Authorities said the woman accused in the killing was found in Sarasota County with the victim’s pickup truck and now faces murder and theft charges.
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — The killing of a 76-year-old veteran inside his Charlotte County home left neighbors grieving Monday as deputies accused his roommate of stabbing him after an argument and fleeing in his truck.
Investigators say the suspect, Shannon Rose Giblin, 48, was arrested after deputies linked her to the death of Paul De Wayne Bradley and found her in Sarasota County with Bradley’s vehicle. For people who lived nearby, the case was not only a homicide investigation but also the sudden loss of a man they described as steady, generous and deeply woven into the neighborhood around him.
Deputies were sent to Bradley’s home on Gewant Boulevard on the evening of March 8 after a report of a person not breathing. The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found Bradley dead inside the residence. Investigators soon noticed his pickup truck was missing. Detectives tracked the vehicle to Sarasota County, where law enforcement officers found Giblin and detained her. During questioning, deputies said, she confessed to stabbing Bradley after an argument. Investigators said she then covered his body with a tarp and drove away in the truck once she believed he could not be saved.
Neighbors who spoke after the arrest said the death was hard to process because Bradley had built a reputation as someone who tried to help the people around him. Jody Scharping said Bradley had mentored her son and was the kind of man who invited people in, shared meals and offered practical help. Adam LaFleur said he grew suspicious of Giblin soon after learning Bradley had died. He said she had told people she was an at-home caregiver and had been staying with Bradley for only about a week. LaFleur said Bradley had grown worried and wanted her out of the house that day.
Those details added a painful layer to the case for residents in the area, who said Bradley’s death followed warning signs they now wish had ended differently. Friends described him as a veteran who had earned respect over many years in the community. They said he was known for offering support without asking for much in return. Their comments also suggest the relationship inside the house had changed quickly in the days before the killing. Even so, authorities have not released a full account of how Giblin came to live there, whether she had any formal caregiving role or what evidence investigators collected inside the home beyond Bradley’s body.
The criminal case itself is now moving through the early court process. Giblin was charged with non-premeditated murder and grand theft of a motor vehicle. The sheriff’s office said she was being held without bond. Investigators have not publicly announced a probable cause hearing date or any additional charges, and there has been no public release of medical examiner findings beyond the allegation that Bradley was stabbed. Detectives are expected to continue reviewing the timeline, physical evidence and witness statements as prosecutors prepare the next steps.
Giblin’s family released a statement expressing sympathy to Bradley’s relatives, friends and others affected by the killing. The family said it would not try to shift blame away from the accused and described the case as part of a wider human toll involving mental health struggles and hardship. For neighbors, though, the immediate focus remained on Bradley and the abrupt way his life ended. LaFleur said Bradley deserved better, while Scharping and others spoke of a man whose absence will be felt long after the patrol cars leave the block.
By Monday night, the neighborhood was left balancing grief with unanswered questions, while the woman accused in Bradley’s death remained in jail and the homicide case moved into its next stage.
Author note: Last updated March 10, 2026.