6. The Courtroom Circus

Summary

Episode 6: The Courtroom Circus

Release Date: March 17, 2025
Podcast: This Doesn't Happen to People Like Me by Sword and Scale

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Introduction

In Episode 6, titled "The Courtroom Circus," the narrative delves deep into the tumultuous legal proceedings surrounding the brutal crime committed against Tina Lohman. This episode captures the relentless pursuit of justice by Tina's family and the prosecutors, juxtaposed against the chaotic courtroom antics of the defendant, Bradley Yawn. As the trial progresses, the episode highlights the systemic challenges and the emotional toll on all parties involved.

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Background of the Case

Tina Lohman, a 77-year-old grandmother, was brutally attacked and raped by Bradley Yawn and his accomplice, Karen Blackledge, in December 2021. Tina's subsequent death from heart failure a month after the attack led her family and the community to unequivocally believe that Yawn and Blackledge were responsible for her untimely demise.

Key Points:

• Victim: Tina Lohman, 77, in good health prior to the attack.
• Perpetrators: Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge.
• Charges: Initially, home invasion and residential burglary; murder charges were not filed.
• Prosecutors' Dilemma: Despite clear moral culpability, proving first-degree murder was legally challenging.

Notable Quote:

Josh Jones: "Did Bradley Yawn cause her death? Absolutely. But legally proving that would have been exceptionally difficult, if not impossible."
(00:16)

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Charges and Plea Deal for Karen Blackledge

Karen Blackledge, a 33-year-old mother with a history of drug-related offenses and theft, was the first to face trial. Tina's family harbored little empathy towards her due to her lack of remorse and the role she played in the crime.

Key Points:

• Plea Agreement: Blackledge pleaded guilty to one count of home invasion and one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault.
• Sentence: She received a 40-year sentence with eligibility for parole after serving 85% for sexual assault and 50% for home invasion.
• Family's Sentiment: While relieved to avoid a second trial, Tina's family felt the sentence was insufficient.

Notable Quotes:

Tina's Family Member: "I feel like she did not get enough time for what she did... For me, 40 years wasn't enough."
(06:33)

Laura Keck: "Under the law, even though Karen Blackledge is guilty as an accomplice of the sexual assaults, it is Bradley Yawn's actual physical acts that were the sexual assault."
(07:06)

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Bradley Yawn's Behavior in Court

Bradley Yawn's decision to represent himself turned the legal proceedings into a chaotic spectacle. His antics not only frustrated the prosecution and Tina's family but also exposed systemic vulnerabilities in the judicial process.

Key Points:

• Self-Representation: Yawn fired his public defender to represent himself, initiating a series of disruptive behaviors.
• Courtroom Disruptions: Frequent objections, use of profanity, false accusations, and inappropriate language.
• Security Issues: Yawn's actions led to prolonged hearings, property damage within the jail, and a ban on certain family members from attending proceedings.

Notable Quotes:

Bradley Yawn: "Young for granting your motion. Granting your motion for a seat charger to be provided by your family to you at the..."
(35:09)

David Adam: "Bradley always felt like he could do better, that he was smarter than the attorney he had... That's when things really kind of started to spiral out of control."
(10:37)

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Family's Reaction and Emotional Toll

Tina's family endured immense emotional strain as they witnessed Yawn's relentless attempts to undermine the case, combined with his personal attacks and the endless legal delays.

Key Points:

• Emotional Strain: Family members experienced frustration, embarrassment, and helplessness.
• Victim-Blaming: Yawn's persistent claims that Tina was lying about the assault intensified the family's anguish.
• Perceived Injustice: The family's hope for justice was continually thwarted by Yawn's manipulative tactics.

Notable Quotes:

Tina's Family Member: "He kept stating his innocence, saying that he would never do something like that... It's indescribable."
(31:10)

Tina's Family Member: "He did whatever he wanted to do... To call my grandma a liar was the most frustrating part."
(24:26)

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Prosecutors' Perspective and Challenges

Prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck faced the Herculean task of managing Yawn's disruptive court behavior while striving to secure a conviction based on the overwhelming evidence against him.

Key Points:

• Legal Strategy: Despite moral certainty, prosecutors were constrained by the need for legally admissible evidence.
• Yawn's Tactics: His endless motions and conspiracy theories posed significant hurdles in moving the case forward.
• Professional Impact: The case of Bradley Yawn was cited as one of the most challenging in Josh Jones's 23-year career.

Notable Quotes:

Laura Keck: "Our job is to seek justice for what we believe we can actually prove."
(02:20)

Josh Jones: "Bradley Yawn is the least favorite person I dealt with in 23 years."
(40:48)

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Ongoing Legal Proceedings and Conclusion

As the trial was on the brink of commencing, Yawn's last-minute decision to drop self-representation and request a public defender resulted in an indefinite delay. This move underscored the persistent challenges in securing timely justice and left Tina's family grappling with uncertainty.

Key Points:

• Final Delay: Just as the trial was about to begin, Yawn's request for legal representation pushed the proceedings back indefinitely.
• Justice Unfulfilled: The family's hope for a swift resolution was dashed, highlighting potential systemic flaws that allow defendants to exploit procedural rights at the expense of victims' closure.

Notable Quotes:

Josh Jones: "They have to make sure that the defendant's constitutional rights are protected."
(42:49)

Tina's Family Member: "It's been a terrible 19 months... every hearing is just awful."
(42:53)

Mike Boudet: "Justice for Tina Lohman may never come."
(41:17)

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Conclusion

Episode 6, "The Courtroom Circus," provides a poignant exploration of the intersection between legal rights and the pursuit of justice. Through Tina Lohman's tragic story, the episode emphasizes the emotional devastation inflicted on victims' families and the systemic obstacles that can impede the quest for accountability. Bradley Yawn's disruptive courtroom behavior serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by prosecutors and the importance of steadfast legal representation in the face of adversity.

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This detailed summary aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Episode 6 for those who haven't listened, capturing the essence of the discussions, key moments, and emotional undertones that define this true crime narrative.

Transcript

[Mike Boudet]

Last time on this Doesn't Happen to People like me.

[Tina's Family Member]

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

[David Adam]

Bradley Yon and Karen Blackledge were charged with home invasion and residential burglary charges, but they were not charged with murder.

[Josh Jones]

Did Bradley Yawn cause her death? Absolutely. But legally proving that would have been exceptionally difficult, if not impossible.

[Tina's Family Member]

Ultimately, I know that they did murder my mother.

[Mike Boudet]

Welcome to this Doesn't Happen to People like me, a new 10 part series by the creators of Sword and Scale. If you like the show, please visit swordandscale.com for an ad free version. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review and a rating on Apple and Spotify. Thank you for joining us. My name is Mike Boudet. This show was written and produced by Michael Stabile. In December of 2021, 77 year old Tina Lohman died from heart failure. Her death came just one month after she was attacked and raped in her home by Bradley Yawn and his accomplice Karen Blackledge. Before the attack, Tina didn't have any heart problems. And for a woman her age, she was in pretty good health. For Tina's family and pretty much everyone else, there was little doubt that the attack caused Tina to die before her time. In other words, Bradley Yawn and Karen Blackledge murdered Tina Lohman. Even so, prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck decided that they were not going to charge Bradley or Karen with murder and they had to explain that decision to Tina's family.

[Laura Keck]

Their response was understandably frustrated. They wanted Mr. Yawn to have every possible charge that he could possibly have. And they believed, probably rightly so, as Josh said, morally, that he was responsible for the murder of their mother. And I certainly understand that, again, 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. And we did not believe, as Josh explained, that we could prove first degree murder. The good thing was the charges we did have for Mr. Yan, we would be able to seek the equivalent of a life sentence.

[Mike Boudet]

The charging decisions were made. Both Bradley and Karen were facing a slew of felony convictions that could potentially put them in prison for life. They both pled not guilty and Tina's family prepared themselves for trial.

[Tina's Family Member]

Leading up to trial was nerve wracking, especially because we didn't know the full scope of everything. You know, the state's attorneys can only tell you so much because they don't want to compromise their case, which I Understand that too. But it's nerve wracking because you almost feel like you're in the dark. We asked them a lot like, hey, are you sure you have this in the bag? Like, do you have enough evidence? Like, are you sure? Because people get away with crime all the time. And we were just so anxious that that's, you know, there was going to be some loophole or some mistake made somewhere.

[Mike Boudet]

The first case to reach a conclusion was the state's case against Karen Blackledge. 33 year old Karen was a mother, and according to her Facebook page, she worked as a crew member at McDonald's. Karen also had a lengthy criminal record, but aside from that, no one seems to know much about her, where she came from, or how she ended up becoming such a heartless monster.

[Tina's Family Member]

The only thing I really knew about Karen Blackledge or no is just by, you know, we were able to, to find her on Facebook. And she has kids. I want to say she has like five kids. I think at the time of her arrest, she didn't have custody of her kids. And just looking through her criminal history, she was in and out for drugs, theft. I didn't really care to know much because they didn't show any empathy to my grandmother. So I feel like reciprocating that empathy and caring about where they came from just wasn't in the cards for me.

[Mike Boudet]

Understandably, the main concern for Tina's family was getting justice. They wanted Karen to be punished and a criminal trial was expected. But that trial never happened.

[Josh Jones]

I made an offer early on in the case based on the strength of the evidence that we had against Ms. Blackledge. Spoke with her attorney a couple times. Her attorney, to be frank, said, you know, what's the best you can do? Because there wasn't a whole lot for him to work with based on the evidence that we had. We talked to the family about that, about what the offer was going to be and where it was going to end up. And eventually we were able to come to an agreement with the defense that included Ms. Blackledge agreeing to testify against Mr. Yellen if we chose to call her and to provide truthful testimony. And she pled guilty to two offenses. And I believe the ultimate sentence was, I think, 40 years.

[Mike Boudet]

Karen pled guilty to one count of home invasion and one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault. She received a 40 year sentence and currently resides at the Illinois Department of Corrections. As part of her deal, Karen only has to serve 85% of the sexual assault charge and 50% of the home invasion charge before she becomes eligible for for parole. So in all likelihood, she will be free one day, thanks to our stellar justice system. As you might expect, Tina's family was not overly thrilled with this outcome.

[Tina's Family Member]

At least get it to where she.

[Laura Keck]

Was 77 years old when she got out of prison so that she could.

[Tina's Family Member]

See how it feels to be a.

[Laura Keck]

Woman at 77 years old and to think about what they did to my mother.

[Tina's Family Member]

I was not happy about it, as my mom had said, that she was more fearful of her and that she was just an evil person. I feel like she did not get enough time for what she did. However, looking back, going through two trials would have just been terrible. I will say that was the pro. The good part of the plea deal is we didn't have to deal with. However, for me, 40 years wasn't enough. That's hard. That's hard for us because I don't know if she has any remorse or if she would do something like this again. So it was a mix of emotions. I'm glad that we were spared a trial, but I also wish she would have got more time.

[Mike Boudet]

For prosecutors, the decision to offer Karen a plea deal was difficult, and it was even more difficult to explain to Tina's family why they had to do it.

[Laura Keck]

What I would say is, I understand why they're unhappy. I know when Mr. Jones and I met with Tina, certainly she believed that Karen was just as responsible, if not more responsible, because she was the primary one yelling that they were going to kill Tina. And I think that was etched in her memory. So certainly, I absolutely understand their frustration that she could not receive more time. I think as prosecutors, we had to weigh making sure Karen Blackledge had a long sentence along with making sure that we had her testimony available if we needed it for the prosecution of Bradley on Because after Tina had died, there was several pieces of evidence we no longer could use. And so we needed to have Karen's testimony available. And finally, even though she was charged with the same offenses as Bradley on Under the law, the court looks at what the actual acts that were committed were. And in this case, the evidence was that Mr. Yawn was the one who actually physically sexually assaulted Tina. And so, under the law, even though Karen Blackledge is guilty as an accomplice of the sexual assaults, it is Bradley Yonn's actual physical acts that were the sexual assault.

[Mike Boudet]

Karen Blackledge pled guilty and agreed to cooperate. She was sentenced and sent off to prison. Next on the chopping block was Bradley Yawn. But Bradley had no intention of going down as easy as Karen. Bradley dug in and was going to fight this charge in any way and every way that he could. This included making a very rare and very foolish decision.

[David Adam]

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

[Mike Boudet]

As the court hearings for Bradley Yawn got underway, Bradley made some choices that troubled both the prosecutors and Tina's family. Bradley fired his public defender and decided that he was going to represent himself. In early 2022, the court hearings for the State of Illinois vs Bradley Yawn got underway. These court hearings were held in preparation for a trial that was presumably going to take place in the near future. Throughout these court hearings, several of Tina's family members were in attendance, and so was David Adam, the editor for the local news outlet Muddy river news.

[David Adam]

When I think back about Bradley Yann, you know, when you do what. What I do for a living, you feel the pain of the people who are going through this. And also in some circumstances, you get to know the people who have been charged, but, you know, you typically don't have much of a chance to see their personality because they're there with their attorney, and they're just doing what their attorney wants them to do and what he wants them to say. That is not the way Bradley Yahn operated. Bradley always felt like he could do it better, that he was smarter than the attorney he had, that the attorneys weren't working with him. I remember the day that his first public defender, I think just figuratively threw up his hands, and he was like, I can't work with this guy. So, John, he eventually wanted to start to defend himself and go pro se. And the judge said, okay, you know, you've got every right to do that. That's when things really kind of started to really spiral out of control.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley fired his public defender and decided to represent himself. For Tina's family, Bradley, this was not good news.

[Tina's Family Member]

So at that point, we knew that this was not going to be an easy journey. We knew, especially if he was going to defend himself, that it was going to be a circus and a mess. And it was at that point I learned to not get my hopes up. This is going to not be open and closed.

[Mike Boudet]

Since Bradley was representing himself, he was allowed to make arguments during his court hearings. And, boy, did he.

[Bradley Yawn]

I also like to object to the media being in the courtroom. While I have not given. I've not been given a notice of that 14 days prior, and I'VE not been given notice today, so I'd like to object to that. And also, your honor, I. Objections noted for the record and overruled. I have nothing else to take up in your cases today, Mr. Yan, so I'm the remanding of the tested sheriff. Your Honor, I am my own attorney. I have some issues to tell take up, File a written motion, notify the state of those issues, and then we can schedule those for hear. It seems like things don't get filed on, and the clergy are not filing. That's one of my reasons, Mr. Y. Start filing my stuff, the cler will never file my stuff. That's why I'm sitting here, kind of arg. Piece of. Let's go. You know, I'm.

[Mike Boudet]

I'm here.

[Bradley Yawn]

He's done. I'm tired of this. Y'all just railroad the out of me.

[David Adam]

He had no problem with language in the courtroom. I mean, he would say just about anything. I remember he told the judge one time, why don't you just get off my case? He was then escorted from the courtroom. He would object at times where it wasn't proper to object. He just. He went all over the place. And what ended up happening is he would get kicked out of the courtroom. Hearings would last longer and longer and longer. We could go on for hours talking about the different antics that Bradley Yan pulled off.

[Mike Boudet]

As many of you probably already know, it's rarely a good idea to represent yourself in court, and it's certainly never a good idea if you shout piece of shit at the judge that's presiding over your case. I mean, that's pretty common knowledge, I would think, even for an idiot. It's also not wise to incorrectly accuse the court of being biased. But sure enough, those were all things that Bradley decided to do.

[Bradley Yawn]

Part of the reason I went pro se, my own attorneys have worked against me factually. It's not fair. You. Yeah, I've been telling you this from the jump from the get go, and it's just disregard. It's just throwing off and blowing off.

[Tina's Family Member]

And this is a common theme with him. He thinks everyone is out to get him specifically, and that there's a giant conspiracy web with Adams county against him specifically, as narcissists do. He thinks it's all about him.

[Mike Boudet]

For Bradley, no issue was too small. If he could complain about something, he. If he could raise an objection, if he could disrupt the proceedings in any way, he would do so.

[David Adam]

Now, starting off today, the judge asked a little bit of, was there anything.

[Josh Jones]

That needed to be discussed and one.

[David Adam]

Thing Jan brought up was that some of his information from his discovery box was missing. And he said that this information, this.

[Mike Boudet]

Property, was taken away from his discovery.

[David Adam]

Box while in jail by co officers.

[Bradley Yawn]

Your Honor, I just want to make note and hopefully come to a conclusion on this issue. As you know, I. I do my study time with discovery at night. Upon finishing last night, officers usually count these here thumb drives. They counted the thumb drives and I proceeded on down to the booking area, the jail, to be ran through a scanner. On the way back, I noticed that my. I looked through the window, window through the door, and my discovery box was laid open. Nobody should be in that discovery box.

[Mike Boudet]

Unsurprisingly, the judge shut down almost all of Bradley's frivolous complaints.

[Bradley Yawn]

The jail is going to operate as a jail, and so if they need to look in the box to ensure that you're in compliance with the jail rules, they're going to look in the box.

[Mike Boudet]

As for the thumb drive that was supposedly lost or stolen, this mystery was solved pretty quickly.

[Tina's Family Member]

Was there ever an answer to that?

[David Adam]

Well, there was one time where he said something about he had like 11 thumb drives or 10 thumb drives, and then all of a sudden he lost one.

[Tina's Family Member]

They said he threw it and then.

[Mike Boudet]

He throw it at somebody and no.

[David Adam]

One could find it. And then all of a sudden, like after a break, someone said, oh, we found it because you threw it because you threw it at somebody.

[Mike Boudet]

As a defendant, an inmate, Bradley was a nightmare. According to the correctional officers, while Bradley was housed at the Adams County Jail, he caused thousands of dollars of property damage and made life hell for the jail staff. Apparently Bradley clogged the toilet and saved his feces. He then used his feces to paint the walls of his cell. Apparently the interior decorator in him had to make some changes. I mean, let's feng shui the fuck out of this jail cell. Bradley also taunted Bradley, the jail staff, and tried to fight them. Presumably, Bradley was hoping they would beat him up so his trial could be delayed. Maybe he thought he'd get some sympathy points or something. After a while, it became obvious that Bradley was playing a game. For whatever reason, he just wanted to delay, delay, delay.

[Tina's Family Member]

Judge Roger Thompson took the bench for.

[Mike Boudet]

A motion hearing in that underlying case against Yan that is set to go.

[Tina's Family Member]

To trial in July.

[Mike Boudet]

The Harold Wig reports it focused on Yan asking for funds to hire a private investigator to look into what he calls evidence tampering.

[Bradley Yawn]

As I said, I make it very simple. The modification date on this document said 2, 1 of 23. We need a forensic expert to determine that that's been altered or tampered with. Even a two year old child could tell that. Also a forensic digital expert would also present that information. I assure you I'm not as slow as some people think. Not slow at all. Essentially here this has been manufacturing of a crime.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley repeatedly claimed that discovery evidence was taken from him and that evidence had been tampered with. These claims had absolutely no legitimacy and addressing them was. Was a waste of time. Everyone's time, including the judge. But the court obliged and took the time to address all of Bradley's complaints. He says two video and one audio recording made the day after the crime don't match up. Judge Thompson ruled Jan had not presented any evidence of tampering, though, saying the issues are the results of stopping and starting reporters, and the state didn't plan on using them anyway. The the next motion hearing will be June 14. The motion hearings seemed endless, and they rarely ended in Bradley's favor. So Bradley filed yet another motion to have the judge removed from the case.

[Bradley Yawn]

Your Honor, you have ruled against me when in all reality you should rule for me, such as my own property that I've had. I presented proof to you that it is my property, and you have prejudicely and erroneously ruled against me and enabled the state. You have been very prejudiced since I've been here. You know it. You play it off very well. And I want to speak to you, Honor, you've raised the issue three times. And all three times, independent reviews by other judges have denied your motion.

[Mike Boudet]

Court records show a motion filed by Bradley Yon is seeking a new judge in the case, but was denied Friday. Judge Roger Thompson will continue to oversee the case. What's important to remember here is that before her death, Tina Loman picked Bradley out of a photo lineup. The cops had surveillance footage of Bradley driving Tina's stolen car. And when Bradley was arrested, he had Tina's stolen property on him, including her voter ID card. I wonder who this criminal voted for. For prosecutors, the police, and pretty much everyone else who knew these details, there was no doubt that Bradley was guilty. Still, Bradley claimed to be innocent, and there was only one way he could explain away all of this damning evidence. It was all just one big conspiracy. Bradley claimed that Tina, her family, the police, the prosecutors, they were all out to get him, not because he was guilty, but because, well, just because I've.

[Bradley Yawn]

Been irreparably violated in this county job and told I could not gain entry into a phone that the judge Told me I could enter because, oh, we don't have a seat charger in the whole building. We're not going to ask somebody. And I have this on recording. Mr. Jones here to respond. Just, just briefly.

[Josh Jones]

The defendant in the last year has called me unethical, has accused me of misconduct, has accused me of hiding evidence, has indicated that I need a missile self evaluation situation, and has again just now accused me of lying to court. Yes, I will not provide a C4 for that phone, but I'm not providing that. I'm not going to let the jail staff provide that and expose us to.

[Bradley Yawn]

More claims from this defendant that we.

[Josh Jones]

Are doing things unethically or improper.

[Bradley Yawn]

Young for granting your motion. Granting your motion for a seat charger to be provided by your family to you at the.

[Mike Boudet]

According to Bradley, the prosecutors were hiding evidence. Supposedly they had a cell phone with some kind of exonerating evidence on it and they were refusing to give it up. This was of course not true.

[David Adam]

He thought that he was. He knew information that nobody else did. He was constantly asking for discovery data, videos. He wanted all the evidence that the state had. And then typically, Josh Jones would say, we've already given it to you. We've already provided it to you. Well, I don't have it. I don't have any of it. He would complain about the time that he was allowed to spend going through the legal library at the library and when he was allowed to go and how long he was allowed to go. He would complain about not having legal pads. He wouldn't complain about not having pension.

[Bradley Yawn]

So we're moving forward with trial in this case. Your honor. You seem fit and found means to file over 117 motions in this case, Mr. Yawn. So your inability to gain access to paper stamps pens hasn't seemed to be interfered with very much, as evidenced by the docket in your filings thus far. So the motion to continue has been denied.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley tried to delay his trial at every turn and even suggested that the proceedings should be stopped because of mold. Yep, you heard that right. Mold.

[Bradley Yawn]

I would, however, still place the objection on the record to the trial continuing and due to the mold in the courthouse, your objection to the trial continuing. As noted of record, we've already addressed as to the mold in the courthouse and the court has already ruled on those finding that such were not sufficient reasons to grant further delay.

[Josh Jones]

There was a finding that the courthouse, which was built in 1950, may have had some mold in it and there was going to have to be some mold. Remediation that there was a dispute about it. And Mr. Yan tried to use that dispute to delay his trial again, but luckily the judge wasn't going to have it again. I don't want to get into the weeds because that's what Bradley yon was trying to do. It was a delay tactic, of course.

[Mike Boudet]

With all these ridiculous motion hearings playing out, Tina's family watched from the sidelines in disgust as Bradley continued to claim that his deceased victim was a liar.

[Tina's Family Member]

It was. I had secondhand embarrassment a majority of the time. Eyes were rolled, sides were sighed. He just really proved how bizarre he is, his lack of empathy. And he just to call my grandma a liar and that, that's what really frustrated me the most, is his antics in court. That's one thing. You know, 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, was frustrating and just. It felt like, I understand the due process, but it just felt like they were just letting him do this and just let him go on and on and on. From the victim side, it's like, when does it end? Because he's repe. Repeating himself. We're filing the same motions 50 times in a row. When we first started, I had no idea this was going to be a two year long process.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's seemingly endless motions and arguments were certainly frustrating and angering for Tina's family, But they were also revealing. They demonstrated that Bradley is just about as shameless and disgusting as. As a person can be.

[Bradley Yawn]

Last night I noticed some very disturbing things. I believe there needs to be something done about these sexual assault pictures. State's attorney stated that. I've seen them several times, your honor. I've seen different pictures, at least two different kinds. And the ones that were presented yesterday were not of Christine Melbourne. Which pictures, Mr. Yahn? Let's identify them for the record. Your honor, they are vaginal pictures.

[Mike Boudet]

At one point, Bradley claimed that the prosecutors had placed photographs into evidence that were not of Tina Loman's injured body. These intrusive photos of Tina's privates were taken shortly after she had been raped. But Bradley claimed that they were photos of some other woman's vagina and that the prosecutors were simply lying.

[Bradley Yawn]

I also have other pictures that also show that these aren't from the same person. There's specific issues with that area that prove this. I'm not going to state them out loud because I don't want to offend anybody here today.

[David Adam]

And I learned when it came to him, you truly did not know from moment to moment, from day to day, what he might say. And I think Brittany could corroborate this.

[Tina's Family Member]

Oh, yeah.

[David Adam]

Yesterday in the courtroom, there were probably five or six instances where he said something, and there were just audible gasps in the newsroom like you did not just say that.

[Mike Boudet]

Naturally, when Bradley made this disgusting accusation, the prosecutors adamantly denied it.

[Josh Jones]

The defendant has seen those photos numerous times. We did not provide him copies of them because of the sensitive nature. We've addressed that with the court and with this defendant multiple times. He's asked to see them multiple times. And each time, Ms. Keck and I have gone down to the jail or gone over to the jail and shown him those photos and given him ample time to look at those photos. Are there more photos of her genitalia? Absolutely. We chose to use two because of the graphic nature of them. That was our choice as trial strategy. That doesn't mean that they aren't of her. I don't know what the defendant's trying to do here now, your honor, but frankly, it's not the right time. It's not the right place.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's antics were starting to wear thin, and the collective frustration of everyone around him was beginning to boil over.

[Josh Jones]

Frankly, I was tired of Mr.

[Bradley Yawn]

Yawn.

[Josh Jones]

We were tired of his antics. We were tired of his stupid conspiracy theories. We were tired of him getting to say whatever he wanted.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley was obnoxious, shameless, and just utterly disgusting, to say the least. Everyone was fed up with him, and the actual trial hadn't even started yet. Then, just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, Bradley began doing something that no one expected.

[Josh Jones]

Can you tell me your name, please?

[David Adam]

John Schonee.

[Josh Jones]

What do you do for a living?

[Mike Boudet]

An investigator with the Adams county sheriff's office.

[Josh Jones]

A few weeks ago, did you receive a Or have a meeting with an individual you know by the name of Tim Schmidt?

[Mike Boudet]

Yes.

[Josh Jones]

Can you tell me why Mr. Schmidt approached you?

[Mike Boudet]

He had received a letter in the.

[David Adam]

Mail from the defendant.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley Yonn was arguably the most vile criminal and inmate Adams county had ever dealt with. As he represented himself through the court proceedings, he continued his victimization of Tina and her family. But for Bradley, this just wasn't enough. He wanted to inflict even more pain. So as he sat in jail, he began writing letters and making phone calls directly to tina's family. In 2021 and throughout 2022, the Office of the state attorney in Adams County, Illinois, was preparing to go to trial against Bradley. Yawn. During this process, Bradley was housed in the Adams County Jail. While there, he began contacting members of Tina Loman's family outrageously. He wrote letters and made phone calls to the family of his victim.

[Tina's Family Member]

Bradley yon contacted my mother, my aunt, my uncle, my grandma's husband. He had access to their phone numbers and their addresses, and that's, like, terrifying in itself. We don't understand why he, like, he gets threatening with us sometimes.

[David Adam]

It's like we did nothing to you.

[Mike Boudet]

Tina Lohman was a sweet and generous woman, and those characteristics clearly rubbed off on her family. Tina's children and grandchildren are good people, and Brad Leon seemed determined to victimize them as much as he possibly could for absolutely no reason.

[Tina's Family Member]

He just kept stating his innocence, saying that he would never do something like that. A lot of rambling, too. That's the thing about him, is he loves to ramble and he loves to repeat himself in his brain. That he thinks that makes him smart, but really, he's just circle. He's just saying the same thing over and over. It's. He's very illiterate. He can't spell. He doesn't use words correctly. The gist of it was, he's innocent. And our grandmother and mother, she's a liar.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley called Tina's children and aggressively accused their mother of lying about being raped by him. A mother, by the way, that was deceased because Bradley attacked and raped her. Bradley also wrote a disgusting letter to Tina's husband, Tim Schmidt.

[Josh Jones]

The letter starts with the word Tim, and then it goes on to say, in the defendant's handwriting. I often ask myself, how unhonest can a person truly be? How does a man with whom is with a woman 36 years not know that woman as he truly should? The letter goes on to say, did Tim Schmidt and family get what they paid for with their money, Power and influence, lies, deceit, fabrication, manipulations, power, wealth, influence, and friends in high places. Just took that from me. All put forth by your family.

[Mike Boudet]

And you.

[Josh Jones]

You people made the perfect crime scene. Tim. You have my life now, Tim. And guess what? I was no part of the idiocy that occurred on November 9th or whenever. Did I read that correct?

[Mike Boudet]

Correct. Bradley claimed he was innocent. He claimed that there was a conspiracy among prosecutors, the police, and Tina's family to see him convicted of a crime he did not commit. And he claimed that Tina Loman was a liar. Bradley made these claims in open court and through letters and phone calls. All the while, Tina's family could do nothing about it. Their only Option was to put up with it.

[David Adam]

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. And he would casually make comments about their family and how. How much money they had and how much influence they had in Quincy. And he would look at them during hearings and start talking to them. I didn't do this to your mother. And they just sort of had to sit there and take it. Bradley was often reprimanded by the judge, but he didn't typically pay attention to a lot of it. He did whatever the heck he wanted to do.

[Mike Boudet]

There seemed to be no end to Bradley's ridiculous accusations and loathsome behavior. As for prosecutors dealing with Bradley while also preparing for a complex sexual assault trial, this was no walk in the park for them. It seemed like there was a new problem every day.

[Josh Jones]

Your honor, yesterday Travis bloom attempted to enter the courtroom while the proceedings were occurring. He was stopped by security and told he could enter at breaks. At that point, he stayed outside the courtroom, but was heard outside the courtroom making very loud comments. He was told that he needed to be quiet. He was asked to leave. At that point, he began to respond with profanity. So the sheriff's office, acting in their discretion and their authority for the security of the courthouse, have banned him from.

[Bradley Yawn]

Returning to the courtroom.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's inability to compose himself in court seemed to run in his family because at one point, a relative of his was forced to leave the courtroom.

[Bradley Yawn]

Do not object to this, your honor. Throughout the. Throughout my time here, my family has been repetitively denied. I understand Travis bloom is an idiot. I understand that. Fully understand that they didn't arrest him yesterday. If he did all the things, they probably should have arrested him. Right? I mean, these are very serious matters. If a person does not know that they cannot come in during a time that is not a recess, then maybe they should be explained that, or maybe there should be notices posted on a wall somewhere. It's wrong. I've been prejudicely treated the whole time I've been here. Insanely and ridiculously treated. Now my family has to be treated over that. He simply tried to come in, and as I said, he's an idiot. He doesn't know that. I wouldn't know that. A common person wouldn't know that you can't come in during a recess.

[Mike Boudet]

According to Bradley, this court was mistreating him and his family members, which, you know, is ironic when you consider how Bradley was treating the family members of his victim.

[Bradley Yawn]

Mr. Yan, that's fine. I've heard your argument. The gentleman in the back courtroom by the door with law enforcement. What's your name? You step outside the door and see if there's anything posted about their entering the courtroom during a recess.

[David Adam]

There is, your honor.

[Bradley Yawn]

And what does it say, sir? And you were here yesterday, sir? And was that signposted on the door at all times? I believe so. Have a seat. Mr. Yan, your motion or objection is overruled. You are, as you described, idiot relative. Travis Bloom should have read the door sign before he tried to enter the courtroom. And so he was advised of the court rules. And as he has attempted to disrupt these proceedings yesterday, as represented, he will be barred from attending further proceedings in this matter.

[Mike Boudet]

At one point, you might be asking, why would the court allow Bradley to turn the trial preparation process into a full blown Barnum and Bailey circus? Well, the answer is that they didn't have a choice. The court has rules that they must follow, and those rules are most centered around the defendant's right to due process. It's a right that protects us all, and it's a right that people like Bradley exploit for their own benefit. When it comes to court proceedings, there is very little focus on what's fair for the victim or the victim's family. To avoid having an appellate court overturn a possible conviction, lower courts go to great lengths to make sure everything is fair for the defendant. Bradley took full advantage of this and used it to make some of the most disturbing claims imaginable.

[Tina's Family Member]

I would say at every single hearing, he would do or say something that was distasteful, disrespectful, or just lying. He just. He loves to lie. I think the worst thing that he did. So when you're sitting at court, you have like a water tin and some cups to disprove that. He did not sodomize my grandma with a carpet cleaner can. He held up the cup to the courtroom and was basically trying to compare the cup size to the can and just kept doing that, saying, quote, it wouldn't fit up there.

[Bradley Yawn]

Obgyn. Your honor, I don't know that that's the correct expert, but I think it's the closest experts in determine vaginal issue. Your honor, a lady is said to have been penetrated with a tool size aerosol canyon arm. A full size aerosol again, but it has no markings to coincide with that at all. Period, Period. None. A full size aerosol can, your honor, that's bigger than the rim of that styrofoam cup right There that would demolish a wall to go to trial without an expert, determine on my behalf, which I'm sure they would determine on my behalf, that that did not happen.

[Tina's Family Member]

He's just a disgusting human being. The mental toll that it takes to be in a room with someone like that, who did that to your grandma. Grandmother, is indescribable. It just. It just makes you so. Like, you just don't know that kind of rage until you have to sit there and not be able to say anything and listen to this guy just lie and be disgusting.

[Mike Boudet]

Obviously, this very long process was awful for Tina's family, and all they could do was hope that the prosecutors could. Could fight off Bradley's motions and finally get this case in front of a jury.

[Laura Keck]

For the most part, Mr. Jones and I both very much like our jobs. We enjoy our jobs. There are really hard days, but we enjoy what we do. We think what we do is important. When we knew we had court with Bradley on, it was like running a marathon when you had signed up for a 5k every single time, because it was exhausting leading up to it, because you never knew what he was going to say, what he was gonna try to argue, what he was gonna pull. So you had to do all this preparation for who knows what, and then you'd go in there, and he'd come up with something else crazy to say. And as prosecutors, our job is to be ethical, to seek justice and get a fair trial for everybody, including Bradley Yon.

[Josh Jones]

I'll make no qualms about the fact. Fact that Mr. Yan is probably my least favorite defendant in 23 years as a prosecutor, and that includes people who have killed multiple people. Bradley Yan is the least favorite person I. I dealt with in 23 years.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley did anything and everything he could to delay, but eventually the motion hearings came to an end. A jury was about to be selected, and it was almost time to go to trial. At least that's what everyone thought.

[David Adam]

The trial was going to start, I think June 22nd of last year. Jan was going to defend himself. They'd prepped everybody. They were going through final instructions. They. They had called the jury was in the jury room waiting to be called into the. Into the. Into the courtroom. And then, like, 15 minutes later, I get a text, and it's like, you better get back over here. John just said, I can't do this. And the trial's off.

[Mike Boudet]

Just as the trial was about to begin, Bradley told the court that he no longer wanted to represent himself and that he wanted a lawyer so in the interest of fairness, the judge granted Bradley's request. This decision delayed the trial indefinitely. Bradley had seemingly bested the system. He got what he wanted. Bradley got his delay. After this happened, Tina's family fully realized the very harsh truth. Justice for Tina Lohman may never come. Next time on this doesn't happen to people like me.

[Josh Jones]

They have to make sure that the defendant's constitutional rights are protected.

[Tina's Family Member]

This kind of stuff is not made for victims. It's made for the criminals. She was the glue that held us all together. And it's been a terrible 19 months. You know, every hearing is just awful. We feel like we've been not being able to heal.

[Josh Jones]

They were faced with delays and motions and delays and motions. And then as we got closer to trial a third time, he fired at that public defender, which of course delayed the trial.

[Mike Boudet]

Once again, this show can only exist with your support. So thank you for rating, reviewing and subscribing. If you like the show and want to contribute a little more, you can get an ad free [e-mail] there you'll find a lot of other very interesting true crime stories that you might like. Thank you once again for joining us. We'll see you next week.

[Josh Jones]

Sa.