A family is speaking out after a devastating murder-suicide in Lyman, Wyoming. Macey Dawn Bradshaw died shortly before Christmas after her longtime boyfriend, James Hunter, shot her in the head. Hunter then turned the gun on himself. The pair, who were in their early 20s, had an on-again, off-again relationship throughout their adolescence. In the last few years, things became more fraught as Hunter allegedly began dealing with mental health issues. His behavior was cause for concern for Bradshaw, who told her family that she feared he would kill her. Sadly, she was right. Now, her family is trying to use her story as a force for good instead of tragedy.
Officers from the Lyman Police Department were called to a residence in the late morning on December 16, 2025, Sweetwater Now reported. The home was determined to be a crime scene, and Bradshaw and Hunter were taken to Salt Lake City in critical condition. Both died at the hospital on the same day.
The police department didn’t release details about the incident but noted the investigation was ongoing.
Now, Bradshaw’s relatives have spoken out, shedding light on the tempestuous relationship between the young lovers.
“She called at 11 o’clock and said, ‘Dad, he’s outside, and I need you to scare him away,’” her father, Justin Bradshaw, told Cowboy State Daily. Even though he was on his way to work, he immediately turned around.
Four minutes later, Bradshaw arrived at his 20-year-old daughter’s apartment but was already too late. “I reached down to open the door, and I heard the two gunshots go off … back-to-back. I actually heard his body fall to the floor,” he said.
When he got inside, he found his daughter and Hunter still alive with gunshot wounds in their heads. He clutched her bloody head as he called 911.
According to her family, Macey Bradshaw had predicted this was how her life was going to end.
“About a month ago, Macey said to me, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if James killed me, and then killed himself,’” her sister Taylor Bradshaw told Cowboy State Daily. “I never thought it would actually happen.”
The family explained that the two had known each other since elementary school. They began dating in high school, and although things were good at the beginning, they took a turn when Macey Bradshaw was a junior. She moved in with Hunter and his family and gradually began isolating herself. It got so bad that she even dropped out of high school.
When she was 18, she realized that she needed to escape Hunter’s emotional manipulation, which included threats of self-harm if she ended the relationship. She went to live with her mom in Utah for two years. She returned to Lyman in June of 2025 and was doing well.
But everything changed when she rekindled her relationship with Hunter, whose mental health had significantly deteriorated in the meantime, per Cowboy State Daily. After she decided to end the relationship again, Hunter began stalking her. Her family told her to block his number, but she feared that doing so would compromise her safety.
“At one point, she told me she didn’t want to block him because, she said, ‘I need to know if he’s coming to my house to kill me,’” Taylor Bradshaw recalled.
In her obituary, Macey Bradshaw was described as “a sweet, easy-going young woman whose bright, beautiful eyes and infectious smile lit up every room she entered. She carried a gentle kindness and had a quiet way of making others feel seen and heard. Her compassionate soul loved without condition.”
After her death, Macey Bradshaw’s family started a new organization: A New Dawn: Remembering Macey Dawn, Sweetwater Now reported. The organization will support youth, focusing on domestic violence and mental health.
“That is how we want to remember her,” her aunt, Angie Condor, told the outlet. “Both families involved in this tragedy are experiencing immense grief, and we want to respond in a positive way.”
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
