New details have emerged in a grisly murder case in Arizona, in which a man allegedly killed his best friend, dismembered him, and dumped his remains outside a desert town.
Prosecutors have charged Samuel Stephen Bush, 24, with one count of first-degree murder, abandonment or concealment of a dead body, and tampering with physical evidence.
The underlying incident took place in Gilbert, a large suburb of Phoenix in Maricopa County, about 22 miles southeast.
On August 12, 2024, Alijah Bradley, 24, went missing the day after his birthday. The victim had recently graduated from Northern Arizona University and was reported missing by his family three days later after failing to call his mother and greet her as he did every morning. Investigators believe Bush shot and killed Bradley on the first day he missed his routine phone call.
Bush is accused of shooting Bradley in the back that day, according to grand jury documents obtained recently by independent Phoenix-based TV station KTVK and local CBS affiliate KPHO, which broadcast as “Arizona’s Family.”
Prosecutors allege that Bush bought a reciprocating saw at a home improvement store after the shooting. According to court documents, the alleged killer then used the saw to remove his friend’s limbs and head.
The slain man’s body was then dumped just east of Gila Bend, a sparsely populated town located 90 miles southwest of Gilbert.
Family members quickly suspected the man, who was eventually charged. Bradley’s mother used the Life360 app to ping his phone, according to an anonymous relative who spoke with Arizona Family. The phone was turned off, but it allegedly revealed its last known location, Bush’s apartment.
Bradley’s family claimed they first contacted Bush, who denied any knowledge of the disappearance. So they contacted Toyota and requested GPS coordinates for the missing man’s car. The automaker agreed, and the information was shared with law enforcement.
In comments to the TV station, that relative described the location as “the middle of nowhere”.
Bradley’s headless body was discovered on August 19, 2024.
“I was told his cause of death was getting shot in the back and that they found him without his head,” according to a relative. “And something so cruel and so graphic, like it’s almost crazy to think that somebody is capable of doing that.”
That family member was unable to explain why the killing occurred.
“He was Sam’s best friend,” she explained to the station. “He was Sam’s only friend.”
Bradley, an engineer by training, is described as “a bright and beloved soul” in a GoFundMe for funeral and other related expenses created after his disability.
“Alijah was known for his free spirit and wild soul, and his loss is deeply felt by all who knew him,” the note accompanying the donation states. “As his family navigates this unimaginable grief, they are also faced with the financial burdens that come with such a tragedy.”
On August 20, 2024, Bush was arrested on drug charges. Later, he was accused of second-degree murder.
The most recent charges allege a premeditated murder.
“It is devastating. Bradley’s aunt told Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV that he was just entering adulthood. “I don’t feel a relief or anything because – it doesn’t bring him back – It doesn’t fix anything.”
Jason Kandel contributed to this report.
