SHAWANO (WTAQ-WLUK) – A man charged with killing his wife nearly a decade ago pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide on Thursday. James Radford, who was charged with reckless homicide nine years after the 2016 death of wife, pleaded not guilty to the charge Thursday.
40-year-old James Radford was bound over for trial after testimony at a preliminary hearing. He then entered the not guilty plea, court records show.
No trial date was set. A status conference is set for Aug. 5.
After the charges were filed, Sheriff George Lenzner said when investigators were first notified of the death of Sabrina Radford on April 11, 2016, they were unable to conclusively determine the cause of death.
Radford’s husband, James, reported the death and said his wife had shot herself.
Over the next nine years, investigators “dedicated significant time and effort” to the case, the sheriff said. The investigation included interviews with James Radford and other people connected to the case. Previously collected evidence was reexamined. It took what the sheriff called advances in investigative tools and forensic technology, along with expert witnesses to determine that Sabrina Radford’s death was not the result of a suicide.
On April 11, 2025, James Radford was charged with reckless homicide. According to the criminal complaint, the 39-year-old told deputies he found out his wife had been cheating on him. He told her he would divorce her.
Evidence at the scene did not corroborate Radford’s account of his wife’s death, prosecutors said.
In the news release, Lenzner said: “We recognize that this press release does not include all details of the investigation. However, as this case is now under the jurisdiction of the Shawano County District Attorney’s Office, we are committed to protecting its integrity to ensure that justice is served.”
Sabrina Radford’s family issued a statement, thanking police for continuing to work on the case.
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