Suspect in 2022 Page County Murder Extradited From Nevada
LURAY, Va. — A man charged in the 2022 murder of Joshua Dee Bradford is now in custody of the Page County Sheriff’s Office.
Bradford, 35, was last seen on Sept. 3, 2022, in the Luray area. His family reported him missing, prompting an investigation by the sheriff’s office.
A native of Anderson, S.C., Bradford was last seen getting into a blue 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, registered in Virginia.
Investigators soon identified a person of interest: Marcus Lee Lewis, who was known to operate a blue 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and had ties to Augusta, W.Va., Southwestern Virginia, and Warren County. After officers attempted to speak with him, Lewis left Page County.
On Oct. 11, 2022, the PCSO obtained a felony warrant for Lewis for violating Virginia Code §18.2-308.2, which prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The sheriff’s office asked for the public’s help in distributing Lewis’ physical description and vehicle information.
Later that month, the department partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to offer a $2,500 reward for information leading to his location. Despite these efforts, leads appeared to grow cold.
On Dec. 4, 2022, police in Reno, Nev., received a report of an individual possibly armed with a knife in the downtown area.
When officers arrived, the man fled on foot and did not comply with commands. A taser deployment was unsuccessful. Officers then fired shots, striking the man, who was treated at the scene and transported to a hospital.
The man was identified as Marcus Lee Lewis.
[VIDEO ABOVE]” Critical Incident Summary Officer Involved Shooting on 5th St. 12/4/22
After the shooting, Lewis’ condition was initially described as critical, but stable.
Following his release from the hospital, Lewis was arrested for felony resisting a public officer with a dangerous weapon, and a misdemeanor of walking along a highway.
Reno and Sparks are cities both located in the Nevada county of Washoe. A Sparks police detective contacted Captain Tim Lansberry of the PCSO Investigations Division, and indicated that Lewis was in custody.
On May 6, 2024, the PCSO received new information regarding the disappearance of Joshua Dee Bradford.
Working on this information, investigators located human remains in an area of Page County.
In a May 9, 2024 media release, the PCSO announced that the Investigations Division charged Marcus Lee Lewis with the following:
§18.2-32 – Murder in the second degree (Unclassed Felony)
§18.2-126 – Willfully, intentionally, and physically defile a dead human body (Class 6 Felony)
§18.2-323.02 – Transport, secrete, conceal, or alter a dead body (Class 6 Felony)
According to PCSO Chief Deputy Maj. Stevie Owens, substantial time and manpower were required to complete the due process needed to return Lewis to Page County.
Throughout this case, the Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Virginia State Police Division II Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, The Sparks Police Department, and the Virginia Department of Forensic Science.
On November 14, 2025. the PCSO announced that Lewis was successfully extradited from Nevada to Virginia.
A trial date has yet to be announced.