Bryan Scott Tadlock, aged 44, was found guilty of first-degree kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, first-degree forcible rape, and two counts of assault by strangulation for the vicious assault on his former wife, Krista Spence.
The defense for Tadlock employed various nuanced arguments, evident from the trial’s outset.
Before the jury was seated on the first day, Tadlock’s attorney, Greg Newman, informed Judge Gary Gavenus that Tadlock admitted to assaulting his wife and causing her injuries. Newman’s primary argument and the crux of his defense rested on the claim that the incident did not reach the level alleged by the state.
Tadlock faced charges of assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, and attempted first-degree murder. However, Newman contended that the state failed to prove the existence of any intent to kill.
“If he wanted to kill her, he would’ve walked into the bedroom and shot her,” Newman remarked during his closing statements.
He also emphasized the absence of evidence demonstrating that a bullet had ever been loaded in the gun.
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch and the state held a differing opinion, asserting that if circumstances had unfolded differently—had the gun discharged or if Spence had not regained consciousness after being strangled—Tadlock would have stood trial for murder.
