FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County prosecutors say Heather Carlene Swain lured Ronnie Lee Bradley from his home into a car that she drove around for hours while he was beaten and strangled to death.
Swain is charged with being an accomplice to capital murder and kidnapping of Bradley in December 2012.
“Ronnie Bradley was beaten and left half naked on a low water bridge outside Prairie Grove,” Denis Dean, deputy prosecuting attorney, told jurors in his opening statement at the trial that began Monday. “It was 19 degrees the morning his body was discovered. He’s naked from the waist up and he’s dead.”
Swain, 36, faces life in prison if convicted on the murder charge and 10 to 40 years or life on the kidnapping charge. Swain faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence, for allegedly cleaning up blood in the car, and, if convicted, faces up to six years and a fine of up to $10,000. Washington County Circuit Judge William Storey is presiding.
Two co-conspirators avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty in the case.
Anthony Swinford, 35, pleaded guilty in November to his role in Bradley’s killing and was sentenced to two consecutive 40-year terms at the Arkansas Department of Correction. Timothy William Swinford, 37, pleaded guilty last month to accomplice to first-degree murder and kidnapping. Storey sentenced Swinford to 80 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction 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.
Bradley begged to be taken home while he was being driven around a rural area of western Washington County, Dean said. Swain refused and the child locks on the vehicle were activated so the doors could not be opened from the inside, Dean said.
LEGAL LINGO
Accomplice
One who knowingly, voluntarily, and with common intent unites with the principal offender in the commission of a crime. One who is guilty of complicity in crime charged, either by being present and aiding or abetting in it, or having advised and encouraged it. One is liable as an accomplice to the crime of another if he or she gave assistance or encouragement or failed to perform a legal duty to prevent it with the intent thereby to promote or facilitate commission of the crime.
Source: The Legal Dictionary
The defense contends, Swain was scared because of threats from the man most responsible for the beating, Anthony Swinford.
“She is a victim. They hijacked her vehicle and told her if you tell anyone, we’ll do the same to you,” Bill James, lead defense attorney, said. “The truth is she’s not guilty of anything.”
James told jurors Bradley got in the car voluntarily to go drinking with the group and a fight broke out between Bradley and Anthony Swinford. Swinford and Bradley had “a history of bad blood” related to Swinford’s wife who moved in with Bradley at some time and died under suspicious circumstances. The two men had supposedly “buried the hatchet,” James said.
But after driving around drinking for awhile, the bad blood boiled to the surface and Anthony Swinford “cold cocked” Bradley, then he and his brother, Timothy Swinford, dragged Bradley from the vehicle and beat him some more. Swain and her boyfriend, James Patton, tried to stop it but Patton was beaten when he tried to intervene, James said. James said Anthony Swinford had been drinking for three days and taking methamphetamine and was out of control.
“Anthony Swinford is definitely the bad guy here. Anthony Swinford would not let them take Ronnie Bradley home,” James said. “Anything Heather did to facilitate this was done out of her fear of Anthony Swinford.”
Prosecutors took the death penalty off the table in Swain’s case.
Bradley, 48, was severely beaten. His body was found the morning of Dec. 27, 2012, in the driveway of 17409 Four Corners Road, near the intersection of Greasy Valley Road in rural southwest Washington County.
Patton, 35, is also charged with accomplice to capital murder and kidnapping. Prosecutors have waived the death penalty in Patton’s case.
Anthony Swinford identified Swain, Patton and Timothy Swinford as accomplices.