Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Gruesome New Details Man Accused of Beheading His Best Friend | Crime Alert 6AM 09.01.25

Episode Date: September 1, 2025

Shocking new revelations have emerged in a harrowing murder case from Arizona.Third person arrested in case of 11-year-old forced to give birth at home.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime alert. I'm Nancy Grace, breaking crime news now. Straight out to Nicole Parton for the latest. Nancy's shocking new revelations have emerged in a gruesome murder case from Arizona where a man is accused of killing his best friend and subsequently dismembering the body before abandoning the remains near a desert town. Samuel Stevens Bush 24 faces charges of first-degree murder, abandonment or concealment of a dead body, and tampering with physical evidence as outlined by

prosecutors. The tragic events unfolded in Gilbert, a sizable suburb, situated about 22 miles southwest of Phoenix in Maricopa County. On August 12, 2024, Elijah Bradley, just 24, was reported missing a day after celebrating his birthday. Having recently graduated from Northern Arizona University, he was last heard from when he failed to call his mother with his usual morning hello. Concerned family members filed a missing person report three days later. Investigators suspect that Bush shot Bradley on the day he missed that habitual call with grand jury documents indicating that the fatal shot was fired in the back. Following the shooting, Bush allegedly purchased a reciprocating saw from a home improvement store which he used to dismember his friend's body. The remains were

ultimately discarded east in a remote town located roughly 90 miles southwest of Gilbert. Bradley's family quickly turned their suspicions towards Bush. A relative revealed that Bradley's mother utilized the Life 360 app to trace his phone, which was found to be powered off but had its last known location at Bush's apartment. Initially, Bradley's family reached out to Bush, who claimed he had no knowledge of the situation. They later contacted Toyota for GPS data related to Bradley's vehicle, which the company provided to law enforcement. The relative described the area where the body was found as, quote, the middle of nowhere during an interview with a local news station. Bradley's headless remains were discovered on August 19, 2024. I learned that he

was shot in the back and found without his head, a family member said. It's incredibly cruel and graphic. It's hard for us to fathom that his very best friend committed such an act. The motive behind the murder remains a mystery to the family. He was Sam's best friend, his own. only friends, she shared with NBC12. A now disabled GoFundMe campaign for funeral and related expenses portrayed Bradley as a bright and beloved soul. The fundraiser described him as someone with a free spirit and a wild soul, emphasizing the deep loss felt by everyone who knew him. As his family navigates this unthinkable grief, they are also confronted with the financial challenges that accompany such a tragedy. Bush was initially arrested on drug-related charges

on August 20, 2024, before facing second-degree murder charges. The updated allegations suggest a premeditated act of violence. It's devastating. He was just starting his adult life. Bradley's aunt and cousin remarked to a local ABC affiliate. It's devastating. He was just beginning his adulthood, you know, graduating from NAU, his future ahead of him. Why would anyone do this?

I don't feel a relief for anything because, It doesn't bring them back. It doesn't fix anything. And we just love them. No, we miss them. And life will never be the same again. Bush is currently being held without bond. Nicole, thank you.

More crime and justice news after this. Authorities have taken into custody the grandmother of an 11-year-old girl from Oklahoma who recently gave birth to a child fathered by her stepfather. According to KJRH, Michelle Justice, 53, has become the third person charged with six counts of child neglect. As previously reported, the young victim delivered her baby at home on August 16 without any medical assistance. Her parents, Dustin Walker 34 and Sherry Walker 33, claimed they were unaware of her pregnancy. Justice had stated that her daughter insisted the father was a 12-year-old boy, suggesting that the children had simply become curious.

Initially, the walkers faced charges of child neglect after their arrest last week, but those charges were modified on Monday. DNA testing revealed that Dustin Walker, the stub father, had a 99.9% probability of being the child's biological father, as indicated by Assistant District Attorney Janet Hudson, in an interview. As a result, Dustin Walker has been charged. with child sexual abuse while his wife faces charges for enabling the abuse. The couple is also confronting six counts of child neglect concerning the 11-year-old girl

and her five siblings who range in age from 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9. Reports indicate that the children were discovered living in deplorable conditions and have since been removed from the home. This child has endured significant trauma, Hudson remarked to KOTV, Not only has she been victimized, but she also gave birth at home without medical care, and this experience will impact her for the rest of her life. Her parents are currently being held without bond. The grandmother has a bell set at nearly $200,000.

Kristen Motor Effie moves to San Francisco for a summer semester at UC Berkeley. The 18-year-old takes a job at a coffee shop regularly hits the beach and the nearby modern art museum. Kristen leaves work with plans to go to the beach, but she never comes home. Her dad calls the landline at home she shares with roommates, but they say they haven't seen her in three days. Kristen's reported missing. Co-workers report they saw her with a blonde woman in the mall after she clocked out. Please find a newspaper in Kristen's room with a personal ad from a woman seeking new friends circled. The newspaper was unable to confirm who placed the ad, and the woman Kristen missed the ad.

and the woman Kristen met at the ball has not been identified. Kristen Motifery now missing over 26 years. If you have info, call San Francisco FBI 415-553-7400. For the latest, Crime and Justice News, go to crimeonline.com, and please join us for our daily podcast, crime stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and help solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy.

Grace. This is an I-Heart podcast.