7. The Trial Begins

Summary

This Doesn't Happen to People Like Me
Episode 7: The Trial Begins
Release Date: March 21, 2025

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Introduction to the Trial

In Episode 7, titled "The Trial Begins," the true crime series dives into the highly anticipated courtroom battle between prosecutors and Bradley Yawn, the defendant accused of the brutal assault and eventual death of 77-year-old Tina Loman. After nearly two years of relentless delays, the trial finally commences in Adams County, Illinois, bringing a sense of cautious optimism to Tina's grieving family and the prosecution team.

Bradley Yawn's Self-Representation and Legal Maneuvers

Bradley Yawn’s decision to represent himself, known as proceeding pro se, becomes a central theme leading up to the trial. From the outset, Yawn employs a series of tactics aimed at delaying the proceedings:

• Initial Self-Representation:
  Josh Jones notes, "When Bradley decided that he was going to defend himself, I guess I could say that's kind of when the circus came to town again" (00:10).

• Relentless Delays:
  Yawn repeatedly files frivolous motions and makes outlandish claims to stall the process. Prosecutor Laura Keck explains, "Prosecutors were ready to try this case, I think at least twice when it was continued because of Mr. Yan's antics" (03:47).

• Changing Representation:
  Yawn oscillates between wanting a public defender and representing himself, causing significant delays. Judge Thompson remarks on Yawn’s pattern: "Here we are a month before trial is supposed to start. Once again, the defendant is doing the same thing" (07:00).

These maneuvers not only frustrate the prosecution but also exacerbate the anguish of Tina's family, who feel justice is continually slipping away.

Impact on Tina's Family

The incessant delays take a heavy toll on Tina's family:

• Emotional Strain:
  A family member shares, "We feel like we've been not being able to heal" (05:47), highlighting the deep emotional scars left by the prolonged legal battle.

• Policy and Process Frustration:
  While understanding the importance of due process, the family grapples with the reality that the system's protections for defendants can inadvertently prolong their suffering.

Opening Statements and Initial Evidence Presentation

With the trial finally underway in mid-July 2023, Prosecutor Laura Keck delivers a powerful opening statement, detailing the harrowing events of November 9, 2021:

• Prosecutor's Opening:
  "She was kidnapped by the defendant...the defendant wanted more from this 77-year-old great grandmother" (10:30), painting a vivid picture of the brutality inflicted upon Tina.

• Key Evidence Introduced:

  • Photographic Evidence:
    Images of Tina’s mouth and throat, showing chemical burns from carpet cleaner, are presented to the jury.

  • Physical Evidence:
    Shoe prints matching Yawn’s Reebok shoes and fingerprints found on the carpet cleaner can link him directly to the crime scene.

• Forensic Testimony:
  The hospital nurse's testimony (16:10) provides crucial insights into Tina’s physical and emotional state post-assault, reinforcing the severity of the attack.

Presentation of Evidence

The prosecution meticulously builds their case through various forms of evidence:

• Forensic Evidence:
  Prosecutor Laura Keck explains, "There is no denying that their case was solid" (28:17), emphasizing the strength of the forensic links between Yawn and the crime.

• Surveillance Footage:
  Surveillance video from a gas station in Hannibal, Missouri, captures Yawn driving Tina’s stolen car mere hours after the assault, further corroborating his involvement.

• Stolen Property:
  Items such as Tina’s purse, jewelry, and voter ID were found in Yawn’s possession, directly tying him to the crime (22:14).

Impact of the Trial on the Victim’s Family

The trial is a re-traumatizing experience for Tina’s family:

• Witnessing the Horrors:
  Tina's granddaughter, Carly, recounts the distress of seeing graphic evidence presented in court, stating, "It was a shocking visual for everyone" (30:33).

• Emotional Resilience:
  Despite the pain, the family finds strength in Tina's courage, with a family member reflecting, "She was so brave... I channeled her strength" (31:24).

Bradley Yawn’s Defense

As the prosecution rests their case, the focus shifts to Yawn’s unpredictable defense strategy:

• Unpredictable Tactics:
  Laura Keck admits, "There is no expecting anything with Bradley on. You just do not know which direction he's going to turn" (33:32), highlighting the uncertainty his self-representation introduces.

• Final Defense Presentation:
  On the third day, Yawn’s defense begins, characterized by erratic behavior and unsophisticated objections. His approach is described as a "complete shitshow," leaving observers appalled by his tactics (34:00).

Key Quotes and Testimonies

Throughout the episode, several notable quotes underscore the tension and gravity of the trial:

• Prosecutor Laura Keck (02:42): "They were very mad," expressing the frustration with continual delays.

• Tina's Family Member (05:38): "It's hard being on the victim side," illustrating the emotional toll on those left behind.

• Judge Thompson (19:58): "If you have it available, you can use that in cross examination," emphasizing the importance of complete evidence.

• Bradley Yawn (34:40): "I once heard that trials are based on persuasion," revealing his misunderstanding of legal proceedings.

Conclusion and Next Steps

By the end of the episode, the prosecution has laid a comprehensive and compelling case against Bradley Yawn, utilizing a multitude of evidence to establish his culpability. With the defense poised to counter, the stage is set for dramatic courtroom confrontations in subsequent episodes. Tina's family, prosecutors, and the community await the unfolding of a trial that promises to deliver justice, albeit through a tumultuous and emotionally charged process.

Next time on "This Doesn't Happen to People Like Me," listeners will witness the full spectacle of Bradley Yawn’s defense strategy and its impact on the trial's outcome.

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Notable Quotes:

• Josh Jones (00:10): "When Bradley 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 Laura Keck (03:47): "Once again, the judge made it clear to him that if he fired the public defender, he wasn't going to allow him to ask for an attorney the day of trial again."

• Judge Thompson (07:00): "Motion continues."

• Prosecutor Jur Jones (09:28): "When you think that it was going to go down one direction, he would go the other direction."

• Bradley Yawn (34:40): "I once heard that trials are based on persuasion. Who has the best persuasion in their words? Who can be persuaded by the persuadee?"

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Transcript

[Mike Boudet]

Last time on this doesn't happen to people like me.

[Josh Jones]

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

[Laura Keck]

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, sides were sighed. These criminals are gonna 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.

[Josh Jones]

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?

[Bradley Yawn]

It is my property. And you have prejudicely and erroneously ruled against me. Your honor, you have ruled against me when in all reality, you should rule for me.

[Mike Boudet]

Welcome to this doesn't happen to People like me. A 10 part true crime series by the creators of Sword and Scale. If you like the show, head ON over to swordandscale.com for more information. Please subscribe if you can and tell your friends, thank you. In June of 2022, the trial for Bradley Yawn was about to begin. This was a rare sexual assault case where the defendant didn't have a lawyer. Bradley decided that he wanted to represent himself and his request to do so was granted. Leading up to the trial, there had been several delays, mostly because Bradley filed count countless frivolous motions and repeatedly made outlandish claims about the prosecution. Nonetheless, the pretrial process eventually played itself out and Bradley's trial was about to begin. But then out of nowhere, everything stopped.

[Josh Jones]

To use a sports analogy, both teams were on the court, the referees at mid court with the ball. Everybody, we've sung the national anthem and we are ready to start and all we have to do is for the ball to get tossed in the air and we start picking a jury. And eventually he basically said to judge Thompson, I can't do this because he was by himself. He had nobody else there with him. So Thompson then stopped. He essentially said, hey, we need to find you an attorney. That was one of the lessons that I learned that day was you need to be in the courtroom every second Bradley yon's in the courtroom because you have no idea what he's going to do.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley told the court that he no longer wanted to represent himself, and the judge granted Bradley's request for a public defender. This delayed the trial indefinitely. Needless to say, prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck were not happy about this.

[Prosecutor]

Ms. Keck and I were ready to try this case, I think at least twice when it was continued because of Mr. Yan's antics. He had a public defender. At one point, we were preparing for trial with the public defender. As that trial date approached, Mr. Yan is in court, fired that public defender, and demanded to proceed pro se, which is his absolute right under the constitution. Once that was done, then we. That delayed the trial, then got ready for trial again. We were getting ready to pick a jury, and he indicated he now wanted an attorney. He didn't want to be pro se, which, again, he has a right to do. So we gave him another public defender. The court gave him a public defender that. That delayed the trial.

[Mike Boudet]

Again, this delay was a setback for the prosecution, and it was also a major inconvenience and letdown for Tina's family. For them, it seemed like the justice they were seeking, the justice they deserved, was never going to come for them. It felt like the man who murdered their mother and grandmother was winning the fight.

[Laura Keck]

And I was so mad. I mean, my brother lives in Colorado, and he came back for the trial, and they told us it would probably be a long road from that point on, due to everything will kind of change. We were all very mad.

[Tina's Family Member]

I don't know. I guess from a victim side, it's easy to say, like, how frustrating stuff is, but I do understand there is a due process. But really, this kind of stuff is not made for victims. It's made for the criminals. And, you know, you have to give them, you know, all these chances so that it's fair for them. And it's just. It's hard being on the, you know, the victim side of that.

[Prosecutor]

They have to make sure that the defendant's constitutional rights are protected, which delays the trial, which is frustrating for the family beyond measure.

[Tina's Family Member]

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.

[Mike Boudet]

For just about everyone involved, the game that Bradley was playing was obvious. He was doing everything he possibly could to delay the trial, and he was successful. Bradley said he wanted to defend himself and then changed his mind. So the court appointed a public defender for him. But then at the last minute, Bradley changed his mind yet again.

[Prosecutor]

And then as we got closer to trial a third time, he fired that public defender, which of course, delayed the trial. Once again, the judge to his credit, the second time he filed the public defender, the judge told Mr. Yan, you know, if you do this again, if you come to trial and you're, you say you want an attorney, I'm going to find that you're doing this just to delay. So the judge at that point made it clear to him that if he fired the public defender, he wasn't going to allow him to ask for an attorney the day of trial again.

[Judge Thompson]

Here we are a month before trial is supposed to start. Once again, the defendant is doing the same thing, objecting to continuing on the trial because he says he can't be ready, which is what he said a year ago. He's had a year to get ready. You're honest, people are ready for trial. The motion continues.

[Mike Boudet]

After a year long delay, Bradley told the court that he no longer wanted a lawyer and that he wanted to return to representing himself. Unbelievably, the court granted this request, which again caused another delay. At this point, as you might expect, Tina's family was beyond fed up with Bradley. Yawn. The prosecution and even the court thought.

[Judge Thompson]

About talking about the frustration of the family because they have been incredibly frustrated for the last two years. And I recognize that frustration. There were so many meetings where they wanted to know more and we couldn't tell them.

[Prosecutor]

And there was a reason why.

[Judge Thompson]

But that reason isn't easily understood by a person who's going through trauma and loss. They were faced with delays and motions.

[Prosecutor]

And delays and motions and delays and.

[Judge Thompson]

Motions again and again and again.

[Prosecutor]

And every time we would have a.

[Judge Thompson]

Meeting with them, they would tell us.

[Prosecutor]

How frustrated they were. And every time we would say, there.

[Judge Thompson]

Will be a day when you get your chance to talk to the defendant, but it's not today. And it took two years.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecutors kept pushing and finally the court put some measures in place to prevent Bradley from causing more delays. Bradley decided again that he wanted to represent himself. And he was told that if he made that choice, he would not be able to change his mind again. The playing field was locked in. Bradley was going to act as his own attorney.

[Laura Keck]

So there's a number of challenges when a person does not have an attorney. Quite frankly, it's much more difficult on our end because you have to make sure that he is not doing anything that could make the case come back on appeal. And there are multiple things that generally attorneys work out before the trial actually starts and you start arguing before a jury with a pro se defendant, especially one like Mr. Yan, who quite frankly There was no reasoning, there was no talking with. None of those things could be worked out in advance.

[Prosecutor]

You know, as trial attorneys, I think the thing we crave more than anything else is consistency. You know, when you see the criminal justice system on tv, it's always about the surprise witness or the last minute piece of evidence. And I think any trial attorney will tell you that's the last thing we want. We don't want surprises in trials. We crave consistency. We crave knowing what's going to happen before it occurs. And the problem in this case was there was no way of knowing what was going to happen. There was absolutely no way of knowing what Mr. Yan was, was going to say or do before he did it. Every time you think that it was going to go down one direction, he would go the other direction.

[Mike Boudet]

With cautious optimism, Tina's family watched as a jury was finally selected. And in mid July of 2023, the trial began. Prosecutor Laura Keck delivered an opening statement to 12 everyday citizens of Adams County.

[Prosecutor]

It's because on November 9, 2021, she was kidnapped by the defendant. She was robbed by the defendant. The defendant left Tina bruised and battered. He left her bleeding on the floor, emotionally and physically scarred until she would die 33 days later on December 12, 2021.

[Bradley Yawn]

Like any woman, grounds, the death has no relevance in this case. You may continue.

[Prosecutor]

Thank you, your honor.

[Mike Boudet]

The trial delays had ended, and it seemed like Bradley could do nothing to stop the momentum. His vicious and brutal attack on Tina Lohman was finally laid bare in a courtroom in front of a jury that would determine Bradley's fate.

[Prosecutor]

The defendant forced his way into Tina's car. Tina thought it was about taking money and jewelry from her. She thought the defendant was going to kill her. So she told her she had more stuff. Back at her house, the defendant's accomplice followed them in her cup of another car. But the defendant, the defendant was not just satisfied with money or jewelry. The defendant wanted more from this 77 year old great grandmother. The defendant bent Tina over a chair in her living room. He shoved his penis into her vagina. He shoved his penis into her mouth.

[Laura Keck]

He told her to act like she liked it.

[Prosecutor]

While the defendant was doing all of these things, robbing her, assaulting her, his accomplice, the woman that was with him, was holding a knife and threatening Tina's life.

[Mike Boudet]

As great as it was that the trial had finally started, everyone knew this wouldn't be an easy fight. Bradley was unpredictable, and there was no telling what stunts he might try to pull on Top of that, the prosecution didn't have their key witness. They didn't have Tina Lohman.

[Prosecutor]

Tina won't be able to come here. She won't be able to look the defendant in the eye and say, you did this to me. Tina won't be able to take that witness stand. She won't be able to tell you what the defendant and the accomplice did to her. But you will get to see the photographs that were taken at Blessing Hospital. The photographs of Tina's mouth where the defendant had sprayed her with carpet cleaner. The photographs of Tina's vagina where the defendant had shoved his penis inside of her. The photographs of Tina's showing that she had been left bruised and beaten.

[Mike Boudet]

On July 11, 2023, Lara Keck concluded her opening statement. The time had finally come to call witnesses and begin presenting actual evidence. The time had come for the prosecution to present their case. Of course, as they did, this, Bradley Yawn, while acting as his own attorney, did everything he could to stop them.

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[Prosecutor]

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[Judge Thompson]

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[Mike Boudet]

In July of 2023, prosecutors in Adams County, Illinois began presenting their case against Bradley Yawn to a jury. Their goal was to convince this jury to return several guilty verdicts. The specific criminal charges were home invasion, kidnapping, vehicular hijacking, burglary and sexual assault. These charges related to the brutal assault of 77 year old Tina Loman, which occurred in November of 2021. Tina died one month after the assault. After delivering their opening statement, the prosecution began calling witnesses to the witness stand. One of those witnesses was the hospital nurse who performed Tina's sexual assault examination.

[Judge Thompson]

But when you met with her and talked with her, were you able to see if she was crying, if she was upset, what her emotional state was?

[Tina's Family Member]

Yeah, it appeared to me that she was in shock.

[Laura Keck]

She didn't really have too much emotions.

[Tina's Family Member]

Going on, I guess.

[Judge Thompson]

Then you, you looked at her physical injuries. Did you notice anything on her body?

[Laura Keck]

I did.

[Judge Thompson]

Was there bruising in multiple locations There was. Was the bruising contained to her upper body or was there bruising on her lower body as well?

[Laura Keck]

There was bruising on her lower body as well.

[Mike Boudet]

When this nurse was questioned, she described several of the injuries that Tina suffered as a result of the assault.

[Judge Thompson]

Did you notice anything about her mouth, specifically, if there was blood in her mouth?

[Laura Keck]

There was.

[Judge Thompson]

When you looked in her mouth, did you discover that there were significant injuries to the inside?

[Laura Keck]

I did.

[Judge Thompson]

In your training as a nurse and the years that you've been a nurse, have you seen chemical burns before form?

[Laura Keck]

I have.

[Judge Thompson]

The burns in Ms. Loman's mouth, did it appear to be chemical burns to you?

[Laura Keck]

It did.

[Judge Thompson]

People's Exhibit 27 is just a photograph of the inside of Christina Loman's mouth when you performed the sexual assault examination. It is the black and reddened areas. Is that blood?

[Laura Keck]

Yes.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecutors showed the jury several photographs during this questioning, including the inside of Tina's mouth, which had been sprayed with carpet cleaner. This is not a photo you ever want to see. It's awful. Just imagine how terrible it would be to have long lasting chemical burns inside of your mouth and on your throat.

[Judge Thompson]

Did you also examine Christina Loman's vagina?

[Laura Keck]

I did.

[Judge Thompson]

And in examining her vagina, did you notice injuries to her vagina?

[Laura Keck]

I did.

[Judge Thompson]

Did you also attempt to perform a service exam on Ms. Lohman?

[Laura Keck]

I did.

[Judge Thompson]

Were you able to complete that?

[Laura Keck]

I was not.

[Judge Thompson]

Is that because it was too painful for her?

[Laura Keck]

That is correct.

[Mike Boudet]

During this testimony and photo evidence, the prosecution proved that Tina Loman had been brutally assaulted and raped. Now they just needed to prove that Bradley Yawn was the man responsible for those horrible acts.

[Judge Thompson]

People 38. This would be the door going from the garage into the house?

[Prosecutor]

Yes, sir.

[Judge Thompson]

Did you notice damage to that door? Yes, sir. And you also notice shoe grave? Yes, sir.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecutors introduced physical and forensic evidence during the trial. This included the shoe print that Bradley left on Tina's door when he kicked it open and broke into her home.

[Judge Thompson]

Peoples was given 141 pair of white size 12 Reebok Men shoes worn by Yawn at the time of the. Are these the shoes that were sealed? Yes.

[Mike Boudet]

Similar to a fingerprint. The shoemark found on Tina's door perfectly match the shoes that Bradley was wearing when he was arrested.

[Judge Thompson]

Every shoe that comes from the factory, if you have Nike, every Nike shoe is going to have the same sole. Right. So how are you able to make.

[Laura Keck]

A comparison when the shoes are released from the manufacturing facility and before they are worn, they are all the same, but There is no damage to the shoe. They are fresh and clean. But as the shoes are being worn by individuals or individuals, these shoes can pick up damage, wear as well as like rocks, glass, different things that can be fit within the outsole that make the shoe individual in nature.

[Mike Boudet]

In addition to the shoe print, Bradley's fingerprints were also found on the carpet cleaner can that was used to victimize Tina.

[Judge Thompson]

When you compared a latent print that was found on that 409 can to the known standard, the print from the defendant, Bradley, what did you find?

[Bradley Yawn]

I found that the latent print on the spray can in People's Exhibit 3 was made by the person whose fingerprints appear on the card, Mark Bradley S Yawn.

[Prosecutor]

The can of carpet cleaner that the defendant had used to spray Tina's mouth and body, that was found at the house that was tested for fingerprints. And the defendant's fingerprint was found on that can of carpet cleaner.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's shoe print and his fingerprints were found at the scene of the crime. But that wasn't all. Bradley's DNA was also found on the handle of the safe in Tina's basement.

[Judge Thompson]

When you did that test, what were.

[Tina's Family Member]

You able to determine on the sample that I was able to generate DNA results from? I had a mixture of two individuals on that sample. One, it was clear to me, in comparing to the standards that one of the profiles came from that of Christina Loman and Bradley, Yonne was included as a contributor.

[Mike Boudet]

Again, Bradley didn't know Tina or her husband. There was no reason for him to be at their home at all. The only explanation of all this evidence was that Bradley was the man responsible for attacking Tina.

[Judge Thompson]

Had he ever wore a shoe in your house?

[Prosecutor]

No.

[Judge Thompson]

That he ever touched anything in your house where it would leave a thing?

[Prosecutor]

No.

[Judge Thompson]

Did he ever touch anything in your house where it would leave that safe? Have you ever touched that safe to your nose?

[Josh Jones]

No.

[Mike Boudet]

After Bradley robbed and attacked Tina, he fled the home and stole her car. That car was later found a few blocks away where Bradley was arrested. Naturally, Bradley's fingerprints were all over it.

[Judge Thompson]

What did you find about the latent print on that Toyota Bavalon to the print from the defendant Bradley?

[Bradley Yawn]

I found that the latent print from the exterior door handle was made by the person whose prints appear on the card, Mark Bradley S Yawn.

[Judge Thompson]

Was there also a print found on the driver's side on the back passenger?

[Bradley Yawn]

Yes, there was.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecutors also pointed out that a lot of Tina's stolen property was found on Bradley when he was arrested. This included her Purse, her jewelry and her voter identification card.

[Judge Thompson]

To the best of your knowledge, did she give her voter ID out to Bradley on?

[Bradley Yawn]

No.

[Judge Thompson]

To the best of your knowledge, did she give her Star Trek pin that you. You and she bought at Las Vegas? She loved that.

[Prosecutor]

No.

[Bradley Yawn]

Objection, your honor. Grounds? The the witness does not know whether or not such person gave him the car or has ever been in the home or what Tina may have done outside of his presence. All right, I will overrule the objection as to the question asked regarding to this witnesses. To the best of his knowledge, throughout.

[Mike Boudet]

The presentation of all this evidence, Bradley frequently objected. These objections usually didn't go his way.

[Judge Thompson]

We'd ask that people 60 be introduced into evidence and published.

[Bradley Yawn]

Any objection? Objection, your honor. All right, grounds Is my jewelry, Is my rosary people's exhibit 60? Over. Objection.

[Mike Boudet]

Lastly and certainly not least, the prosecution also played the gas station surveillance footage for the jury, which showed Bradley driving tina's stolen car.

[Prosecutor]

Mr. Joseph, you also indicated.

[Bradley Yawn]

Your honor, if I may, I'd have to object real quick. I'd like to know where the full edition of that video is. That's not the full edition of what was just played. That's the male suspect, myself come right indoor and right back out. That's not the actual video, your honor. Mr. Yan, I don't understand your objection. Your honor, I object to that video being clipped and cut, as a lot of things have been clipped and cut in this case. I have the video right here. I will find it, your honor, and I can surely approach and show it to you. All right, so I'm going to overrule your objection if you want to play a full video for the jury to watch. The state is simply showing and asking this witness about what they believe is important in the video. If you have it available, you can use that in cross examination or as you see fit. Yes, sir. No objections. Overruled.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's objections were unsophisticated and usually not in line with how objections are supposed to work. As such, they were often shut down, but that didn't make them any less incessant or disruptive. Nonetheless, prosecutors were able to present their evidence, and after two and a half days of trial, they prepared to finalize their case. This meant that the time was coming for Bradley Yawn to present a defense. As you can likely imagine, the defense was a complete shitshow. Hello. It is Ryan. And we could all use an extra bright spot in our day, couldn't we? Just to make up for things like sitting in traffic, doing the dishes, counting Your steps, you know, all the mundane stuff. That is why I'm such a big fan of Chumba Casino. Chumba Casino has all your favorite social casino style games that you can play for free, anytime, anywhere with daily bonuses that should brighten your day lo actually a lot. So sign up now@chumbac casino.com that's chumbacasino.com no purchase necessary.

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[Mike Boudet]

In July of 2023, after nearly two years of delay, the sexual assault trial for Bradley Yawn got underway. For several days, prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck presented very compelling and convincing evidence to a jury. They attempted to prove that Bradley had robbed, assaulted and raped 77 year old Tina Loman.

[Prosecutor]

What the defendant did to Tina Loman on November 9, 2021. It was horrific, it was violent, it was a nightmare. It was something no woman, no 77 year old grandmother should ever have to experience. What the defendant did to Tina Loman, it was sick, it was twisted, it was perverted. What he did to Tina Loman was, is called home invasion. It's called aggravated kidnap, it's called aggravated vehicular hijacking, it's called residential burglary, and it's called aggravated criminal sexual assault. And at the end of this case.

[Laura Keck]

You will be called to hold the.

[Prosecutor]

Defendant accountable for what he did to Tina Loman on November 9, 2021.

[Mike Boudet]

After two and a half days of calling witnesses and presenting evidence, the prosecution rested their case. Surprisingly. And despite offering her a deal to testify, they never called Bradley's accomplice, Karen Blackledge to the witness stand.

[Prosecutor]

You know how I said lawyers crave consistency and like to know what's going to happen? The last thing you do is you don't put a witness on the stand if you're not sure what, what they're going to say. And we spoke with Ms. Blackledge Press probably five or six times and I never had a good feeling about knowing what she was going to say on any particular day. So once we met with her, even during the trial, I think it was one of the last days of trial. We went up to the jail and spoke with her for probably an hour and Laura and I had a conversation afterwards and we decided based on the evidence we had, there was no reason to just go down that road with her. We, we, we didn't trust her. I don't think she was going to lie, but I didn't trust what she was going to say. And why, why would you want to do that? When you've put together a pretty good case without her.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecutors were confident they had placed Bradley at the crime scene with a shoe print, fingerprints, and DNA. They called witnesses who testified that Bradley had Tina's stolen property when he was arrested. They showed video evidence of Bradley driving Tina's stolen vehicle. There was no denying that their case was solid.

[Josh Jones]

Bradley Yan and Karen Blackledge, after fleeing from Tina Loman's home, eventually later that night, ended up at a gas station in Hannibal, Missouri. There was a surveillance camera, but that to me was one of the first nails in the coffin was here's this video evidence two hours after the attack of him with a big wad of money and a purse.

[Mike Boudet]

News editor David Adam observed and wrote articles about this case. He tried to remain neutral, but even he couldn't deny the evidence that prosecutors presented was extremely convincing. Tina's granddaughter Carly also observed the trial. Unfortunately, while she sat in the courtroom, she didn't have support of her mom and aunt because Bradley had subpoenaed them as witnesses.

[Tina's Family Member]

So during the trial, it was difficult because Bradley Yan had called my mom Heidi, and my aunt Ilsa as witnesses. So they were not able to be in there until they were done, which was kind of scary for me just because they were my safety net. Like, it was us three in there, you know, this entire time leading up to trial. So to not have them there was kind of nerve wracking. But also I was. Once it finally started, I kind of, like, held my breath. I was like, are we gonna actually start this time or is gonna be another delay? Once it started, it was. It was started to get real. Stuff came out at trial that I had not previously known about. And it was hard. That shock was just. I mean, I knew it was bad, but I didn't realize that it was that bad. And just seeing pictures specifically like, of her throat, and I don't even know how she was talking to me the next day again.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley had sprayed the inside of Tina's mouth with carpet cleaner after he raped her. The photograph of Tina's mouth and throat were presented at trial. Putting it mildly, this was a shocking visual for everyone.

[Tina's Family Member]

And then they took the can and they. The carpet cleaner can, and they sodomized her. And that part I didn't know until the trial. So that was really hard to hear.

[Mike Boudet]

Most people don't realize that when a victim's family attends trial, they usually don't know everything about the case. As the jury is learning new things, so are the family members. This is often a very Traumatic experience.

[Tina's Family Member]

Just like sitting there at that trial, seeing what they had done to her, and then for her to just look so put together and talking the next day, it just made me so proud of her. She was so brave. I don't know anyone else who could have done that but her. She's so strong. And I think during the trial, I just channeled that. I channeled her strength.

[Mike Boudet]

Before the trial, Carli had doubts about the prosecutors and their ability to get a conviction in this case. But after the evidence was presented, Carly's opinion changed.

[Tina's Family Member]

I was surprised. Like, when you're on the victim side of things, you can ask them questions and, like, they're gonna answer you, but, like, as far as specifics, they really can't tell, you know, they can't tell you all the evidence that they have. So that's why I didn't really have faith in them a lot at first, because we didn't. We just didn't know what they had. So, like, once the trial started and they were so organized and they had so much evidence, like, more than I even knew or thought possible.

[Mike Boudet]

So.

[Tina's Family Member]

So once the trial actually started and, like, it was going, I felt really.

[Mike Boudet]

Confident the prosecutors were done and the time had come for Bradley to present a defense, to prepare for that. There wasn't much prosecutors could do because they had no idea what Bradley's defense would look like.

[Laura Keck]

As far as his case, I didn't have any expectations, but I knew it was not going to be good. As Josh said, he had obviously no legal training, and he had this idea of how a trial was going to go. I think by that point, it was clear that he was learning that trials don't go like how they go on tv. He was not getting his way with just being able to introduce whatever evidence he wanted without following the rules of evidence. And so by the time we got where he could present evidence, I think he was grasping at straws, and we had no idea what he was going to try to do.

[Mike Boudet]

Much like prosecutors, Tina's family and news editor David Adam had no idea what to expect from Bradley's defense.

[Laura Keck]

There is no expecting anything with Bradley on. You just do not know which direction he's going to turn.

[Josh Jones]

When it comes to Bradley Yon I learned don't expect anything because you. You truly don't know what he's gonna do.

[Mike Boudet]

On the third day of the trial, Bradley Yan began presenting his defense. This was his opportunity to challenge and refute the claims made by prosecutors and the evidence they presented. Nobody knew what he was gonna say or do. But by the time he was done, everyone who witnessed this defense was completely appalled and horrified. Next time on this doesn't happen to People Like Me.

[Bradley Yawn]

I once heard that trials are based on persuasion. Who has the best persuasion in their words? Who can be persuaded by the persuadee?

[Laura Keck]

When the defendant is representing himself, he gets to not only talk, but he gets to actually cross examine all of those people, including the victim's family members.

[Bradley Yawn]

I'm not going to go into your criminal history. It's not extensive.

[Prosecutor]

Objection.

[Laura Keck]

Mr. Joseph does not have any criminal history.

[Tina's Family Member]

She wasn't penetrated with a cup. She was penetrated with a penis.

[Laura Keck]

Your penis.

[Mike Boudet]

An ad free version of this show is available right [e-mail] if you like the show, that's a great way to support us. Otherwise you can subscribe like us and review us. Thank you so much for joining us. We'll be right back here next week with another installment. This show was created by Mike Boudet and Michael Stabile. Engineered by Rob Ravelli. Cha cha cha cha.

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