AMELIA COUNTY, Va. -- A hatchet-like tool was used to bludgeon a woman to death during a Mother’s Day murder in Amelia County, Crime Insider sources told Jon Burkett.
Amelia Sheriff’s Office Investigators said 64-year-old Barbara Bradley suffered obvious trauma to the head during the attack.
The exact cause of death has not yet been determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The suspect in the case has been identified as her friend Shannon Chaney, of Amelia.
The 29-year-old woman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The two women lived together in a trailer off Richmond Road, Crime Insider sources said. Chaney was high on drugs when she beat Bradley to death, those sources added.
Some neighbors said they were not surprised about the connection drugs played in this crime, because they see drug abuse in their community.
Shannon M. Chaney (PHOTO: Amelia Sheriff's Office)
“The way the world is going, it doesn't surprise me,” John Bartley said. “This stuff happens, but it is surprising when it's right down the street. Makes me want to lock my doors and I live in the country, and never had to do that."
This is a developing story. Send news tips and information here.
The Amelia Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information to call 804-561-2118 or Amelia Crime Solvers at 804-561-5200.
