Killer Russell Bradshaw lucky to have attorney Gayle Graziano

In the spectacular events concerning the crime and trial of Edgewater resident Russell Bradshaw, many onlookers may have missed the extreme skill with which Lawyer Gayle Graziano conducted the defense of the defendant, who was in a virtual hopeless “slam dunk” situation of getting convicted of first-degree murder. Maybe now the former circuit judge can work bigger miracles and save his sorry hide from being put on Death Row.

First of all, she used all of her extensive experience to choose jurors the defense believed would buy into the defense's version of "reasonable doubt" and most likely get confused by all the legal mumbo jumbo.

In the process of defending her client, she was able to wear down the jury to a considerable extent during closing arguments.

She repeatedly emphasized the fact that Bradshaw’s fingerprints were not on the knife and emphasized his confused state and total lack of a discernible motive.

It looked as if she might have pulled off a defensive coup, when, after just two hours of deliberation in the jury room, the jury asked the judge what would happen if they couldn’t reach a verdict.

Onlookers were stunned at this development because most of them considered this an open and shut case.

A number of significant factors led onlookers to believe the case was a “slam dunk” for a guilty verdict.

The jury pressed on, however, and less than two hours later, came back with guilty verdicts to capital murder and sexual abuse of a dead body -- believing beyond a reasonable doubt, the credible evidence presented by Assistant State Attorney Matt Foxman, the son of Circuit Judge S. James Foxman.

Namely that the accused had made a confession over the 911 link, which was played in court (This audio confession can be heard on the Home page of NSBNews.net under "Anatomy of a killer").

That Bradshaw had led police to the crime scene and the murder weapon. And finally, Bradshaw’s semen was in the victim’s body.

It will be quite a contest and challenge to see if Gayle Graziano can keep her client off of death row.

No matter what the result, or what the public thinks about this condemned killer, you can bet that the public will see a really talented pro do her best to try and get him a lifelong prison sentence over a death sentence. After all, she'd just be doing her job and she is good at what she does.