Lisa Bradford, a 54-year-old Virginia realtor and mother of three, was found shot dead in her Aldie home, days before her 22nd wedding anniversary. Her husband, 60-year-old data centre consultant Roger “Paul” Bradford, has been charged with first-degree murder; friends say they were unaware the marriage was in serious difficulty.

Court records show Roger Bradford said his wire-fraud conviction and 20 months in prison had damaged his finances and mental health, and left the marriage headed for divorce. A relative told authorities that he had said he was responsible for or involved in Lisa’s killing, according to the sheriff. He was arrested in Pennsylvania after a search spanning Maryland and Pennsylvania, and the handgun believed to have been used has not been recovered.