FAYETTEVILLE — Heather Carlene Swain was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for kidnapping in addition to a mandatory life sentence for her role in the murder of Ronnie Lee Bradley.
Legal Lingo
Sentence
The punishment given to a person convicted of a crime. A sentence is ordered by the judge, based on the verdict of the jury within the possible punishments set by state law. Concurrent sentences, in which the prison time for more than one crime is served at the same time, last as long as the longest term. Consecutive sentences are served one after another.
Source: The Legal Dictionary
Swain, 36, was convicted Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court of being an accomplice to kidnapping and murder.
Swain waived her right to jury sentencing on the kidnapping charge and allowed Judge William Storey to decide. The sentences will run concurrently.
“Many lives have been destroyed,” Storey told Swain. “I hope the result of this case will possibly prevent others from taking this route.”
Swain wept as she was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
“I hope you’re all happy with yourselves, you took a mother away from four children,” Swain’s daughter yelled at police officers and prosecutors as the courtroom was clearing. She was whisked away by other relatives.
“She killed my friend, too,” Bobby Rice said quietly in response.
Rice said afterward he and Bradley were lifelong friends. Bradley helped Rice get through the death of his son a couple of years ago.
“We talked every day or every other day,” Rice said.
“Bradley loved hunting, fishing, animals and riding dirt bikes,” Rice said. He would have become a grandfather in October.
“He was a good man. He would do anything for anyone,” Rice said.
Patricia Laumann, Bradley’s aunt and one of his few living relatives, said she will grieve for all the families and lives that have been destroyed.
“I feel like justice was served with all three of them,” Laumann said of Swain and two co-conspirators who pleaded guilty last year. “I didn’t want the death penalty. They will never have a good day the rest of their lives.”
Rice, of Farmington, said the crime outraged the people of Prairie Grove and vicinity.
“The community thinks it’s a horrific crime that should never have happened,” Rice said. “Everybody in that small town knew Ronnie.”
Prosecuting Attorney John Threet said the conviction was bittersweet.
“When you get a verdict like this it’s not so much a sense of joy or happiness,” Threet said. “Ronnie Bradley is still dead and his family is still without him and now another person and their family are going to be affected for the rest of their lives.”
Bradley, 48, was severely beaten and strangled. His body was found dumped Dec. 27, 2012, in a driveway in rural southwest Washington County.
Dr. Charles Kokes said the beating left Bradley with more than 100 nonfatal cuts, scrapes and bruises to his head, face, neck, chest, back, arms and legs. Kokes estimated the injuries came from at least 50 blows. Bradley died from bleeding around the brain and damage to his larynx.
Prosecutors said Swain drove her boyfriend and two acquaintances around the county in her car for eight hours while Bradley was beaten repeatedly by Anthony Swinford. The defense maintained Swain was forced to participate.
“It’s not the brutality in and of itself, I’ve seen that before,” Threet said. “This was a brutal beating, the amount of damage, but to have it happen over that period of time, that is new to me.”
Anthony Swinford and Timothy Swinford avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty in the case. An alleged third co-conspirator, James Patton, is awaiting trial.
Anthony Swinford, 35, pleaded guilty in November to accomplice to first-degree murder and kidnapping and was sentenced to two consecutive 40-year terms in prison. Anthony Swinford told police he was primarily responsible for beating and choking Bradley.
Timothy William Swinford, 37, pleaded guilty in December to accomplice to first-degree murder and kidnapping. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison with 30 years suspended. He will have to serve 35 years before becoming eligible for parole. He was given credit for 360 days jail time served.
Patton, 35, is charged with accomplice to capital murder and kidnapping and is awaiting trial. Prosecutors have waived the death penalty in Patton’s case.