In the spring of 1977, a sense of unease settled over Alexandria, Virginia, as a series of violent crimes against women cast a shadow of fear across the community. Among the victims was Gladys Ross Bradley, a 27-year-old Black woman, whose life was cut short in a brutal act that would later be linked to a serial killer. A mother to a seven-year-old child, Bradley was separated from her husband and was described as a quiet and thoughtful person who was dedicated to her job at the Washington post
office.
Gladys, who had grown up in Emporia, Virginia, had moved to the Washington area after studying floral design. Her body was discovered in a creek near the Holmes Run Apartments on April 29, 1977. The tragic discovery of Bradley and other women in the same vicinity sparked a widespread investigation as police sought a common thread in the terrifying string of murders.
The search for answers led authorities to Montie Ralph Rissell, a teenager who would confess to a string of brutal attacks. Rissell was arrested on May 13, 1977, and subsequently charged with the abduction, rape, and murder of five women, including Gladys Ross Bradley. To avoid the possibility of the death penalty, Rissell pleaded guilty to the murder charges, and the rape and abduction charges were dropped.
In October 1977, at the age of 18, Montie Rissell was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences for the murders. His conviction brought a close to the terrifying chapter of the 'West End Murders,' though the pain and loss for the families of his victims, including the family of Gladys Ross Bradley, would endure. Rissell has been denied parole multiple times and remains incarcerated.
