TX TX - Martha Batchelor, 53, San Antonio, 6 July 2013 *Arrest*

Here is a recent cold case article from my area.

Maybe someone reading will have information pertinent to this case.

http://www.ksat.com/content/pns/ksat/news/2014/12/04/sapd--woman-s-killer--will-strike-again-.html

:bump:

Martha Batchelor’s killer walked into her apartment without being noticed.

He killed Batchelor, then spent what could have been hours sexually assaulting her before destroying the evidence and walking out, leaving a crime scene police describe as “heinous.”

Batchelor, 53, had no apparent problems with anyone -- that much San Antonio police know for sure.
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from the KSAT link in OP

http://www.ksat.com/news/crime-fighters/online-database-providing-new-hope-for-unsolved-crimes

One such case in ViCAP is the July 2013 murder of Martha Batchelor, 53, who was found dead in her apartment. Detectives believe she had been sexually assaulted, and have few leads in the case...

There is still a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Batchelor’s case.

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updated article recapping the ViCAP listing. Still looking for a resolution to this 4 year old cold case.

http://www.ksat.com/news/crime-fighters/5k-reward-offered-for-unsolved-2013-murder-of-sa-woman

A man in California will be extradited back to Texas to face charges for the 2013 slaying of Martha Batchelor after he was arrested on an unrelated charge, San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office officials confirmed.

Man to be extradited from California after DNA matches 2013 San Antonio slaying

An affidavit reveals authorities were able to connect Hudson to the case due to DNA found in the unit; SAPD collected samples from a wall, where they say Bedford Rudolph Hudson tried to wipe evidence of the crime from his hands.

When investigators in California entered a DNA sample into a national crime database, Hudson was identified as the person whose DNA matched the murder scene.

The affidavit for arrest makes no mention of a possible motive for the killing, but since it was committed in connection with a sexual assault, the charge is capital murder.

In November of 2013, police offered up $5,000 for information leading to an arrest of the person responsible for the murder.

Hudson's bond is set at $150,000.
How DNA helped police crack a cold case from 2013

The court records say Bradford Rudolph Hudson, 59, was linked to the murder when his DNA was entered into the FBI national DNA database called CODIS this past July.

Court records say officials dissected the scene and found Batchelor had been sexually assaulted either before or near her time of death. They also found evidence the suspect had wiped his hand on the wall to take Batchelor's blood off his hands.

The affidavit says officials took DNA from the scene and entered into the CODIS system, which is used nationally to identify suspects in crimes. The DNA sat in the system for a little bit more than six years, unidentified until Hudson's July arrest for injury to a spouse.

When Hudson was arrested and taken to San Mateo County Jail, his DNA would be entered into CODIS. Then, SAPD was notified of the match to its cold case.

SAPD said it continued to look into Hudson, finding out he lived in San Antonio at the time of the murder.
Suspected killer extradited from California for San Antonio murder

Capital murder charge dismissed against man accused in 2013 San Antonio cold case
April 24, 2020
''Bradford Hudson, 59, released from jail late last week

A capital murder charge against Bradford Hudson has been dismissed. (KSAT)
''SAN ANTONIO – A capital murder case against a California man accused of the 2013 killing of Martha Batchelor in San Antonio has been dismissed just months after a DNA match linked him to the crime, court records show.

Bradford Hudson, 59, was released from the Bexar County Jail April 18, weeks after the charge was dismissed pending further investigation.

Public records made it appear as if investigators had a strong case since they were able to link Hudson to the murder scene through DNA.

Affidavit: Cold case murder suspect wiped bloody hands on apartment wall

Hudson is currently free on bond for an unrelated misdemeanor assault case, involving an incident that took place while he was in jail, records show.''

Aug 3 2020
Suspect in gruesome cold case murder dies months after charge was dismissed
''SAN ANTONIO – The primary suspect in a gruesome 2013 cold case murder in San Antonio has died, months after a charge in the case was dismissed, court records confirm.

Bradford Hudson, 60, died earlier this summer, records show.

Hudson was taken into custody in Northern California last year and then later charged for the brutal July 2013 murder of Martha Batchelor after a DNA sample taken from Hudson matched DNA found at the scene, an apartment in the 4900 block of Woodstone Drive.

Hudson was extradited to San Antonio late last year, but the capital murder charge against him was dismissed in March pending further investigation.''