Shivangi Sinha
Lifetime’s ‘The Girl Who Survived: The Alina Thompson Story’ follows the harrowing experience of a young aspiring model who crosses paths with a charming yet dangerous photographer. In the film, Steve Byers, who plays William Bradford, embodies the menacing and predatory nature of a killer and delivers a great performance. Bradford lures women with promises of glamorous photoshoots and leads them to isolated locations in California’s Mojave Desert, where his true intentions are revealed. The movie shows how Alina is able to narrowly avoid a fate similar to that of many other girls whom Bradford has been entrapping.
The Real William Bradford Was Arrested After Police Searched His Home
‘The Girl Who Survived’ is based on a true story, and it is no surprise that Bradford’s character is based on a real person as well. The real-life William Richard “Bill” Bradford was a convicted killer who was arrested in California in 1984. Bradford posed as a professional photographer and lured two women with promises of modeling opportunities. He took them to remote locations where he attacked and killed them. When police searched his home, they discovered hundreds of photographs of women and among them was Alina Thompson. She confirmed that she had once met Bradford for a photoshoot at Huntington Beach and that her father had intervened just in time, likely saving her life.
William Bradford was born on May 18, 1946, in Pleasanton, California. Little is known about his early years, but reports describe him as a drifter, frequently moving between states such as Michigan, Florida, Texas, Oregon, Illinois, Kansas, and Louisiana. He had a lengthy criminal record, mostly involving sexual assault charges. In 1978, he faced criminal charges for allegedly sexually assaulting his wife in Michigan. Two years later, in 1980, he was accused of a similar crime in Valparaiso, Florida. By July 1984, Bradford was out on bail for a rape charge and awaiting trial while living in Los Angeles. Around this time, barmaid Shari Miller disappeared, and her remains were later discovered in Hollywood, though they initially went unidentified.
A few days later, 15-year-old Tracey Campbell, who lived near Bradford, was also reported missing. As police launched their investigation, they discovered that she had last been seen with Bradford, which quickly made him a person of interest. Given his outstanding charges, authorities obtained a search warrant for his home. There, they uncovered numerous photographs of young women, including Tracey and Shari. Finding Shari’s picture allowed investigators to link her to the remains previously discovered in Hollywood. Since the remains had been dismembered and identifying marks like tattoos removed, this was a crucial breakthrough. Bradford was arrested on suspicion of murder, as they theorized that he lured these girls to take their pictures and then attacked them.
William Bradford Was Suspected of Being Involved in Other Killings as Well
The photos of Tracey Campbell featured distinctive rock formations in the background, which investigators were able to match to a location in the Mojave Desert. When police searched the site, they discovered her remains. Because Shari Miller’s photos had similar rock formations, investigators believed she had also been killed in the desert and that her remains were later moved elsewhere. Bradford eventually pleaded no contest to the outstanding rape charge and was sentenced to eight years in prison. His murder trial began in 1988, with the defense arguing there was no direct physical evidence tying him to the crimes. After lengthy deliberations, the jury found him guilty of both murder charges, and he was sentenced to death.
During his trial, Bradford acted as his own counsel, and after receiving his death sentence, he turned to the jury box and said, “Think how many you don’t know about.” In 1998, he dropped all of his appeals and requested that his execution process be expedited. At the time, he was incarcerated at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in San Quentin, California, where he had begun writing poetry, earning the nickname “Death Row Poet.” However, just five days before his scheduled execution, he changed his mind and halted the process. The photos of other unidentified women found in his apartment were never thoroughly investigated until 2006, when police reopened the case and released a data sheet of the images. They urged the public to help identify them. Investigators suspected Bradford could be connected to additional crimes.
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William Bradford Passed Away While Incarcerated
Few identifications were made from the photos, but detectives successfully identified Donnalee Campbell Duhamel. Her remains were discovered in Malibu, California, in 1978, and she was one of the women in Bradford’s collection. They also named Mischa Stewart, whose remains were found in Santa Monica in 1982. Authorities alleged that Bradford was involved in these cases and believed he may have been connected to at least eight other killings. However, no additional charges were ever filed against him.
In a 2006 interview with NBC News, a detective revealed that Bradford invited them to talk, leading investigators to believe he might finally confess, but he never admitted to any other murders. They alleged that he used the opportunity instead to reflect on his life of crime. On March 10, 2008, William Bradford died at the Vacaville prison medical facility in Vacaville, California. His death was officially listed as resulting from natural causes, though reports indicate that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006.
