Man faces reckless homicide charge 9 years after wife’s alleged suicide

James Radford (Shawano Co. Jail)

SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – James Radford was charged with the 2016 death of his wife – which he claimed at the time was a death by suicide – during an argument about suspected infidelity. The reckless homicide count was filed April 11, 2025 – the ninth anniversary of Sabrina Radford’s death.

Radford, 39, made an initial court appearance April 16, where an $800,000 cash bond was set. He returns to court June 9 for a status conference, court records show.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the town of Fairbanks home at about 4 a.m., with Radford reporting to 9-1-1 his wife had been shot.

Radford told police he found out his wife had been cheating on him. He told her he would divorce her.

Sabrina “went back upstairs, and came back down. She stood in front of him and said “I am not going to live without you.” She then put the gun to her chest and pulled the trigger with her thumb,” Radford stated, according to the complaint.

However, during the investigation, several parts of the Radford’s version could not be corroborated with the evidence at the scene:

• Radford said there would be physical evidence of the sexual affair on the couch, but nothing was found.
• “In examining the gun, the Wisconsin Crime Lab found there was no blood or blowback material on the barrel or muzzle of the gun. Complainant alleges based on his training and experience, blood and blowback material should be on the muzzle of the gun if it was touching or close to the victim when the gun was fired at her chest,” the complaint states.
• Sabrina “had no blood on her chest area when EMS first started CPR after removal of her sweatshirt which contradicts defendant’s statement of performing CPR on (her)for 10 minutes before the arrival of law enforcement and EMS,” the complaint states.
• “Responding officers further observed that the defendant had a little amount of blood on his clothes and on his person, which they thought unusual for someone performing CPR,” the complaint states.

Also, police reviewed the 9-1-1 call. At one point, Radford states “I can’t believe ? (unintelligible) shot her”. Complainant believes he says “I”,” according to the complaint.

The complaint offers no indication why the charges were filed nine years after the death.