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An Arizona man has been charged with the murder of his childhood friend after the headless body of Alijah Bradley was found in the desert, police said.
The 24-year-old’s remains were found near the town of Gila Bend just days after the victim was reported missing by his family.
Samuel Bush, 23, was charged Sept. 4 with second-degree intentional murder and concealing a body.
Bradley’s relative was confused about the motive, telling KPHO and KTVK, “We honestly don’t know. He was Sam’s best friend. He was Sam’s only friend.”
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The relative, who asked to remain anonymous, also told the outlet that the family reported Bradley missing on Aug. 15 after he missed work and his mother hadn’t heard from him, adding that Bush told the family he didn’t know where Bradley was.
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They got the GPS coordinates of Bradley’s car, which tracked it to “the middle of nowhere” in the desert, where police found the car and Bradley’s remains on Aug. 19.
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Authorities found Bradley’s body dismembered, and all his remains have been recovered, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital. Police have not commented on a possible motive.
“It’s devastating. He was just beginning his adulthood,” Bradley’s aunt, Melissa McNeal, told ABC15. “I don’t feel a relief or anything because – it doesn’t bring him back. It doesn’t fix anything.”
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“I’m committing my life to obtaining justice for my son,” his mother, who was not named, told the outlet.
Bradley was a graduate of Northern Arizona University and had recently celebrated his birthday. He “was known for his free spirit and wild soul,” according to a fundraising page for his family.