Leader sentenced in Priest River murder
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A Bonner County man who bludgeoned and strangled a woman to death outside of her Priest River home in August 2020 was sentenced in First District Court to 20 years to life in prison.
Bradley Leader, 68, pled guilty through a written statement in March confessing to killing Eveline Pederson, 66, in August 2020. In exchange for the guilty plea, charges of second degree kidnapping and aggravated assault were dropped.
Leader used his fists and other objects to end Pederson’s life as fast as he could, according to Leader’s statements to detectives, after the two had an argument on August 17. After his arrest, he explained to detectives that he had no remorse for the crime and that she “deserved to die.”
After the killing, he rode a bike to a nearby acquaintance’s house. Leader asked if he could have a ride to Pederson’s house.
Just before they arrived at Pederson’s house, Leader pulled a .45-caliber revolver on the man and informed him he was going to help in disposing of the body. When he refused, Leader cocked the hammer back, and forced the man to comply with his demands.
The man never touched Pederson, but was forced to drive to a remote area off Road No. 334, where Leader hid her body.
Leader then ordered they return to the man’s house.
After they arrived, Leader kept a close eye on the him, however when Leader was distracted, he managed to escape out of the back of his residence.
The man ran to the Priest River Police Department, but there was no one there. Shortly after, he was able to flag down a Bonner County Sheriff’s deputy.
He led them to where the murder was committed, and where the body was hidden. Deputies arrested Leader when he went outside to clean the vehicle the two were riding in earlier.
After his sentencing on July 6, Leader was turned over to the Idaho Department of Corrections. He received 319 days credit towards his sentence.
In a victim impact statement by Pederson’s granddaughter, her “Oma” was someone who could take ordinary ingredients and turn them into what she described as a five-star meal.
Her obituary can be found on the Daily Bee’s website.