Judge's Secret Affair With Young Girl Ends In Double Murder Crime stories

judge Malcolm MC Bronson who presided over the Richmond circuit court at 400 North 9th Street had cultivated a carefully constructed Public Image throughout his 22-year career on the bench at 52 judge Bronson lived in an affluent subdivision of Richmond's west end with his wife Margaret Bronson 49 a local real estate agent do Bronson's colleagues at the courthouse knew him as a disciplinarian who frequently handed down maximum sentences for traffic violations and minor offenses his reputation for strict adherence to the law earned him respect among law enforcement and fellow judges in Virginia's 13th judicial circuit however Court employees had witnessed concerning behaviors that contradicted his public Persona Sarah Martinez a court clerk from 2015 to 2020 would later testify that Bronson often engaged in private conversations with female defendants in his Chambers a practice that violated standard Court protocols additionally Financial records would eventually reveal that Bronson had accepted gifts and favorable loans from local business owners whose cases he presided over though these transactions remained hidden at the time on February 3rd 2020 Richmond Police Officer James Thompson pulled over a 2008 Honda Civic on East Broad Street for broken tail light the driver 18-year-old Zuri Wallace was unable to produce a valid driver's license Wallace a senior at Armstrong High School lived with her mother Sharon Wallace in a modest apartment on North 25th Street following her parents separation 6 months earlier her father Rashad Wallace had moved to a smaller residence in the city's Manchester District leaving the family in a precarious financial situation Wallace's case appeared on Judge Bronson's docket on February 17th 2020 court records show that Wallace arrived alone at 9:15 a. m. wear en closed bar from her school's career center security camera footage from the courthouse later retrieved by investigators showed Bronson watching Wallace intently during the proceedings after imposing a $500 fine and mandatory driver's education course Bronson requested Wallace remain behind citing a need to discuss payment arrangements What followed was documented through Courthouse security cameras and subsequent cell phone records at 10:45 a.

m. Bronson and Wallace entered his Chambers they emerged 47 minutes later with Wallace visibly distressed phone records would reveal that between February 17th and March 28th 2020 Bronson contacted Wallace 31 times from a prepaid mobile phone purchased at a convenience store on Forest Hill Avenue their encounters typically occurred at the Hampton in on West Broad Street where Bronson maintained a room under the Alias Michael Brooks Hotel records indicate six separate meetings between February 20th and March 25th 2020 security footage from the hotel showed Bronson entering through a side entrance always wearing casual clothes and a baseball cap contrasting sharply with his formal courtroom attire Wallace would arrive approximately 15 to 20 minutes later often appearing hesitant and looking over her shoulder as she entered the building during this period Bronson's Behavior at work began to show subtle changes reporter Daniel chin noted in his personal logs that the judge seemed increasingly agitated during proceedings particularly when dealing with young female defendants Patricia Reynolds Bronson's longtime judicial assistant later reported to investigators that he had begun taking extended lunch breaks and making unusual schedule changes often citing personal appointments that were never recorded in His official calendar the final encounter took place on March 28th when Bronson abruptly terminated cont via text message writing this ends now never contact me again never speak of this to anyone by this time though nether knew it yet Wallace was already 4 weeks pregnant the text message sent at 1142 p. m.

was followed by three missed calls from Wallace's number between midnight and 1:15 a. m. hotel security cameras captured Wallace waiting in the parking lot for over 2 hours that night but Bronson never appeared appeared in April 2020 Zuri Wallace's World shifted dramatically when a home pregnancy test confirmed what she had begun to suspect medical records from Richmond Community Health Center show her first prenatal visit on April 15th 2020 where DrElena Rodriguez documented the pregnancy at approximately 6 weeks during this initial consultation Zuri declined to provide information about the father marking the unknown slash preferred not to disclose option on her intake forms Sharon Wallace Zuri's mother noticed her daughter's deteriorating condition but attributed it to academic stress and their family's recent troubles bank statements from this period show Sharon withdrawing $2,300 from a retirement account to help cover household expenses unaware that her daughter was secretly setting aside money for impending medical bills meanwhile Zuri had begun selling her personal belongings through various online platforms generating an addition additional $1,200 that she kept hidden in a shoe box beneath her bed Malik Wallace was born on December 12th 2020 at VCU Medical Center Hospital records list only zurri as the parent with all queries about paternity met with firm silence the birth certificates father field remained blank despite Hospital staff's routine inquiries Sharon Wallace took unpaid leave from her job at a local Insurance Agency to help care for her grandson son while Rashad Wallace increased his child support payments to assist with the baby's expenses throughout 2021 Zuri attempted to balance motherhood with her education enrolling in online courses at Jay Sergeant Reynolds Community College while caring for Malik her class attendance was sporadic and professors notes indicate frequent camera off participation during virtual sessions often accompanied by a baby's cries in the background financial aid documents reveal she qual ified for maximum assistance but the burden of child care costs continually threatened to overwhelm her resources Rashad Wallace's suspicions began to crystallize in early 2022 triggered by a chance encounter at Kroger's grocery store security footage shows judge Bronson visibly startled upon seeing Malik in a shopping cart quickly abandoning his purchases and leaving the store this incident prompted Rashad to begin methodically documenting his daughter's timeline creating a detailed spreadsheet correlating her court appearance with Malik's birth date on March 15th 2022 Rashad Wallace requested a meeting with judge Bronson Through official channels citing concerns about a prior case disposition Courthouse visitor Vlogs show him arriving at 2:30 p.

m. wearing a hidden audio recorder purchased from an electronic store the previous day the recording later recovered by investigators captured a tense 15-minute conversation in which Bronson maintained rigid professionalism while deflecting questions about Z's case I see hundreds of cases each month MrWallace Bronson can be heard saying on the recording I couldn't possibly remember the specifics of your daughter's traffic violation from two years ago however cell phone tower data would later reveal that immediately following this meeting Bronson made three calls to his attorney from the courthouse parking garage Rashad's investigation intensified after this encounter he began photographing Bronson's movements documenting his daily routines and occasional deviations bank records show Rashad withdrew $5,000 from his 401k to hire a private investigator Kevin Morris who specialized in surveillance operations Morris's detailed reports spanning April to June 2022 noted Bronson's regular visits to the Hampton in where he had previously met Zuri though now meeting with different young women the pressure of maintaining her secret began to show in Z's Behavior surveillance cameras at her apartment complex captured her making late night phone calls from the parking lot often pacing for hours while Malik slept under his grandmother's watch by late summer 2022 the pressure cooker of Secrets and surveillance reached a critical point on August 15th 2022 Zuri Wallace received the first in a series of anonymous text messages from a newly activated prepaid phone your father needs to stop asking questions think about Malik's future read the message sent at 2:47 a. m.

cell tower data would later place the origin of this message near judge Bronson's West End residence over the next six weeks seven more messages arrived each more menacing than the last digital forensics would recover these texts from Z's phone August 28th 2022 1:15 a. m. curious fathers sometimes lose their jobs manufacturing plants have accidents September 3rd 2022 11:52 p.

m. Your Community College funding could disappear with one phone call September 17th 2022 3:24 a. m.

Social Services takes interest in young unstable mothers the psychological impact on Zuri became evident in her daily life security cameras at her workplace captured increasingly erratic Behavior missed shifts lengthy bathroom breaks spent crying and nervous glances over her shoulder her supervisor Janet Martinez documented three incidents where Zuri appeared to have panic attacks during her shifts requiring brief medical attention Malik daycare records from Little Sprouts Learning Center noted concerning changes in the toddler's Behavior hi teacher Rebecca chin reported that Zuri began arriving late for pickup often appearing distracted and anxious on September 22nd 2022 staff documented zui sitting in her car for 45 minutes after pickup clutching her phone and visibly shaking the breaking point came on October 1st 2022 when Zuri withdrew her entire Savings of $3,427 from her credit union account bank security footage shows her hands trembling as she completed the transaction that evening she purchased a prepaid phone of her own from a 7-Eleven on Broad Street initiating what would become a fatal confrontation her first message to Bronson sent at 11:42 p. m. was direct I have copies of every Hotel receipt every message every photo either you start supporting your son or everyone sees them she attached a photo of Malik at his second birthday party the child's features bearing an unmistakable resemblance to the judge Bronson's response came three hours later you're making a serious mistake however Zuri had prepared for this moment over the previous months she had methodically gathered evidence hotel receipts retrieved from dumpster diving screenshots of their early Communications and ATM camera footage showing Bronson withdrawing cash before their meetings October 5th 2022 Zuri escalated the situation by sending a detailed List of Demands monthly support payments of $2,500 coverage of all medical expenses for Malik a college fund set up in Malik's name written acknowledgement of paternity the documentation Trail shows Bronson's mounting Panic court records indicate he canceled three days of proceedings citing medical issues his personal credit card statements reveal unusual purchases a consultation with a reputation management firm multiple meetings with his personal attorney and a series of cash withdrawals totaling $15 ,000 on October 12th 2022 surveillance cameras captured an agitated Bronson entering a private investigators office in downtown Richmond the investigator later identified as Marcus Reynolds specialized in counter surveillance and threat assessment bank records show a payment of $5,000 to rolds firm the same day Z's final authenticated message to Bronson sent October 15th 2022 you have until the end of the month after that every news Outlet in Virginia gets the full story your wife your colleagues everyone will know what kind of man sits on that bench the tension culminated in a series of increasingly hostile exchanges Bronson's messages initially threatening became almost pleading you don't understand what you're doing this will destroy more than just me Z's responses grew more determined you destroyed enough already now you pay or everyone knows December 15th 2022 marked the last time surveillance cameras captured zri Wallace alive exiting her apartment building at 7:42 p.

m. cell phone records show her last text to her mother meeting someone about help for Malik don't wait up GPS data from her phone traced her final journey to an isolated area off Route 5 near the Charles City County Line approximately 15 mil east of Richmond the meeting location a gravel turnout obscured from the main road by dense Pine Forest was carefully chosen license plate readers on Route 5 captured judge Bronson's BMW X5 heading east at 8:03 p. m.

and returning West at 9:47 p. m. his Easy Pass recorded no Highway Usage that evening suggesting he deliberately avoided toll roads and their cameras security footage from Little Sprouts Learning Center shows picking up Malik at 6:30 p.

m. that evening the toddler wore blue dinosaur pajamas and carried his favorite stuffed giraffe details that would later become crucial in the investigation the center's director Margaret Chen remembered Zuri appearing unusually optimistic mentioning plans to enroll Malik in their Advanced program starting January what transpired in that secluded turnout was initially known only through forensic evidence the crime scene discovered on January 8th 2023 told a horrific story FBI forensic reports detailed signs of a violent struggle Z's broken fingernails contain traces of Bronson's DNA and tire tracks matching his BMW's unique were pattern marked Hasty acceleration from the scene Malik stuff giraffe stained with both victims blood was found 30 ft from their bodies Malik's cause of death was determined to be asphixiation likely occurring as he witnessed his mother's murder the report estimated time of death between 8:30 and 9:15 p. m.

on December 15th the bodies were discovered by Michael Thompson a local hiker who initially mistook them for discarded mannequins his 911 call placed at 10:17 a. m. on January 8th was notably composed I'm on the Old Logging Trail off Route 5 about a/4 mile from the turnout there's there's two bodies here one a woman young there's a small child too they're partially covered with branches this looks really bad Richmond Police Department responded within 22 minutes immediately securing a half mile perimeter detective Sarah Rodriguez lead investigator noted the calculated nature of the crime scene the bodies were deliberately placed where they wouldn't be visible from the road but shallow enough that animals would eventually expose them the perpetrator was was counting on natural decomposition to destroy evidence Sharon Wallace identified her daughters and grandsons bodies through photographs of their clothing and personal effects she collapsed during the identification process requiring medical attention Rashad Wallace upon hearing the news immediately contacted his private investigator Kevin Morris who turned over months of surveillance data to the police the investigation revealed Bronson's methodical attempts to establish in Alibi credit card records show he purchased gas at a station near his home at 7:15 p.

m. then bought takeout from a local restaurant at 10:30 p. m.

security footage from both locations captured him alone wearing business attire with no visible signs of struggle however microscopic evidence told a different story fiber analysis would later match unusual blue threads found under his car's front seat to Malik dinosaur pajamas the discovery of the bodies triggered an intensive forensic investigation the FBI's evidence Response Team processed the scene for 5 days collecting over 300 pieces of evidence among the most damning a partial fingerprint on Malik sippy Cub matching Bronson's left index finger and DNA evidence under Z's fingernails that would provide a one in one billion match to the judge the turnout where the murders occurred became a makeshift Memorial local residents left flowers stuffed animals and notes of condolence among them anonymously placed but captured on a mner cell phone video was a small envelope containing a printed email exchange between Bronson and his attorney discussing permanent solutions to Temporary problems the envelope was quickly seized as evidence its contents adding another layer to the mounting case against the judge the investigation into the murders of Zuri and Malo Wallace began officially on January 9th 201 23 led by Richmond Police Department's Major Crimes unit detective Sarah Rodriguez and FBI special agent Marcus chin coordinated a multi-jurisdictional task force operating from a command center established at RPD headquarters on Grace Street the first formal interview with judge Malcolm Bronson took place on January 10th 2023 at 9:00 a. m. the transcript reveals Bronson's initial composure through his carefully measured responses when detective Rodriguez asked about his relationship with Zuri Wallace Bronson maintained she had merely appeared in his courtroom for a traffic violation in 2020 claiming that was the extent of their interaction he steadfastly denied any further contact describing it as a routine case among hundreds he saw yearly however digital forensics told a different story the FBI cellular analysis survey team provided detailed documentation of Bronson's movements on December 15th 2022 cellow data placed his phone at the crime scene between 8:15 p.

m. and 9:30 p. m.

directly contradicting his initial statement that he had been home all evening on January 12th 2023 the Virginia Department of forensic science completed a rush DNA analysis comparing samples from Malik's body to judge Bronson's DNA obtained through a court order the results documented in their report showed a 99. 9 99% probability of paternity this Revelation prompted an emergency meeting of the Virginia judicial inquiry and review commission the DNA analysis proved even more damning epithelial cells recovered from under fingernails provided a match to Bronson's DNA profile blood traces found on the cars floor mat matched both victims touch DNA on malx sippi cup matched Bronson's genetic profile additionally cell phone triangulation placed Bronson's device at the crime scene while deleted text messages recovered from his phone revealed threats sent to Zuri on January 18th 2023 during the execution of a search warrant at Bronson's residence investigators discovered a hidden safe containing crucial evidence inside they found a prepaid phone matching the one used to threaten Zuri along with $25,000 in cash bundled with bands from the same bank where Bron had made recent withdrawals the safe also contained a folder of surveillance photos of Zuri and Malik plus medical records obtained through unauthorized access to the hospital system the Breakthrough came when crime scene technicians processed Bronson's bmwx5 on January 20th behind the spare tire they found a small gold bracelet with Malik engraved on it a Christmas gift from Sharon Wallace to her grandson the bracelet contained both victim's DNA a and showed signs of violent removal with the clasp torn and fabric fibers embedded in the links during a second interview on January 21st Bronson's composed facade began to crack when presented with the DNA evidence surveillance data and Malik's bracelet he requested his attorney's presence his final statement before invoking his right to silence revealed the calculated nature of his actions you don't understand everything I built 22 years on the bench I couldn't let her destroy at all she kept pushing threatening I just wanted her to stop the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney presented the overwhelming evidence to a special grand jury on January 23rd 2023 after 4 hours of testimony they returned true bills for multiple charges including first-degree murder statutory rape witness intimidation concealment of dead bodies and official misconduct the the arrest warrant was executed at 6:15 a. m.