9. A Verdict Looms

Summary

This Doesn’t Happen to People Like Me – Episode 9: A Verdict Looms

Introduction

In the penultimate episode of the gripping ten-part true crime series, This Doesn’t Happen to People Like Me, hosted by Mike Boudet of Sword and Scale, listeners are taken deep into the heart of the courtroom drama surrounding the trial of Bradley Yon. This episode, titled "A Verdict Looms," chronicles the final days of the trial, showcasing the unraveling of Yon’s defense, the steadfast prosecution, and the emotional toll on Tina Loman’s family. As the jury deliberates, the episode builds anticipation toward the impending verdict that could finally deliver justice for Tina.

Trial Developments

By mid-July 2023, the trial of Bradley Yon was reaching its climax. The prosecution had rested their case, presenting a strong and compelling narrative against Yon. In contrast, Yon’s self-representation as his own defense attorney was proving to be disastrous. His opening statements were described as “mostly incoherent and nonsensical,” failing to challenge the prosecution effectively.

Mike Boudet [04:21]: “Bradley’s defense was pretty simple to understand. Everyone was lying except for him. He repeatedly suggested that there was a conspiracy against him, but almost every time he tried making this suggestion, it backfired on him.”

The courtroom atmosphere was tense as Yon struggled to follow proper legal procedures, often clashing with the court’s expectations and the prosecution’s evidence.

Defense Strategy

Yon’s defense strategy primarily revolved around discrediting the prosecution’s case rather than presenting a coherent alternative narrative. He attempted to undermine the credibility of law enforcement and witnesses, often accusing them of deceit and conspiracy.

Bradley Yawn [05:06]: “You were in the garage, correct?”

Josh Jones [05:15]: “No.”

Yon’s inability to subpoena his own witnesses properly further weakened his defense. His approach of calling investigators liars and attempting to introduce inadmissible evidence only served to erode his credibility with both the judge and the jury.

Legal Analyst [11:17]: “If you commit a crime, don't represent yourself. There’s a reason why lawyers go to school for three years and pass the bar.”

Prosecution Arguments

Prosecutor Josh Jones meticulously outlined the horrific nature of the crime committed against Tina Loman, emphasizing the brutality and randomness of the attack. He presented a clear and structured case, highlighting the overwhelming evidence against Yon, including DNA, fingerprints, and surveillance footage.

Josh Jones [26:28]: “What the defendant did to Tina was random. It was violent. It was horrific. It was a nightmare. It was something that no 77-year-old grandmother should ever have to experience.”

Jones's closing argument was a powerful appeal to the jury’s sense of justice, urging them to hold Yon accountable for his heinous actions.

Witness Testimonies

The trial featured various testimonies that painted a vivid picture of the crime and its aftermath. Tina’s husband, Tim Schmidt, provided critical testimony about the 911 call made during the attack, which Yon later attempted to discredit.

Bradley Yawn [07:28]: “Mr. Schmidt, do you recollect what you stated in that phone call to the 911 operator?”

Tim Schmidt [07:36]: “I told them my wife had been raped.”

Yon’s attempt to question the validity of the 911 call was met with strong objections from the prosecution, highlighting his desperation to find any flaw in the prosecution’s case.

Closing Arguments

As the trial approached its end, both the prosecution and Yon delivered their final statements. Prosecutor Jones recapped the evidence and the suffering endured by Tina, passionately urging the jury to return guilty verdicts on all counts.

Josh Jones [28:08]: “Find that man guilty of what he did.”

Conversely, Yon’s closing argument was chaotic and filled with accusations of conspiracy, failing to present any substantive defense.

Bradley Yawn [33:15]: “The state has presented a case to you formed out of mostly false accusations.”

Legal Analyst [38:48]: “Mr. Yawn had no coherent theory of his side of the case. There was no evidence to support what he said.”

Yon's emotional yet unfocused plea to the jury did little to sway their perception, as both the prosecution and legal analysts criticized his lack of coherence and preparation.

Jury Deliberation

With both sides having presented their final arguments, the jury retreated to deliberate. Tina’s family and the prosecution remained hopeful due to the overwhelming evidence against Yon. However, as hours passed without a verdict, anxiety and uncertainty mounted.

Tina Loman’s Daughter [43:33]: “As time ticked by with no word from the jury, Tina's family and prosecutors became more and more concerned that they would soon be hearing those two awful words. Not guilty.”

Legal analysts noted the high-pressure environment jurors face, acknowledging the weight of the decision they had to make.

Legal Analyst [43:33]: “When you are leaving it up to 12 people off the street to decide whether or not somebody's guilty or not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a high burden, you're scared.”

Final Reflections

As the episode concludes, listeners are left on the edge of their seats awaiting the jury's decision. The emotional testimonies, combined with Yon’s faltering defense, set the stage for a dramatic conclusion in the final episode.

Mike Boudet [44:20]: “As time ticked by with no word from the jury, Tina's family and prosecutors became more and more concerned that they would soon be hearing those two awful words. Not guilty.”

Conclusion

Episode 9, "A Verdict Looms," masterfully captures the tension and drama of Bradley Yon's trial. Through detailed courtroom interactions, heartfelt family testimonies, and expert legal analysis, the episode builds a compelling narrative toward the impending verdict. Tina Loman’s family remains hopeful for justice, while Yon’s ineffective defense highlights the challenges of self-representation in complex criminal cases. As the series edges toward its finale, listeners are left anticipating the resolution of this harrowing true crime story.

Transcript

[Mike Boudet]

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[Josh Jones]

She wasn't penetrated with her cop.

[Mike Boudet]

She was penetrated with a penis.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

Your penis.

[Judge Thompson]

I cannot imagine anything worse than have to sit there, answer his questions politely, calmly and not lose her cool.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

And one of the things that both of the sisters talked about was how unnerved they were.

[Tina Loman's Daughter]

So I just prayed and hoped for the best that I could do my best for my mom. I just kept thinking of her strength and I had to do it for my mom.

[Mike Boudet]

Welcome to this Doesn't Happen to People like me a new 10 part true crime series by the creators of Sword and Scale. If you like the show you can find an ad free [e-mail] this is a very emotional story for us, so thank you for joining us and thank you for sharing Tina's story with us and her family. Welcome.

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[Josh Jones]

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[Mike Boudet]

By mid July of 2023, the trial for Bradley Yon was winding down. So far, the prosecution had rested their case against Bradley, and Bradley's defense was, to say the least, pretty horrible. Bradley had given a mostly incoherent and nonsensical opening statement, and many of the witnesses he cross examined and called to the witness stand only bolstered the state's case against him. Overall, Bradley demonstrated that he didn't have what it took to be a trial lawyer.

[Court Clerk]

Prepared to call your next witness, your.

[Bradley Yawn]

Honor, obviously, you know I'm not, but I guess you're gonna have to. Sheriff Wagner.

[Court Clerk]

And is sheriff Wagner available?

[Josh Jones]

Not to my knowledge, your honor, Bradley's.

[Mike Boudet]

Defense was poorly prepared. In some cases, he didn't even properly subpoena his own witnesses. All right.

[Court Clerk]

Mr. Young has passed up a subpoena. That is People State of Illinois versus Bradley S Yon 21 cf 715. Greetings to Sheriff Rich Wagner, Adams County, Illinois. We command you, each of you personally, to be and appear before the said court in courtroom number blank at the courthouse in Quincy forthwith on the blank day of blank A.D. 2000. Blank at the hour of blank. So, Mr. Yan, how was sheriff or retired sheriff Rich Wagner to know what day in time he was to appear to testify pursuant to this subpoena? Given there's no date and time on.

[Bradley Yawn]

It, obviously you wouldn't. Your honor, we'll move on to the next. All right.

[Mike Boudet]

As part of his defense, Bradley challenged the detectives and their procedures for investigating this crime.

[Bradley Yawn]

Is it appropriate for a numerous amounts of law enforcement to enter a scene?

[Legal Analyst]

I believe that would depend on the scene.

[Bradley Yawn]

But if there's no vital threat there, then several officers wouldn't enter the scene and. And go in and out, Correct?

[Josh Jones]

Again, that that would depend on the scene.

[Bradley Yawn]

Okay. Scenes such as this, this is a very. And. And I will concede myself, this is a very heinous crime. It's sickening. Would you agree?

[Josh Jones]

Certainly Relevant to the degree of the crime.

[Court Clerk]

Sustained.

[Mike Boudet]

While questioning the investigators, Bradley didn't really get anywhere with them, so he just went into his old bag of tricks and began calling them liars.

[Bradley Yawn]

Did you observe CL leave out of the residence?

[Josh Jones]

Not that I recall.

[Bradley Yawn]

You were in the garage, correct?

[Josh Jones]

No.

[Bradley Yawn]

You just stated you were in the garage. Sarge, so far, you've been completely honest, but.

[Josh Jones]

Objection, your honor. Argumentative.

[Court Clerk]

Sustained. If you could ask the question.

[Bradley Yawn]

You.

[Josh Jones]

Did not observe cle I don't recall seeing her leave.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley also tried to argue that it would have been impossible for anyone to commit the horrific crimes that he was accused of committing.

[Bradley Yawn]

People's exhibit three there. Are you aware of what that is?

[Josh Jones]

Yes.

[Prosecutor's Assistant]

It says it's one metal 409 spray.

[Josh Jones]

Can recovered from the floor of living kitchen room.

[Bradley Yawn]

The things you relayed to persons, do you believe it be possible that a person would be penetrated with that can? Yes. Outside of pregnancy dilation, Violently penetrated with something like that and walk away from it.

[Prosecutor's Assistant]

When Karen Blackledge told me that you inserted this into Tina's vagina while she.

[Josh Jones]

Was screaming, Yes, I believed her.

[Bradley Yawn]

You believed that, and you just take anything at face value, correct?

[Josh Jones]

I believed her.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's defense was pretty simple to understand. Everyone was lying except for him. He repeatedly suggested that there was a conspiracy against him, but almost every time he tried making this suggestion, it backfired on him.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

Another aspect of Bradley Yan's defense was that he didn't believe a 911 call had ever been made by Tim Schmidt. Then he proceeded to introduce evidence that showed that a 911 call was actually made. It was one of those moments when you sit there and you really knew at that point, Bradley just didn't have. He was grasping at straws. I mean, it just kind of showed the haphazard way that Bradley was trying to defend himself.

[Mike Boudet]

When Tina's husband, Tim Schmidt, was on the witness stand, Bradley suggested that Tim had lied about making a 911 call. According to Bradley, this call was never made.

[Bradley Yawn]

Mr. Schmidt, do you recollect what you stated in that phone call to the 911 operator?

[Court Clerk]

I told them my wife had been raped.

[Bradley Yawn]

And do you recall what time you made a 911 call?

[Court Clerk]

It was a little after 6:00, right.

[Josh Jones]

After I went home. If I said that there's an objection, your honor. I know what he's going to ask next, your honor. And if he's going to, it's going to be an objectionable question that the jury is not allowed to hear. If we need to discuss it outside the presence of the jury, we should do that.

[Mike Boudet]

When the topic of this 911 call came up, the jury was excused from the courtroom so that the issue could be litigated.

[Josh Jones]

I believe the defendant is going to ask if I told you that the phone records don't show a 911 phone call at 6:09 or something to that effect. My objection is threefold. One, we've been down this road and the court has already heard that 911 calls are not recorded on phone records. That's been.

[Bradley Yawn]

Objection, your honor.

[Court Clerk]

Let him make his argument. You'll have a chance to respond, Mr. Young.

[Josh Jones]

Two, those phone records are inadmissible. So it is inadmissible for the defendant to ask this witness question about inadmissible evidence. And three, this witness has testified he's not reviewed those records, so he doesn't have a basis to testify as to whether or not a phone call is on those records or not because he didn't review them.

[Bradley Yawn]

Your honor, my foundation was the question of when Mr. Schmidt called 911 the basis is that there is no 911 call or non emergency call on these records here. And the jury shall see that because these records are accurate, certified, and true, There is no 911 call on these records.

[Josh Jones]

Please.

[Court Clerk]

This was brought up during one of the pre trial motions, right? So I'm aware of the records, Mr. Yan. I don't need to observe them.

[Mike Boudet]

Yet again, the judge ruled that Bradley was not allowed to question Tim Schmidt about these phone records. After this ruling was made, the jury returned to the courtroom and Bradley's questioning of Tim Schmidt continued.

[Bradley Yawn]

Mr. Schmidt, just to refresh your memory, you stated you were subpoenaed for phone records, correct?

[Josh Jones]

Objection, your honor. We just dealt with this.

[Bradley Yawn]

Gone.

[Court Clerk]

The court sustained that objection, your honor, you need to go down a new path.

[Bradley Yawn]

I'm just letting the witness know where we're at, you, honor.

[Court Clerk]

He was here. He knows. So. Next question, sir.

[Bradley Yawn]

And you did provide those records?

[Josh Jones]

Objection, your honor. Asked and answered. And we've gone down this path, Mr. Smith.

[Court Clerk]

Objection.

[Bradley Yawn]

Are you aware. Are you aware that there was no objection?

[Court Clerk]

Your honor, I will sustain the objection, Mr.

[Josh Jones]

Objection, your honor.

[Court Clerk]

I'll ask the bailiff to have the jury return to the jury room and we'll address it.

[Mike Boudet]

Much like with the rules of society, Bradley refused to follow the judge's orders and the rules of the courtroom.

[Bradley Yawn]

I didn't even get to fully ask my question.

[Court Clerk]

You are proceeding into that same area, Mr.

[Bradley Yawn]

Yawn.

[Court Clerk]

You need to move on. This witness doesn't have knowledge of those records, sir. Now, if you want to ask something different about his knowledge, then great, But I don't want you referencing those documents again in front of this jury because they have not been admitted and you've made your proffer of evidence it's impermissible to do so.

[Legal Analyst]

You know, to be a little flippant, I suppose the one lesson that people could take away is not to commit crimes. And if you commit a crime, don't represent yourself. There's a reason why lawyers go to school for three years and pass the bar. And there's a reason why not everybody can be a trial attorney. It's not an easy gig, the criminal justice system. And trials are not what you see on tv. People come into the criminal justice system and think that they can represent themselves, and it's going to be fine. I don't need a lawyer because it's just people just stand up and argue, and that's not what it is at all. There are so many rules that you have to follow to even get to the Point where you make an argument, and if you don't understand those, you're not going to get a good result. There's a reason why the Constitution says that you have a right to a lawyer in criminal cases, because it's a tough thing to do.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's defense was a mess. Every attempt he made to poke holes in the prosecution's case. But then, just as it appeared that Bradley had run out of witnesses, Bradley asked to put his father on the stand.

[Bradley Yawn]

Your Honor, I hate to place it on the record, but my. My father got so depressed, he went into a stupor.

[Court Clerk]

I. I just need an answer to my question. Have you been unable to speak with either of those individuals in the last year and a half?

[Bradley Yawn]

Your honor, do you know what they've been doing to me in this county?

[Court Clerk]

Is it a yes or no? Have you speak to either of those individuals in the last year and a half?

[Bradley Yawn]

A couple times, yes. But I'd like to put it record. I'm not asking to do this in private. I'm not asking to do. Could be in restraints. I have nothing to hide. I'm asking to interview a witness, and that's what I'm entitled to. I'm held to the same standards. I should not have to go through all these extracurricular activities just to get my rights.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley claimed that his father could provide an alibi that would place Bradley somewhere else when Tina Loman was attacked and raped. This put the prosecutors in a difficult.

[Josh Jones]

Position with regard to the defendant's father. This is the first we're hearing of an alibi defense. And as the defendant said, he is held to the same standard as every other attorney. Any other attorney is told that alibi is a defense that has to be given notice of, and he has never given notice of an alibi defense, as is required by Illinois law.

[Legal Analyst]

Again, it's the idea of people who watch a trial on TV think that you just get to call a witness and ask them whatever you want. That's not how it works in the real world. Because trial attorneys don't like surprises. In a trial, there should never be a surprise. And so there. There are rules of discovery. Mr. Yan was required under the rules of discovery, which he didn't know because he's not an attorney, but he wanted to represent himself, that he had to present an alibi defense as an affirmative defense and give us notice and evidence of that. And since he didn't do that, we certainly could have objected and did object. But we were also cognizant of the fact that if we didn't allow his father to testify at all, that could be an issue for the appellate court.

[Mike Boudet]

Ultimately, the judge ruled that Bradley could call his dad to the witness stand, which he eventually did. As this man took the witness stand, the prosecutors, Tina's family, and the jury waited to hear what Bradley's alibi was for the night of the crime.

[Josh Jones]

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[Bradley Yawn]

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[Josh Jones]

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[Bradley Yawn]

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[Bradley Yawn]

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[Bradley Yawn]

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[Mike Boudet]

On the fifth day of the Bradley Yawn trial, Bradley surprised the court and prosecutors with a supposed alibi witness. Bradley wanted to call his father to the witness stand to present this defense. Naturally, the prosecutors didn't want this to happen.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

He says, I never got a chance to talk to my dad. And Judge Thompson says, well, what are you gonna talk about? And he says, you know, he's gonna be able to tell you where I was.

[Josh Jones]

Yeah.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

And Josh Jones said, no, he's not. Because you can't just all of a sudden spring an alibi witness on us here five days into a trial. Which is correct.

[Mike Boudet]

To avoid a potential appellate issue, the judge ruled that Bradley was allowed to call his dad to the witness stand. At the time, Bradley's dad was incarcerated for an unrelated crime. Are you surprised? So he had to be transported from his prison cell to the courtroom. While wearing a prisoner uniform and shackles, Bradley's dad sat on the witness stand and began his testimony.

[Bradley Yawn]

Do you remember around about the time your son, myself was arrested? About a year and a half ago. Pretty close. Yeah, but not sure on the month's dates for sure. Not positive, but I'd probably get close. Do you remember the day hearing that your son was arrested? The day. So I'm not sure on the day, do you remember hearing that? I remember hearing when you got arrested. But would you remember approximately how long before that that it was you saw your son? Maybe a week to two. Senior. I'm not good at dates at all. I don't understand that, Pop. Your honor, I have no more. Thank you, Popeye.

[Court Clerk]

Mr. Jones, any cross?

[Josh Jones]

No.

[Mike Boudet]

After all that, the testimony of Bradley's dad turned out to be worthless. No alibi for the night of the crime was ever given.

[Legal Analyst]

Mr. Yan asked him some questions, and it appeared that Mr. Yan was unsatisfied with his father's responses to those questions.

[Mike Boudet]

After this failed attempt to provide an alibi, Bradley tried to recall Tina's daughter Ilsa to the witness stand. Apparently, he wasn't done calling her a liar.

[Bradley Yawn]

My trial presentation and my cross examinations have once been put together, but they were taken. And once we got to here, I was not prepared this time, so I did not remember to ask her, you, Honor.

[Josh Jones]

That's not a proper reason to recall her. He's covered these issues with her. He didn't like the answers. Now he wants to call her again to see if he can get a different answer.

[Bradley Yawn]

No, you, Honor, that is wrong. I understand she does not know the clothing her mother wore. But facts are, you, Honor, she has the jeans her mother wore, and they were soaked with blood, so perjury. Your Honor, if. If that's. If that's the case, she does remember. Been a lot of lying in this case. Your Honor, Mr. Yawn. Been a lot of I don't knows and can't remembers.

[Court Clerk]

I'm gonna uphold the objection to state. I haven't heard a reason why you should be allowed to recall this witness.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley Yawn had no more witnesses. This meant that the trial just about over, and everyone who observed it could reflect on how poorly Bradley had performed.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

He was. Actually. He tried to use a lot of big words that he famously kind of fumbled. I can never look at the word heinous again and not hear him say heinous.

[Bradley Yawn]

All of these being brutal, violent, heinous. Those are the titles of alleged claims the judge has placed forth.

[Prosecutor's Assistant]

Heinous. Oh, that brings me back. He would use words in the wrong context a lot. And so we had this joke at trial. We would make these bingo cards. So anytime he would say conspiracy or heinous or judiciary. Judicial. But he used it in the completely wrong context. It was.

[Tina Loman's Daughter]

We just.

[Prosecutor's Assistant]

Our joke was, we'll make these bingo cards that way. Trials, you know, have some comedic relief there.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's inability to properly use the English language was one thing, but Bradley also failed to present any legitimate defense at all. After all, how could he? The prosecution's case was pretty much unbeatable.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

At no point did he ever say, okay, well, how'd your fingerprints get on that car? Yeah, you know, how did you get. How did you get the car? If he didn't get the car by stealing it from her house. Don't you think that he would have potentially tried to bring up the factual basis for that during his defense? Well, he didn't have one.

[Josh Jones]

But I think throughout this whole process, since his arrest, he has shown that he doesn't really have the capacity for this to, I guess, defend him, in my mind.

[Mike Boudet]

As Bradley's defense neared an end, just about everyone assumed that his fate was sealed. Even the court reporters anticipated that a guilty verdict was a sure thing.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

People were fascinated by the case. Much of their fascination was centered on, I can't believe he keeps getting away with all these things that he's saying and doing and the continuances. By the time we got to the summer of 23, the act had worn thin. People just wanted him to be found guilty. I do remember that as you listened to all of the evidence, man, it was hard not to go. Bradley, I'm not sure how you're going to get out of this. You know, I mean, I try not to be my own judge and jury. I just try to sit there and repeat and write what people said. But you can't help but not sit there and listen to the testimony and go, is this guy really guilty? Did this guy really do this? Does he have a window of opportunity? And the more I listen to it, I just thought, man, Brad, you are. You're in deep trouble here. I'm not sure how you're going to get out of this one, because the evidence to me seemed to be very evident that he committed the crime that he did. But, man, did he stand there and tell the world that he didn't do it.

[Mike Boudet]

Before the trial could move on to closing arguments, Bradley had to make a decision. He had to decide if he was going to take the witness stand and testify.

[Court Clerk]

And have you decided whether you wish to testify or not?

[Bradley Yawn]

Yes.

[Court Clerk]

And do you wish to testify?

[Mike Boudet]

No.

[Court Clerk]

So do you have any further evidence you wish to present on your side of the case?

[Bradley Yawn]

I would wish to present some, but I'm not going to be able to, your honor, because I wasn't prepared. I'm not going to be able to by law.

[Court Clerk]

So, defendant rests, and the case moves back to the state side. Is the state going to present any rebuttal testimony?

[Legal Analyst]

No, your honor.

[Mike Boudet]

Up to this point, Bradley had repeatedly claimed that he would testify, but when the time came for him to do it, he wisely decided against it. If Bradley had sat in the witness chair, the prosecutors would have almost certainly ripped him to shreds.

[Legal Analyst]

Well, I mean, I can only say that Mr. Yan had said, I don't know how many times in court that he was going to be testifying. Every time we had a court hearing, he talked about how he was going to be testifying, and then he didn't. He's decided not to present really any evidence other than recalling some witnesses for whatever purpose he thought he had. I guess I expected him to testify. I. I frankly was a little disappointed that he didn't. After 19 months of having to sit there and listen to him talk incessantly, Laura and I were both looking forward to a chance to ask him some questions. The one question we were going to ask was he wore this rosary around his neck every day to court. He was not catholic. He had no idea what it was. He thought it was a necklace. I was going to ask him, you know, what's that around your neck? And if he said it was a rosary, and he wasn't going to know that it was a rosary, but if he said it was a rosary, I was going to ask him what a rosary was, and he wasn't going to know that. But if he did know what a rosary was, we were going to ask him to recite the prayers of the rosary, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and see how many of those he was going to get right, because I guarantee you, he wasn't going to know the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

[Mike Boudet]

The prosecution and the defense rested. All evidence had been presented, and the trial was pretty much over. The only remaining order of business was closing arguments.

[Josh Jones]

At 77 years old, Tina Loma had raised four children. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother. She ran a successful business with her husband. But what was really important to her was her family. And In November of 2021, she was looking forward to Thanksgiving, she was looking forward to Christmas. And, you know, she was one of those grandmothers that just dropped. Drives me nuts, that starts listening to Christmas music before we even get to Thanksgiving and puts up the Christmas fights before we even had a chance to digest the turkey. That's just who she was. But Tina didn't know that her last Thanksgiving on this earth was going to be spent bruised and battered, emotionally and physically scarred, too scared to even go back to her own home. Because at 5:30pm on November 9, 2021, when she pulled over to the side of a dark, lonely country road looking for help instead of a kindly stranger, that man showed up instead. And her worst nightmares showed up in the shape of that defendant.

[Bradley Yawn]

Objection, Your Honor. Growls Mr. Jones does not know that I'm that man.

[Mike Boudet]

As part of his closing argument, prosecutor Josh Jones reminded the jury of the pain that Tina Loman endured during and after the attack.

[Josh Jones]

That picture shows you exactly what was done to Tina Lohman in her own home. She was bleeding from her lower body after that person shoved his penis inside her again, again and again. He left her bloody, he left her bruised. You saw those photos of the inside of her vagina and what he did to her. Did he use force on her? You're damn right he did it. He sprayed carpet cleaner into her mouth and all over her body. What the defendant did to Tina Lohan on November 9, 2021 was random. It was violent. It was horrific. It was a nightmare. It was something that no 77 year old grandmother should ever have to experience. What he did to her on that day was sick. It was twisted. It was perverted. What he did to her on that day was a crime. And we have names for these crimes. We call them aggravated kidnapping. We call them home invasion. We call them aggravated vehicular hijacking. We call them aggravated criminal sexual assault. And we call them residential burglary.

[Mike Boudet]

At the end of his closing argument, prosecutor Josh Jones called upon the jury to return guilty verdicts on all counts.

[Josh Jones]

Because Tina was strong like her daughter said, Tina was a survivor. Because despite the fear and despite the pain, Tina did what she needed to do. She told her husband what happened. She told Jo Lowmire what happened. She told Ruth Bowden what happened. And despite the blood and despite the shame, Tina did what she needed to do. And she showed Jacqueline Oglesby and Dr. Ada Kagumba the results of what that man did to her. Tina was strong. And the defendant wasn't counting on that. He wasn't counting on that when he committed this absolutely random act of horrible and heinous violence against a 77 year old great grandmother. And you know what else he wasn't counting on? He wasn't counting on you. He wasn't counting on the citizens of our county. Because if he had been, he would have known he wasn't going to get away with it. He wasn't going to get away with doing what he did to Tina Loman. He would have known that in our county when you do what he did, we don't turn a blind eye to those things. He would have known that in our county, when you do what he did, we call them crimes. And he would have known that in our county. When defendants commit crimes in Adams County, Adams county holds defendants accountable. Find that man guilty of what he.

[Mike Boudet]

Did throughout the trial, Bradley Yawn claimed to be innocent, but he never gave any explanation for the state's evidence. In other words, he never provided an alternative theory or his side of the story for anything.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

Much of Bradley Yan's defense was centered around what he believed that were mistakes made by the Adams County Sheriff's Department. And he complained a lot about the crime scene itself. I just felt there was so much evidence, the shoe print on the door, all of the evidence that was found on his person. Jan consistently kept saying, I wasn't there. I didn't do it. But he never said where he was. He never said he'd never once. He was actually going to go up on the stand at one point, and he threatened to go up on the stand. He never did, but he was going to tell his side of the story.

[Mike Boudet]

Why was Bradley's shoe print on Tina's door? Why were his fingerprints and DNA found in her house? Why did surveillance footage show Bradley and his accomplice driving Tina's stolen car? Why did Bradley have Tina's purse, jewelry, and her voter ID card on him when he was arrested? Bradley didn't answer any of these questions with his opening statement or with witness testimony, but he was given one last crack at the jury. Bradley could speak to them directly with his closing argument. This closing argument was Bradley's last chance to tell his side of the story.

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[Josh Jones]

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[Mike Boudet]

On July 17, 2023, Illinois Prosecutor Josh Jones gave a closing argument to a jury for the state's case against Bradley Yawn. In his statements, he reminded the jury of all the evidence they saw and reminded them about the pain that Tina Loman endured. He ended by asking the jury to hold Bradley accountable for his crimes. He asked them to return a guilty verdict on all criminal counts. When prosecutor Josh Jones was done, Bradley began his own closing argument.

[Bradley Yawn]

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, today we're here on some thick, thick, heinous matters. Matters that if I were that person, I wouldn't care if I Was a prosecutor or not, I wouldn't sit here and call the defendant a man. I'd call him a piece of shit. Excuse my terminology, your honor, but I call him a piece of because that's what he would have been. Mr. Jones put on a great presentation today. Very great. Just. Just to try to persuade you people. Just to try to persuade you people. Often in life, persuade others, as I said, with words, actions, evidence. They also persuade people with lies, deceit, vindictiveness. They try to place theories together and put stories together and embed them in the minds of jurors such as yourself or people out here in the community. The state has presented a case to you formed out of mostly false accusations. I object. Why? Because they didn't want you to hear that. They didn't want you to hear the discrepancies.

[Mike Boudet]

Much like his opening statement, Bradley's closing argument centered around some large conspiracy against him. He accused the prosecutors, the police, Tina's family, and Tina herself of lying about what happened. His so called proof was that this was not only nonsensical, it was also disgusting. Yes, it was, Bradley. Yes, it was.

[Bradley Yawn]

You heard via nurse Oglesby the fact that CL, a 77 year old woman, was still having consensual sex. That was on documentation form too. Let Mr. Jones object to it. Via the vagina. In the last and in the last three days, outside of assault, 77 years old. We all know it's common knowledge once you pass a certain stage in age, in life, you don't secrete lubricants.

[Mike Boudet]

Naturally, Bradley had absolutely no shame when it came to his closing argument, which was nothing new, of course. As was usually the case when Bradley spoke, people often looked at each other and asked, did he really just say.

[Bradley Yawn]

That they presented false information to you? Why? Because Bradley's the bad guy. Bradley yon's so ruthless. He's. He's a sexual pervert, a deviant, a home invader, a hijacker, a kidnapper of elderly women. No, no, not at all. Not at all.

[Josh Jones]

Judge, at this point, I'm going to object. There was no evidence of this and there's no evidence of tampering.

[Court Clerk]

Sustain.

[Bradley Yawn]

When you have money, you have connections.

[Josh Jones]

Judge, I'm going to object again. There was no evidence of that. And frankly, his fanciful tales are getting a little tall there.

[Court Clerk]

I'll sustain. There was no evidence presented to support that argument. Mr. John, if you would continue with your argument, please.

[Bradley Yawn]

Adams county place that next to that purse to associate it with another crime.

[Josh Jones]

Objection, your honor. There is absolutely no evidence of that. And he's making stuff up.

[Bradley Yawn]

I am.

[Court Clerk]

Sustained.

[Bradley Yawn]

I am. Well, that pill bottle is associated with another criminal act.

[Josh Jones]

Objection, you, Honor. There's no evidence of that.

[Court Clerk]

Sustained.

[Mike Boudet]

Eventually, after throwing around several accusations of evidence tampering, Bradley's closing argument came to an end. It didn't end with any reasonable explanation for the state's evidence. Instead, Bradley ended his remarks with crocodile tears.

[Bradley Yawn]

I came in here telling you jurors that I would show you things, show you descriptions from the horse's mouth. I was not able to. You should have been entitled to see that, because it's a lot different than being presented here. A high level of reasonable doubt is what you've seen today. You've seen things placed together. I'm not a heinous, perverted creep. I do not go around robbing people. Words can bring harsh comments, especially when spoken in a slanderous and demeaning way. I've always been a caring person, considerate, loving. My mama taught me better than this. She didn't teach me to go out and do these things, nor did I do them. Please stop, man. You've been presented with some very sick things, very sick things that are not true. If you want the truth, I'll tell you the truth. The truth is I wasn't there that night, but I'm very aware of who certain people are. That's the truth. The truth would hurt people in this courtroom today. Ask for the rest of the evidence so you can send me home where I belong. Because I'm not a sick, perverted creep. Not at all, Chad. I'm not a stick for murder grief at all. Thank you.

[Mike Boudet]

Bradley's defense ended with a whimper, and nobody was impressed, least of all the prosecutors.

[Judge Thompson]

So there were parts of it that maybe had thoughts that made sense. And Josh is giving me a look right now, but he could not string those thoughts together. And so it was so sporadic all over the place, it would just jump from thing to place to place to place, is my recollection.

[Legal Analyst]

Let me say this.

[Josh Jones]

At no point in his irrational closing argument did he come anywhere close to coherent thought. We were all dumber for having heard it. And frankly, may God have mercy on his soul.

[Legal Analyst]

I think his defense was as irrational as he was as a person. I mean, I don't know how to describe it other than that there was no coherent theory of his side of the case. There was no evidence to support what he said occurred to the extent he said anything occurred. He would jump from point to point without any flow or any real logic at all.

[Mike Boudet]

Like the prosecutors, Tina's family and the media also didn't think much of Bradley's closing remarks.

[Tina Loman's Daughter]

Bradley Ann's closing argument was quite a joke. There was fake tears. Not really sure where he was going with it. He wanted to call all of us liars. And again, he wants everyone to believe that he never did this and that the DNA, his footprints, the fingerprints, him having my mom's car, him having my mom's purse, my mom's voter id, all of it. We all put it there. We are people who have money and know people, Quincy. So we all just wanted to blame Bradley on the victim. That's what he wanted us to believe.

[Prosecutor's Assistant]

The funny thing about his defense is he never, ever provided an alibi. He never said, oh, no, I was here or I was doing this. He never had his own story. His whole defense was trying to just crack holes in the state's attorney. Just the same stuff. He didn't do it. There was a giant conspiracy. Tapes and evidence were altered because they just want to see him in prison.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

The line that I remember him, he goes, you want the truth? I'll tell you the truth. But he never said what that truth was.

[Mike Boudet]

Everyone had an opinion about Bradley's defense and his closing argument, but really the only opinions that mattered were those of the jurors. To close out the trial, the prosecution was given one last chance to speak to them.

[Josh Jones]

First of all, it's pronounced heinous, not heinous. Secondly, we have rules of evidence and everybody who's in this courtroom has to follow the rules of evidence. We have to follow the rules of evidence. The defendant is of the opinion that he shouldn't have to. Just like the rules of society didn't apply to him when he decided to rape a 77 year old grandma. And then he comes up in front of you and he says, the 77. 77 year old woman had sex. Good for her. I Hope when I'm 77, I can say that I had sex three days ago. Big whoop. We heard about what he did to Tina Loman on November 9th. Tina lived it. We've seen the tear and the bruises and the bleeding. Tina felt it. She felt every tear, she felt every bruise, she felt every burn, every second of every day of every minute for the rest of her life.

[Mike Boudet]

After nearly two years of delays, the criminal trial for Bradley Yonn finally came to an end. The case was left in the hands of the jury and they were sent into the deliberation room to decide on a verdict. Meanwhile, Tina's family tried to stay positive. They were hopeful that the jury would reach the right decision and deliver some justice. Finally for Tina.

[Tina Loman's Daughter]

Yes, I was very concerned that it could be a not guilty. I mean, you don't know how courts plays out. You don't know how people feel. But then I was hoping that, I mean, it's such a horrific crime. It just couldn't be real. As you place it all out, that the jurors, they had to have known that he was guilty. They had to. And I don't know, we were very nervous sitting back, waiting to hear what it was going to be. Very nervous, nervous holding hands and crying.

[Mike Boudet]

While they did have some concerns, Tina's family and the prosecutors were confident. They knew that the case against Bradley was strong. But the jury seemed to take an awfully long time to return. As the hours went by, all that confidence started to wane.

[Legal Analyst]

I think any trial attorney will tell you you always have that fear, regardless of how strong you think your case is. When you are leaving it up to 12 people off the street to decide whether or not somebody's guilty or not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which is a high burden. You're scared. You're focused on the things that you didn't ask or the evidence you didn't present, and you're worried that, you know, maybe we should have called Karen Blackledge. Maybe that would have been the key piece of evidence that would have helped them convict him. Or maybe it was something else that we didn't do that we should have done, or maybe we should have played a different video that we didn't play. And Ms. Kek and I were both incredibly nervous. The longer the jury took that somehow there was something that was going to go wrong.

[Mike Boudet]

As time ticked by with no word from the jury, Tina's family and and prosecutors became more and more concerned that they would soon be hearing those two awful words. Not guilty. Next time on this doesn't happen to people Like Me.

[Judge Thompson]

Potentially, by the end of the prosecution, they have convinced themselves and their family members they did not do this offense. I'm not a mental health professional. I don't know if that's a diagnosis, but I believe that happened with Mr. Yan. He convinced himself that he did not actually do this.

[Tina Loman's Family Member]

If you truly believe it, it's not a lie. Bradley Yan truly believed he didn't do it.

[Josh Jones]

I've seen a lot of people talk about how he's making a mockery of the system.

[Prosecutor's Assistant]

We, the jury, by the defendant, Bradley Yon.

[Mike Boudet]

Thank you so much for having joined us. And we'll see you here next week for the final episode of this Doesn't Happen to People Like Me. If you like the show and would rather hear it without ads, you can get a version of that on Apple and our website, sword and scale.com this show is produced by Michael Stabile and engineered by Robert Bovelli. I'm your host, Mike Boudet. And special thanks to Tina Lohman's family for letting us tell her story.

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[Josh Jones]

No purchase necessary. VGW Group void.

[Bradley Yawn]

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