$2 million bond set for Janesville man accused of killing wife

JANESVILLE, Wis. (WMTV) - A $2 million bond was set Thursday for the Janesville man accused of killing his wife.

According to a criminal complaint, officers found Andrew Bradley, 58, Oct. 25 laying in a grassy area near the apartment on the 800 block of Myrtle Way.

Officers had responded to the apartment after a family member of the victim, Melissa Bradley, 52, had asked police to do a welfare check because they had not heard from her since the day before.

According to the complaint, Andrew Bradley told officers he was laying in the field to get away from issues at home.

When an officer asked for the keys to his apartment to check on Melissa, Andrew allegedly refused to hand the keys over and said he did not have them. When asked where Melissa was, the complaint recounts Andrew saying “she is where she went.”

The complaint stated that Andrew Bradley tried to cut his throat and an officer noticed three cuts to the side of his neck.

Officers forced their way inside the apartment and found Melissa Bradley, who had been severely beaten and strangled to death.

According to an autopsy, Melissa Bradley’s cause of death was a combination of strangulation and blunt force trauma.

A police officer said he was familiar with Melissa Bradley because he had responded to a disturbance between her and Andrew Bradley a month prior. According to the complaint, she had indicated their relationship was contentious and volatile. She also said her husband had been dealing with mental health issues for 20 years.

A friend of the victim told police she was supposed to meet with Melissa the day she was murdered. The friend said Melissa told her just days earlier that “Bad Andy” was back, according to the complaint.

The friend told police that “Bad Andy” was a phrase to describe Andrew when he treated Melissa poorly. The friend also said Melissa had told her about previous physical abuse, the complaint said.

Police took Andrew Bradley to a hospital, where a search of his belongings resulted in police finding powder residue in a pill container that tested positive for meth.

Andrew Bradley is accused of first-degree intentional homicide- domestic abuse.

Online court records show Andrew Bradley is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Nov. 20.

If convicted, Andrew Bradley faces life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision.

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