KINGMAN – A near year-old Interstate 40 offramp shooting death in Kingman will be resolved in a plea agreement entered Tuesday, Jan. 7 at the Mohave County Courthouse. Bradley Stumpf, 32, pleaded guilty to second degree murder for the February 11, 2019 death of Jason McCafferty, 46.
Prosecutor Karolina Czaplinska told Mohave County Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle that McCafferty had taken Stumpf to Phoenix for a work assignment but that McCafferty decided to return to Kingman because Stumpf’s behavior had become erratic and strange. She said that behavior continued on the drive home during which Stumpf grabbed and pulled the steering wheel while McCafferty was driving, nearly forcing the vehicle from the freeway.
Czaplinska said as the vehicle traversed the I-40/Stockton Hill offramp in Kingman, Stumpf pointed a 9mm handgun at McCafferty’s face. She said a single shot fired into the victim’s chin traveled down through his neck and into his left lung.
Czaplinska said the state’s theory of a possible motive is that Stumpf was despondent over a breakup, harbored jealousy and suspected anyone in contact with his estranged girlfriend was involved in an affair.
Stump disputed the assertion. “I held no animosity toward Mr. McCafferty,” he told the Judge.
Stumpf explained he had been awake some 36 hours and was dozing in an out of sleep on the way back to Kingman. He said his groggy condition explained the shooting.
“It was more of an accident because I was asleep when I pulled the trigger,” he said. “I just ran because I was scared.”
Czaplinska said Stumpf was able to slide over and apply his foot on the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a stop. She alleged Stumpf positioned the holster and gun in the vehicle to make it appear that McCafferty shot himself.
Court records indicate Stumpf fled on foot to a residence where he indicated that McCafferty had apparently killed himself. The records reveal that Stumpf told investigators that he had been hearing voices in his head for months and that he was hearing them again, and McCafferty yelled at him on the way back to Kingman.
McCafferty denied staging the weapon but said nothing about hearing voices during the change of plea hearing.
Terms of the plea agreement require Judge Carlisle to impose a 10- to 20-year prison term during a February 6 sentencing hearing.
- Dave Hawkins
Errors found in this article… “McCafferty denied staging the weapon but said nothing about hearing voices during the change of plea hearing.” This should read “Stumpf denied staging the weapon but said nothing about hearing voices during the change of plea hearing.” McCafferty is the victim in this case… Thank you