Delence Bradford

Delence Bradford, a 31-year-old Black woman, was a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her life was violently taken in the spring of 2020, leaving her family and community with unanswered questions about a crime that remains unsolved. Public records indicate her family included individuals named Gerrick, Delores, Patricia, Tericka, and Joseph Bradford. Her death occurred during a year that would see a record number of homicides in Louisiana's capital city.

In the quiet, pre-dawn hours of Friday, May 15, 2020, the Baton Rouge Police Department received a call and dispatched officers to a residence at 3307 Linden Street. The home was located in a neighborhood just off North Acadian Thruway in the northern part of the city. Inside her own home, officers made a grim discovery. They found Delence Bradford suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel were summoned, but her injury was fatal. Bradford was pronounced deceased at the scene at approximately 1:06 a.m.

Homicide detectives were called to the Linden Street home to begin the painstaking work of processing the scene and searching for clues. From the outset, the investigation was challenging. Authorities with the Baton Rouge Police Department stated that they had not identified a suspect or a motive in the shooting. There were no immediate witnesses who came forward with information that could shed light on the circumstances leading to Bradford's death. The critical questions of who shot her and why remained a complete mystery.

The investigation into Delence's murder was launched by the department's Violent Crimes Unit. As detectives canvassed the neighborhood and pursued potential leads, her case became one of a staggering number of homicides to occur in East Baton Rouge Parish that year. The year 2020 shattered all previous records for killings in the parish, with the coroner's office ultimately recording 136 homicides. This unprecedented wave of violence strained law enforcement resources and left many families, like Delence's, waiting for justice. Her death was a stark reminder of the escalating violence that plagued the city during the pandemic.

Months turned into a year, and despite the ongoing efforts of investigators, no arrests were made in Delence Bradford's case. By early 2021, her murder was officially listed as one of the city's many unsolved homicides from its deadliest year on record. The trail had gone cold, and no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly named. The specific details of what transpired inside her home on that May morning have never been released to the public, and the case remains open but inactive, pending new information.

The silence surrounding her case is a heavy burden for those who knew her and for a community that continues to grapple with the consequences of gun violence. Without witnesses or a clear motive, the path to resolving the murder of Delence Bradford depends entirely on someone with knowledge of the crime coming forward. The Baton Rouge Police Department continues to ask for the public's assistance, believing that even a small, seemingly insignificant detail could be the key to breaking the case open and finally securing justice for Delence and her family.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting death of Delence Bradford is urged to contact the Baton Rouge Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit at (225) 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867. Individuals providing tips to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.