Bradley Stradtman
White male
Age at time: 37
Weapon: unarmed
Victim photo: Volusia County Sheriff's Office, 2009
Cindy Gilliland
White female
Age at time: 41
Weapon: knife
Defendant photo: Volusia County Sheriff's Office, 2010
Case type:
Domestic dispute
Location:
Defendant's Home
Initiator:
Defendant
Witnesses:
No
Case year:
2010
Location details: In the defendant's & victim's home in Port Orange, Volusia County, on Aug. 11, 2010
What happened: Dental assistant Cindy Gilliland, 41, fatally stabbed Bradley Stradtman, 37, with a kitchen knife in the chest in their Port Orange home during an argument over $300 he owed her. The defense argued that Gilliland was afraid of Stradtman, who had backhanded her in the mouth. But investigators concluded that Gilliland had left the house for 20 minutes after she was struck, then returned to the house and reinitiated the argument. Investigators also noted that Gilliland had to walk 6 or 8 feet across a room to stab her boyfriend and that she told investigators she grabbed the knife because she wanted him to leave the house, the Daytona Beach News Journal reported in June 2011.
The outcome: A judge denied Gilliland's motion to drop second-degree murder charges. The evidence presented "made no showing that it was necessary to use deadly force," a judge said. A trial is pending.
Investigating agency: Daytona Beach Police
Investigating agency: Port Orange Police
Case decision made by: Judge
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
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|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
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Was the victim armed? |
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Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
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Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
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Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
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Was the defendant on his or her property? |
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Did someone witness the attack? |
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Was there physical evidence? |
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Source: Daytona Beach News Journal, June 4, 2011.
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
