A 32-year-old Oklahoma man has been sentenced to life in prison after killing his wife, shooting her in the face with a shotgun during an argument, and attempting to stage the scene to make it appear as a suicide.
Bradley Frye pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the 2024 death of Sara Frye, and on Wednesday, Pottawatomie County District Judge John G. Canavan handed down the life sentence.
The Murder and Staged Suicide Scene
On the evening of September 13, 2024, Bradley Frye rushed to his neighbor’s house, claiming his wife had shot herself. However, upon arriving at their home in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, police discovered signs that the scene was inconsistent with a suicide.
There were indications of a struggle, with a broken kitchen table and other damaged items scattered around the house.
Frye initially told police that he walked into the room and saw his wife pull the trigger of the shotgun. However, his story quickly changed when investigators were about to test him for gunshot residue. Frye then claimed that he and his wife had been fighting over the shotgun when it went off and killed her.
Evidence Against Frye
As emergency personnel tried to save Sara Frye, Bradley Frye was seen outside pleading with officers. Investigators found a journal belonging to the victim in which she expressed plans to leave her husband because he had been “treating her poorly.”
Sara Frye’s father also told police about the couple’s troubled relationship, revealing that the couple’s children had been removed from the home for their safety.
Frye’s father had planned to stay with them that night to help ease tensions but left briefly to buy flea medicine and Taco Bell. When he returned, law enforcement was already on the scene.
Investigators later discovered that the shotgun was placed behind Sara Frye’s body, and her face wound had been packed with petroleum jelly. Frye was taken to the police station, where he refused to make a statement and asked for a lawyer.
Alcohol and Domestic Issues
Neighbors reported hearing a fight between the couple just moments before the shooting. Police also noted that Bradley Frye had been drinking that night.
