Last Updated on November 13, 2020 by CCAR Staff
A Utah man has pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the 2018 wrong-way crash that killed three Riverside women on an Arizona freeway.
Dana Michael Cavanaugh, 51, faces up to 16 years in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 30, said Rachel Shackelford, the La Paz County deputy county attorney who is prosecuting the case. Judge Jessica L. Quickle could sentence Cavanaugh to as many as 25 years in prison if she finds aggravating factors, Shackelford said.
But Shackelford said she expects the sentence to top out at 16 years.
Cavanaugh had been charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of Riverside County Deputy Probation Officer Christine Bradbury, 31; restaurant employee Susan Bradbury, 55; and Caitlin Cascella, 31, an English teacher at Heritage High in Menifee.
Linda Valenzuela of Riverside is Susan Bradbury’s sister. Christine Bradbury is Susan Bradbury’s daughter and Valenzuela’s niece. Valenzuela attended one of the hearings during the case and submitted a victim-impact statement to the court to be read before sentencing.
Valenzuela said the news of the Oct. 12 plea was “bittersweet” and that 16 years is too short of a sentence.
“It’s not enough time, I think, because there is more than one person who passed on,” Valenzuela said.
Shackelford said a number of factors went into dropping two of the murder charges in order to obtain a plea. For one, she said, “There is certainty in a plea conviction and there is never certainty when taken to trial.”
Secondly, the case has gone slowly because Cavanaugh has changed attorneys twice — including once when an attorney died, Shackelford said.
“It allows us to resolve the case much more quickly,” she said.
About 10:50 a.m. on March 24, 2018, Cavanaugh entered the westbound 10 Freeway in Quartzite via an exit ramp, driving east. Shackelford said he was under the influence of alcohol. After driving about 500 feet, he struck a car carrying the women, who were returning from watching Angels spring training games in the Phoenix area. All three died.
All three women were known for helping others, particularly children.
Christine Bradbury was studying to become a special education teacher.
Valenzuela said her 18-year-old special-needs son Jacob was close to Christine, even though they were 16 years apart in age.
“They buddied. They did a lot of things together. He would text her and she would respond in a matter of minutes,” Valenzuela said. “Now he doesn’t have her anymore.”
Valenzuela, 51, said she considered Susan a role model.
“I can’t call my older sister and talk to her. That’s gone. Hug her, go to birthday parties, have Christmas dinner, all that is gone,” she said.
At Heritage High, Cascella was also an advisor for Link Crew, which pairs freshmen with mentors in the junior and senior classes, helped establish study groups for English learners and was an advisor for color guard.
Valenzuela described Cascella and Christine Bradbury as best friends.
“(Cascella) is more like family than a friend,” Valenzuela said.
