had little reaction as the verdict was read.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family members shouted with joy when they heard Judge David Gottlieb say the words: “guilty of first-degree murder.”
“Thank you Lord, thank you Lord,” they said as they hugged each other just outside of the courtroom.
The Sept. 15, 2017 murder of Bradford, 22, described as a bubbly woman with a contagious smile, shocked her family members and friends.
What was even more shocking, they said, was Gonzales-Gay’s attempt at an alibi. He and his attorney Mark Siegel alleged during his trial that he was drugged and sexually assaulted while unconscious by Bradford and a female friend.
In a letter to Bradford’s older sister, he admitted to killing his girlfriend, saying the trauma from the alleged assault was a factor in why he shot her.
Bradford’s family members said they are grateful jurors did not believe Gonzales-Gay’s story. “We knew he was going to come up with some incredible story about why he killed her,” said Nyjae Kelso, the victim’s niece.
“We just didn’t know it was going to be so extreme. We are so thankful to the jurors for listening to the facts. We got justice. And we know she (Breanna) is looking down and is happy that her family was fighting for her and representing her to the end.”
The family also thanked Senior Deputy District Attorney Elana Smith for winning the case.
Smith, a member of the District Attorney’s homicide team, shared the family’s relief over the verdict with hugs and a few tears. “There are certain cases that you feel very close to,” Smith said. “And this was one of them.”
During the trial, Smith described Gonzales-Gay, a convicted felon, as an abusive, controlling and violent man.
The night of the murder, Gonzales-Gay went to Bradford’s apartment and demanded she come with him. He told her someone was out to get him and he needed a ride to his home in Sanger.
After making several random stops, including a Jack in the Box in Hanford, he shot her as she sat in the passenger seat, according to law enforcement.
Her body was found inside her car a few days later on Ventura Avenue and Ninth Street. Litter from their Jack in the Box meal was strewn next to her silver Volkswagen GTI. Sitting in the passenger seat was Bradford’s body. She was loosely wrapped in a table cloth Gonzales-Gay got from his mother’s house. Her head was covered with a cardboard box to try and disguise what was inside the car.
Neighbors called police after noticing a strong smell coming from the car. “This is such a tragedy,” Smith said. “And so senseless.”
Sentencing for Gonzales-Gay is scheduled for June 18. He could receive a maximum sentence of more than 100 years in prison.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 3:01 PM.
