Office of the Attorney General
Knott County Woman Pleads Guilty in Death of Her Elderly Father

Attorney General Jack Conway and his Office of Special Prosecutions today announced the guilty plea of a Knott County woman in connection with the death of her 79-year-old father in 2009.

Denise Bradley, 48, pled guilty in Knott Circuit Court yesterday to second degree manslaughter, a Class C felony, as the result of a plea agreement with the Attorney General's Office of Special Prosecutions. General Conway's office handled the prosecution of the case at the request of the Knott County Commonwealth's Attorney's office due to a conflict of interest. As part of the plea agreement, the Commonwealth is recommending a 10-year prison sentence for Bradley.

An investigation by the Knott County Sheriff's Office and Kentucky State Police revealed that Bradley assaulted her father, John Adams, at his Pinetop home on September 22, 2009 following an argument. The father and daughter had been at odds over a house Bradley's parents deeded to her that was still under the control of Adams while he was living. Family members told investigators that Adams had obtained a domestic violence order against his daughter in 2008.

Following the attack, Adams was found bleeding but conscious by family members. Adams was treated for head injuries at University of Kentucky Medical Center. He died three weeks later at the Hazard Appalachian Regional Medical Center from complications due to blunt impact head injuries.

"I appreciate the hard work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this tragic case and my prosecutors for bringing it to a successful close," General Conway said. "My office remains committed to combating the abuse of Kentucky's vulnerable citizens, including children, the elderly and those who are helpless to defend themselves from abuse."

Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in Knott Circuit Court.