Inset: Kirby Bradford appearing for a virtual court hearing in Maine (WFVX). The Waldo Justice Center in Maine (Google Maps).
A 58-year-old man in Maine is accused of murdering one of his best friends, allegedly carrying out a carefully planned execution, then attempting to cover up the killing by impersonating the victim and misleading his loved ones.
Kirby Bradford is currently facing one count of murder in the slaying of 56-year-old Robert Bruso, whose body was discovered in April 2025 outside his home in Palermo, Maine, records show.
According to a news release from Maine State Police, troopers were first called to Bruso”s property on Boots and Saddle Road on April 19, 2025, for a welfare check after friends and family had been unable to reach him for several weeks.
Upon arriving, first responders found his body outside the residence. Following a preliminary investigation, detectives said the “circumstances of the death” were “suspicious,” and a subsequent autopsy determined the manner of death to be homicide.
Following Bradford’s arrest in September 2025, authorities remained tight-lipped about details surrounding Bruso’s alleged murder. Additional information was not available until a probable cause affidavit was unsealed last week, as first reported by the Bangor Daily News.
According to investigators, Bradford told detectives he had been close with Bruso for more than two decades and often worked on his trucks. But authorities say evidence uncovered during the investigation points to a calculated plan to target the victim, who was known to keep large amounts of cash at his home.
During a search of a garage where Bradford worked, detectives found what they described as a diagram of Bruso’s property along with a list of items and instructions that appeared to outline a plan. The list read in part: “stun gun, zip ties, covid masks, take phone, bring him somewhere out of sight, duct tape over mouth, bag over his head,” according to court filings cited by Bangor Daily.
Investigators believe the killing occurred on or around Feb. 8, 2025, the same day a Kennebec County sheriff’s deputy responded to a crash notification sent automatically from Bruso’s cellphone. The deputy found the phone on the side of the road but saw no evidence of a crash, according to Bangor, Maine, Fox affiliate WFVX.
The deputy later went to Bruso’s home to return the device and encountered a man described in the affidavit as a “scraggly guy” who told him to leave the phone and said he would make sure it got back to Bruso. The following day, the deputy received a voicemail from someone claiming to be Bruso, stating he was ice fishing in Greenville — something friends and family reportedly said was out of character.
Police later played the voicemail for two of Bradford’s former co-workers, who identified the voice as his, investigators said.
Authorities allege Bradford continued trying to mislead people in the weeks after the killing. About a month later, when a friend reached out to ask if he had seen Bruso, Bradford responded that the victim had a girlfriend.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him actually into a chick like this,” Bradford wrote, per Portland, Maine, CBS affiliate WGME. “I know right he deserves a good one lol.”
Bruso’s body was not discovered until nearly three months after investigators believed he was murdered. Police said his remains were found on top of a snowbank near the tree line by his driveway, and his clothing contained small holes consistent with bullet damage.
During a search of Bradford’s vehicle, detectives recovered a sawed-off shotgun with the serial number ground off, loaded with multiple rounds and wrapped in clothing, according to the affidavit. Investigators also found gloves with what appeared to be light-colored hair on them and noted that Bruso’s golden retriever went missing at the same time that he did.
The affidavit also outlines a possible motive. Bradford’s girlfriend told police he struggled with crack cocaine addiction, while Bruso, a concrete contractor, was known to keep large sums of cash at his home — sometimes as much as $50,000 — to “get him through the winter,” friends told investigators.
Authorities say Bradford’s actions after the killing — including impersonating the victim, attempting to redirect concern from friends, and allegedly staging misleading information — were part of an effort to delay detection and avoid suspicion.
Bradford was indicted on the murder charge in November 2025 and later indicted on a separate count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail.
It was not immediately clear when Bradford was scheduled to make his next court appearance.
