5. Justice Denied?

Summary

This Doesn't Happen to People Like Me: Episode 5 – Justice Denied?

Release Date: March 14, 2025
Host: Mike Boudet
Series: Sword and Scale

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Introduction

In Episode 5 of This Doesn't Happen to People Like Me, titled "Justice Denied?", host Mike Boudet delves deeper into the harrowing case of Tina Lohman, a 77-year-old grandmother whose life was brutally shattered by a violent crime. This episode explores the complexities of the legal battle that ensued following Tina's tragic assault and untimely death, highlighting the emotional turmoil faced by her family and the challenges prosecutors encountered in seeking justice.

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Recap of Tina Lohman's Tragic Story

The episode begins with a poignant reminder of Tina Lohman's ordeal. On the evening of November 9, 2021, Tina was subjected to a series of heinous crimes by Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge. As Mike Boudet narrates:

[00:27] Prosecutor Josh Jones: "Tina was told repeatedly they would kill her if she did not comply with their demands."

Tina endured robbery, physical violence, and sexual assault, leaving her family and the town in profound shock.

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Bradley Yawn's Criminal Past and Mistaken Release

A significant focus of this episode is Bradley Yawn's extensive criminal history, which includes multiple misdemeanors and felonies across Illinois and Missouri. Prosecutor Laura Keck outlines his past offenses:

[02:32] Prosecutor Laura Keck: "Sentences to the various departments of corrections in Illinois and Missouri including three years, three years, three years, five years, four."

Despite his long criminal record, a clerical error at the St. Charles County Jail led to Bradley's inadvertent release on October 22, 2021. This mistake proved fatal, as Bradley was free to carry out his violent crimes against Tina shortly after his release.

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The Assault and Its Immediate Aftermath

Following Bradley and Karen's arrest on November 10, 2021, the community believed Tina was on the path to recovery. However, her resilience was short-lived:

[07:10] Prosecutor Laura Keck: "And you were with Tina pretty much every day from November 9th to when she passed away on December 12th?"

Tina struggled with the physical and emotional pain from her assault, ultimately succumbing to heart failure just a month later. Her family staunchly believes that the trauma inflicted by her attackers directly led to her untimely death.

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Prosecutors' Dilemma: Charging Decisions

The core of this episode examines the difficult decision prosecutors faced in charging Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge. While the family sought murder charges, Prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck opted for a different legal strategy:

[24:29] Prosecutor Laura Keck: "They were not charged with murder. We did have an autopsy done on Ms. Loman to determine a cause of death... there was just not enough evidence for us to feel confident."

Instead of pursuing first-degree murder charges, the prosecutors decided to charge the perpetrators with a series of other serious crimes, aiming to secure lengthy prison sentences that would effectively remove them from society for life.

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Family's Struggle with the Legal Outcome

Tina's family expressed profound disappointment and frustration with the prosecutorial decisions:

[27:40] Prosecutor Josh Jones: "As prosecutors, our job is to seek justice for what we believe we can actually prove."

[28:45] Tina's Family Member: "When I first learned that murder charges weren't going to happen, I was very upset... I really wish her death would have been investigated further."

The family grappled with the emotional devastation of losing Tina and the feeling that justice was not fully served, as the attackers were not held accountable for her death in a court of law.

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Prosecutors' Legal Strategy and its Implications

Prosecutors Jones and Keck articulated their rationale for not pursuing murder charges, emphasizing the importance of evidence beyond a reasonable doubt:

[25:10] Mike Boudet: "Charge, instead of bringing murder charges against Bradley and Karen, prosecutors decided to charge them with a slew of other crimes."

[26:15] Mike Boudet: "Essentially, prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck developed a strategy that, if successful, would put Bradley and Karen behind bars for a very long time."

Their approach focused on securing convictions for home invasion, aggravated kidnapping, vehicular hijacking, criminal sexual assault, and residential burglary, believing these charges were more substantiated by the available evidence.

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Courtroom Turmoil and Trial Proceedings

As the case progressed to trial, unexpected developments emerged, revealing the tumultuous nature of the legal process. Bradley Yawn chose to defend himself, leading to chaotic courtroom dynamics:

[31:25] Tina's Family Member: "I had secondhand embarrassment a majority of the time. Eyes were rolled, sighs were sighed."

Karen Blackledge's courtroom behavior further alienated the family, adding to their anguish and sense of injustice.

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Conclusion: A Quest for Justice Begins Anew

Episode 5 concludes on a tense note, hinting at the dramatic and unsettling events that unfolded during the trial. The prosecution's strategic decisions, while legally sound, left Tina's family feeling that true justice was elusive. The episode sets the stage for the subsequent parts of the series, promising deeper exploration into the ramifications of the trial and the lingering quest for accountability.

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Notable Quotes

• Prosecutor Laura Keck [00:17]: "He forced her into the passenger seat as they were driving. The man began to force Tina to perform sexual acts on him."

• Tina's Family Member [00:32]: "When I first found out their names, it made it more real. It was like, okay, this is actually. This actually happened."

• Prosecutor Laura Keck [25:10]: "We were going to focus on cases that we knew we could prove with the evidence that we had. And with those cases, we could get a sentence that would basically be the same as a life sentence."

• Tina's Family Member [27:40]: "When I first learned that murder charges weren't going to happen, I was very upset... I really wish her death would have been investigated further."

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Key Takeaways

• Systemic Failures: The episode underscores how bureaucratic errors, like the mistaken release of Bradley Yawn, can have catastrophic consequences, highlighting flaws within the correctional system.

• Emotional Toll: Tina's family's journey through trauma, loss, and the pursuit of justice paints a poignant picture of the human cost of violent crimes.

• Legal Complexities: Prosecutors faced moral and legal dilemmas in deciding how best to prosecute the attackers, balancing the pursuit of justice with the constraints of the legal system.

• Community Impact: Tina's death not only devastated her family but also left a lasting scar on the community, illustrating how individual tragedies resonate broadly.

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This episode masterfully intertwines factual recounting with emotional narratives, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dance between victims, families, and the legal machinery in the aftermath of a brutal crime.

Transcript

[Mike Boudet]

Last time on this Doesn't Happen to People Like Me.

[Tina's Family Member]

Just in the time like she was 77. She was born and raised in a time where you just don't talk about that kind of stuff.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

He forced her into the passenger seat as they were driving. The man began to force Tina to perform sexual acts on him.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

Tina was told repeatedly they would kill her if she did not comply with their demands.

[Tina's Family Member]

When I first found out their names, it made it more real. It was like, okay, this is actually. This actually happened.

[Mike Boudet]

Welcome to this Doesn't Happen to People Like Me. A ten part true crime series on the story of Tina Lohman. Special thanks to to the family of Tina Loman for sharing her story with us. If you like the show, please tell a friend. Please leave a review on Apple and Spotify. You can find an ad free version of this show@ swordsgale.com I'm your host Mike Boudet. This show was written and produced by Michael Stabile. On the evening of November 9, 2021, 34 year old Bradley Yawn and 33 year old Karen Blackledge brutally victimized 77 year old T Tina Lohman. They robbed her, they stole her car, jewelry and money. They broke into her home and threatened her life with a knife. They beat her, they threw her down the stairs and they raped her. Then, in an effort to hide forensic evidence, they sprayed her body and the inside of her mouth with carpet cleaner. The next day, both Bradley and Karen were arrested. Eventually, Tina and her family would come to find that Bradley Yan had absolutely no business being on the streets in the first place.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

The defendant has an extensive history of prior delinquency and criminal activity, including not.

[Mike Boudet]

Less than 12 misdemeanors, but more importantly.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Sentences to the various departments of corrections in Illinois and Missouri including three years, three years, three years, five years, four.

[Narrator]

Years, three years, three years and seven years.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley had a long criminal history. Mostly his charges and convictions were for burglary and drug possession.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Also, Marion County, Missouri were a charged.

[Narrator]

Second degree burglary which would be a.

[Mike Boudet]

Class four felony in Missouri. In October of 2021, Bradley was arrested yet again and booked into the St. Charles County Jail in Missouri, about 100 miles south of Quincy, Illinois. This time Bradley was locked up for unlawfully possessing a firearm.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

I also note in St. Charles County, Missouri, an unlawful possession of firearm by a dangerous felon, a class C felony in Missouri.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley was a criminal and he was exactly where he needed to be, in a cage. If for nothing else, he needed to be locked away to prevent him from victimizing the public and possibly killing someone with the illegal gun he'd been carrying around.

[Narrator]

Well, he faced some criminal charges for some serious offenses previously in Adams, Morgan, Pike, Scott, Sangamon, Hancock counties, and those are in all in Illinois, Marion county, and Drain counties in Missouri. But the first day that I was in the courtroom, the judge said, what I find to be the most disturbing is the pending charge from St. Charles County, Missouri. And what I came to find out was that he was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as a dangerous felon, and an arrest warrant had been issued on October 19th of 2021, and his bond had been set at $50,000.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley wasn't wealthy, and he couldn't afford to pay a $50,000 bail. This was a good thing. The high bail was a great way to keep Bradley behind bars pending a trial. Should he be convicted, he could then be sentenced for his crime. At least that's how things should have played out.

[Narrator]

However, there was a mistake that was made by the Department of corrections in St. Charles County.

[Mike Boudet]

The exact details of what happened inside the St. Charles, Missouri jailhouse are a bit unclear, but apparently some of their paperwork had not been filed correctly. A box was checked that should have never been checked. St. Charles county had a clerical error, and they had released him. On October 22, the jail staff in St. Charles released Bradley by mistake. They noticed this mistake the next day, but by then it was too late. Bradley was already out, and nobody knew where to find him.

[Narrator]

He was mistakenly released, and that kind of got lost in the shuffle over time that that actually happened. I didn't really factor much into what happened going forth, except I just remember the family talking a lot about, you know, he shouldn't have even been out.

[Mike Boudet]

The St. Charles County Jail unleashed a rabid dog on the world, and Tina Lohman had the horrible misfortune of running into that dog. Bradley robbed, beat, kidnapped, and sexually assaulted Tina. The next day, Bradley and his accomplice Karen Blackledge, were arrested. They were both arraigned in an Adams County, Illinois, courtroom. Bradley Yahn appeared in Adams County Circuit Court today, where it was revealed he was mistakenly released from the St. Charles County, Missouri jail last month, where he was held on an unlawful possession of a firearm charge. About a month after Bradley and Karen were arrested, Tina Lohman collapsed in her home. She was found unresponsive and rushed to a hospital, where she tragically died of heart failure. Tina wanted to recover from the assault she had endured, but she never got the chance. Sadly, the final month of Tina's life was anything but easy.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

And you were with Tina pretty much every day from November 9th to when she passed away on December 12th?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Those last month of her life, was she in pain?

[Tina's Family Member]

Yes, she.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Was she hurt from the injuries that she suffered?

[Narrator]

Yes, she did.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Did you see bruises to her? I saw some bruises, and she hurt.

[Narrator]

A lot on her. Her tailbone.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

It was hard for her to sit?

[Tina's Family Member]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Hard for her to stand?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Was she having difficulty eating or drinking because of the burns in her mouth? Is it fair to say she was.

[Mike Boudet]

In pain until she died?

[Tina's Family Member]

Yes, she was.

[Mike Boudet]

Despite the pain, Tina did appear to be recovering during the final month of her life. She seemed like she was getting better every day, but she never made a full recovery. Tina died completely unexpectedly. She was doing great, though.

[Tina's Family Member]

She had been to the doctor, and.

[Mike Boudet]

The doctors all gave her a clean bill of health, and she was doing great.

[Tina's Family Member]

She had called me the day before.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Wanting to know what I wanted for.

[Mike Boudet]

Christmas, and then she just died.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

For the weeks after her assault, Tina was in pain, both emotional pain and physical pain. She never had the opportunity to recover because on December 12, 2021, Tina's heart broke and she died.

[Mike Boudet]

Tina died. And after this happened, the news of her death eventually reached prosecutors Laura Keck and Josh Jones.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Tina was incredibly strong. When we met with her. She had such a positive outlook. That's what stuck with me, was that she had gone through this, frankly, horrific act, and she sat with us and talked with us and told us what had happened. We didn't go into great detail, because that's just not what we're taught to do as prosecutors as far as at that stage in the investigation, but she just was remarkably strong and had such a positive outlook on the process. I mean, I've met with many different victims of many different crimes, and I will say that that meeting with Tina was just incredible about how positive and how optimistic she was Almost immediately after these things occurred to her.

[Mike Boudet]

Before her death, Tina seemed ready and able to face the hardship she'd endured. She was willing to do whatever the prosecutors needed to ensure nobody else would be victimized by her attackers. But it was not meant to be. Tina never got to see her day in court.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

Tina was somebody who she was still working not because she had to, but she worked because she loved her business, that she owned. She loved her family. Family was so important to her. Her family would tell stories of making sure she had the perfect present for not only every one of her children, but every one of her grandchildren, her great grandchildren. She focused on whatever she could do to make her family happy, from, as I said, her kids all the way to her great grandkids. And that was beyond her business, the focus of her life.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

You know, the family told us that Tina's favorite holiday was Christmas. And I think that's one of the things we said at the trial, that Tina was that kind of grandma who. The moment. The moment on Thanksgiving that dinner was finished and you were washing the dishes, she was already thinking about putting up the Christmas decorations.

[Mike Boudet]

Like always, Tina went to great lengths to prepare for her favorite holiday. She decorated and wrapped gifts for her family. But again, it was not meant to be. Tina died two weeks before Christmas, after she passed away.

[Tina's Family Member]

You know, it was right before Christmas, which was her holiday. That was her big. She waited all year for Christmas. Every year.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

She had bought the Christmas presents. They were wrapped. They were ready to be placed under that Christmas tree. But Tina Loman, she wouldn't get to see the joy and the looks of anticipation on the faces of those grandchildren and great grandchildren. She wouldn't get to hear them say, merry Christmas, grandma, when they showed up at her house to open those presents. She wouldn't get to experience the joy of opening the presents that her husband and children had bought her.

[Tina's Family Member]

So that Christmas was especially hard. Just. It felt empty. You know, she was in all of my childhood memories with Christmas, all of them, and just. It felt like a void. And being in that house was just haunting. It just felt wrong without her. You know, she had her tree decorated. All of her presents were wrapped. It just.

[Mike Boudet]

It just wasn't the same for the family. Losing Tina was devastating, and they knew that Christmas and their lives would never be the same again. For prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck, who were responsible for prosecuting Tina's attackers, this unexpected death was certainly sad. But there was also something else they needed to think about.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

I was shocked. It had only been a couple of weeks since the incident. Josh and I had just met with her recently. And it was a combination of, as a person just feeling so sad that this person had died after such a terrible thing happening to her, as well as a prosecutor balancing that with, oh, my goodness, what are we going to do? Because all this great evidence that we have is now potentially out the door. If we don't have Tina to testify.

[Mike Boudet]

At our trial, Tina Loman would not be able to sit on the witness stand. She wouldn't be able to point at Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge and say, they did this to me. Without Tina, there was a chance that Bradley and Karen could walk away from this crime without facing any consequences at all. Without Tina, there was a chance that these criminals could end up back on the street, free to victimize someone else. Maybe you.

[Narrator]

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[Tina's Family Member]

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[Narrator]

As it is delicious. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Mike Boudet]

In December of 2021, Tina Loman died unexpectedly of heart failure. This loss was devastating for Tina's family, especially because Tina had just endured and survived a hurt, horrific sexual assault one month before her death. The assault and unexpected death was a one, two punch to Tina's family and likely something that they will never truly recover from.

[Tina's Family Member]

We coped as best as we could. I don't think anything can prepare you for what we went through. Not only the trauma of what happened to her and then losing her a month later. I think it's just still. It's. We're still not even over it. I don't know if we ever will be.

[Mike Boudet]

While the family was doing their best to deal with this tragedy, the state Attorney's office in Adams county was wrestling with the fact that they had lost their victim and key witness. Prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck had to figure out how they would proceed with their cases against Tina Lohman's attackers. Without Tina Lohman, thankfully, not all was lost. The attackers, Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge, weren't the smartest criminals. In fact, criminals typically aren't. Far from it. They unwillingly provided police and prosecutors with a lot of evidence.

[Narrator]

So when Bradley Yan was found, he was found in Springfield.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

So they got a search warrant for that location, executed that search Warrant, and found Mr. Yan and Ms. Blackledge in a trailer. They searched the property and found multiple pieces of evidence that would link Mr. Yan and Ms. Blackledge with the crime.

[Mike Boudet]

To say that multiple pieces of evidence were found was not only true, but. But it's also quite an understatement. Again, Bradley and Karen were basically career criminals, but it clearly wasn't a career that suited them. In other words, they were extremely lousy.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

At covering their tracks as what was found on him. There was a cornucopia of evidence that we found on him. I Mean, we'd start with the fact that he had the victim's keys, the keys to her vehicle that was found a couple blocks away from where he was. And again, we have him on video driving that car. The night in question.

[Mike Boudet]

When Bradley Yon was arrested, not only had police found Tina's car keys on him, but Bradley had some of Tina's other belongings slung over his shoulder.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

When you arrived at that location, was the defendant already in handcuffs?

[Mike Boudet]

He was. He was prone, down on the ground in handcuffs.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

You say prone, lying on the ground?

[Mike Boudet]

My. Yes. On his stomach, on the ground.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

When he was lying on the ground in handcuffs, did you notice anything about him, anything that he was wearing or had on him?

[Mike Boudet]

He had a purse that was wrapped. The strap was wrapped over the shoulder.

[Narrator]

And then when the handcuffs were.

[Mike Boudet]

I did not handcuff him, but when I walked around, there he was laying there. The purse was through the handcuffs.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

And did you look at the items that were in that purse as well?

[Mike Boudet]

I did. When police took Tina's purse off Bradley's shoulder, they searched it and found several things that belonged to Tina.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

That purse had certain items of personal property in it? Yes. Had DBS checks.

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

From American Builder Supply?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes, sir.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Checks that were made payable to Tina?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

It also had a voter ID card for Tina Loan, correct?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

There were also other items of personal property in that. Correct?

[Mike Boudet]

Correct.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Was there also a set of keys? Yes. Those keys belong to a Toyota Avalon, is that right? Correct.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley had checks made payable to Tina Loman and her business. He had an ID card with Tina's name on it, and he had her car keys. But that wasn't all.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Told us that when you arrested the defendant. When the defendant was arrested, he had what you believe to be women's jewelry.

[Mike Boudet]

On his person, correct?

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

This watch and this chain, Is that what you're referring to?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes, sir.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

You also said you patted him down. You found some property in his pocket. Is that in his pocket? Is. Is this some of the items that you found?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

And specifically, in the middle of that picture, is there a silver and white rose?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes. Bradley had multiple pieces of women's jewelry on him and a Catholic rosary. All of these items were later confirmed as belonging to Tina.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Did you recognize that jewelry in that bag?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

And who did that jewelry belong to?

[Narrator]

It belonged to Christine or Tina Loman.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Your wife.

[Narrator]

My wife.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Did you recognize that rosary?

[Tina's Family Member]

Yes.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Who did that rosary belong to?

[Mike Boudet]

It belonged to Tina.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Had you seen Tina with that rosary before?

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Mike Boudet]

Lastly, and certainly not least, the police found several Things that belonged to both Tina and her husband.

[Narrator]

They found several items. They found a chainsaw, a hedge trimmer, and a Star Trek pin. Apparently, Tina was a big Star Trek fan. Also found was $8,345 in cash.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

There was so much evidence that would point to him being the person who stole these things from Tina. Tina's not going to give somebody a check that's signed to her. Tina's not going to give somebody her voting ID card. Tina's not going to give somebody the keys to her car. Tina's not going to give somebody her rosary or the watch or the necklace. So all these things were found on or near the defendant.

[Mike Boudet]

Given all this evidence, you might think that this should be an open and shut case. But as time would tell, that was not the situation at all and far from it. For starters, prosecutors had to figure out exactly what criminal charges they were going to file against Bradley and Karen. What they settled on was at odds with what Tina's family wanted.

[Tina's Family Member]

So the official cause of her death was an enlarged heart. In my opinion, my grandma would have not passed away had she been attacked. She didn't have any heart problems.

[Mike Boudet]

For Tina's family, and for really anyone who takes a close look at this case, there isn't much doubt that Tina died in December of 2021 because she had been viciously assaulted a month earlier. Bradley and Karen caused Tina's death. So of course, Tina's family wanted both of them charged with murder.

[Narrator]

In December of 2021, Tina Loman died somewhat unexpectedly. What I do know is this. Bradley Yan was not charged with murder.

[Mike Boudet]

Sadly, more devastation awaited Tina's family as they learned that Bradley and Karen would not face murder charges. On top of that, when the court proceedings began, things only got more and more devastating for Tina's family.

[Tina's Family Member]

Perdio sutra bajo redujeron susoras ponderia calificar para los beneficios del segro de desempleo de Oregon. Es gratis applicar sincostos nitarifas paroptender beneficios y los servicios de interpretacion Estandis ponibbles presentar su solicitud es facil Yame al uno ocho siete, siete, tres cuatro, cinco tres cuatro, ocho, cuatro uno ocho, siete, siete, tres cuatro, cinco, tres cuatro, ocho, cuatro Para recivira yuda encual Quieridioma.

[Mike Boudet]

On December 12th of 2020, 1. Just one month after being brutally assaulted and raped, Tina Loman died in a hospital bed surrounded by family. The official cause of death was heart failure, but Tina's family knew better. The trauma of what Tina experienced was just too much for her to handle. Essentially, Tina had been murdered, but I.

[Tina's Family Member]

Firmly believe that she died of a broken heart. I think when you're 77 and you go through something that traumatic, your body holds physical trauma. And just in knowing her injuries, especially looking back, she was broken. They broke her, and the trauma was too much for her to handle. And she just wanted to be at peace and not have to deal with it and living with the shame. I just want to give her a big hug because I just want to tell her there's nothing to be ashamed of. This was not her fault. What they did to her was a reflection of them and their evil.

[Mike Boudet]

For Tina's family, it was obvious that the two people who attacked Tina, Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge, were responsible for Tina's death. For them, Tina left this world much sooner than she should have.

[Tina's Family Member]

It makes me so mad. I just firmly believe she was not done.

[Mike Boudet]

Despite how things played out after the attack and despite what Tina's family wanted to see happen, Bradley and Karen were never charged with murder.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

They were not charged with murder. We did have an autopsy done on Ms. Loman to determine a cause of death, and we talked to our pathologist about that, about the cause of death. The cause of death was heart failure. And what I will say is, do I think morally, did Bradley Yan cause her death? Absolutely. But legally, proving that would have been exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, and frankly, it probably would have been impossible to prove that he caused her death. There was just not enough evidence for us to feel confident. And in charging a first degree murder.

[Mike Boudet]

Charge, instead of bringing murder charges against Bradley and Karen, prosecutors decided to charge them with a slew of other crimes.

[Narrator]

Bradley Yan and Karen Blackledge were charged with home invasion, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and residential burglary charges. But they were not charged with murder. And as I understood it, there just wasn't enough evidence to prove that the assault on that night in her home directly led to her death. But I also believe that the State's Attorney's office had so much other information about the other crimes that were committed that they were confident that the two of them both would get lengthy sentences based on the other charges against them.

[Mike Boudet]

Essentially, prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck developed a strategy that, if successful, would put Bradley and Karen behind bars for a very long time. This collective prison sentencing they were reaching for would be identical to putting Bradley and Karen in prison for life also.

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

I think in the back of our minds, we knew that we had a really good chance. It was going to be tough because Ms. Loman had passed away, but we had a chance of convicting him of some very serious crimes that we had charged him with. And if we had put on a first degree murder charge on top of that, that may have made our other cases weaker overall, if we were trying to reach for that first degree murder conviction. So I think Ms. Keck and I made that decision that we were, we weren't going to reach for a charge that we didn't think we could prove. We were going to focus on cases that we knew we could prove with the evidence that we had. And with those cases, we could get a sentence that would basically be the same as a life sentence.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecutors had a sound strategy and a rational explanation for that strategy, but that didn't change the fact that it was morally objectionable. In other words, explaining this strategy to Tina's family was a very hard pill to swallow.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

So what we told them initially is we were going to look into it. And so that is why, as Josh said, we did have an autopsy conducted over here. She had died in another state, but we paid to have an autopsy done over here by our pathologist. We did that as well as we obtained all of Tina's medical records to provide to the pathologist for him to look at to see if there was anything we could do to charge Mr. Yan. And we explained to the family that process. Ultimately, then we met with them to explain that we did not believe under the law we could charge first degree murder.

[Mike Boudet]

As expected, Tina's family wasn't satisfied with the decisions made by prosecutors. Understandably, no legal argument or sound trial strategy could sway their frustrations. For them, Bradley and Karen were getting away with murdering someone that they loved very much. I was pretty upset and angry about it because ultimately I know that they did murder my mother health wise.

[Narrator]

She was doing very well up until that point.

[Tina's Family Member]

When I first learned that murder charges weren't going to happen, I was very upset. I mean, that's the only thing that made sense. But looking at it from, like, a legal perspective, I do understand. I mean, you have to have, you know, evidence without a shadow of a doubt. And it's hard to prove that she died of a broken heart in a court of law. But at the same time, I don't Think the timing is a coincidence, and I really wish her death would have been investigated further. It's. It's hard. I, I understand both sides. I, I do. From a victim side, you want, you know, the full fledged hammer down justice. But, you know, they, they did explain why they couldn't, and it was, you know, strictly evidence based and I get that. I understand.

[Mike Boudet]

After the charging decisions were made, Bradley and Karen were arraigned in court and they both entered not guilty pleas. All that was left to do was to take these cases to trial.

[Tina's Family Member]

And like my family and I have talked about this, I think it's almost better that she didn't have to live through the trial. That trial was brutal. Everything leading up to it, I think that would have broken her too. I almost wish a plea deal would have been taken, especially looking back.

[Mike Boudet]

Tina's family and prosecutors did all they could to prepare for trial. But what they didn't know was that nothing could prepare them for what was coming. When all was said and done, the trial for Bradley Yawn had become one of the most bizarre and disturbing trials to have ever taken place. Next time on this doesn't happen to people like me.

[Narrator]

So when Bradleyon decided that he was going to defend himself, I guess I could say that's kind of when the circus came to town again.

[Prosecutor Josh Jones]

As a human being, if it were my mother, I would want him charged with murder. As prosecutors, though, our job is to seek justice for what we believe we can actually prove.

[Tina's Family Member]

I had secondhand embarrassment a majority of the time. Eyes were rolled, sighs were sighed. These criminals are going to do whatever they can to get out of the crap that they do. But to try to victim blame, which is what he did the entire time.

[Narrator]

They had to relive it, and they had to sit there and let him say whatever he wanted to say and do whatever he wanted to do. I remember he told the judge one time, why don't you just get off my case?

[Prosecutor Laura Keck]

Your honor, you have ruled against me when in all reality you should rule.

[Tina's Family Member]

4 bajo redujeros pondria para los beneficios del segro de desempleo de Oregon. Es gratis applicar sincostos nitarifas paroptender beneficios. Ilos servicios de interpretacion estandis ponibiles presentar su solicitud es facil yame al uno ocho, siete, siete. Tresquatro, Cinco, tresquatro. Ocho, quatro uno ocho, siete, siete, tres cuatro cinco tres. Cuatro ocho. Cuatro para recivira.

[Narrator]

Yuda.

[Tina's Family Member]

Encual quier.