Inset: Lemmarra Bradshaw (GoFundMe). Background: An apartment building on the 7000 block of Langdon Street in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pa. (WPVI/YouTube).
A tragic incident in Pennsylvania has resulted in a man being accused of killing his pregnant teenage girlfriend amidst a heated argument over fidelity and a pet hamster.
Robert Tatum, aged 29, now faces charges of voluntary manslaughter following the death of 18-year-old Lemmarra Bradshaw, as indicated by court documents obtained by Law&Crime. Additionally, he is charged with recklessly endangering another person.
The altercation took place on the 7000 block of Langdon Street in Philadelphia’s Rhawnhurst neighborhood, according to a report from local ABC affiliate WPVI. The couple was embroiled in escalating disputes, with Bradshaw, who was expecting her second child, at the center of it.
Bradshaw’s aunt provided insight into their tumultuous relationship, alleging, “He punched her in her face like two weeks ago, and in less than 24 hours, Lemmarra went back to him. He manipulated her. He’s always in a jealous rage.”
The specific dispute on the night of the incident revolved around a hamster that Bradshaw’s mother, Michelle Adekola, had recently gifted her daughter. However, underlying tensions regarding the couple’s commitment to each other also contributed to the tragic turn of events.
On this specific night, the couple were reportedly fighting over a hamster that Bradshaw’s mother, Michelle Adekola, had recently given to her. However, there was apparently another reason for tension between the pair: their faithfulness.
Investigators say the shots were fired during an argument over a hamster – one Adekola had bought for her daughter last Saturday. But Bradshaw’s aunt says the fight stemmed from Tatum’s alleged infidelity.
“He was cheating on her, and Lemmarra is the kind of person, she’ll say, ‘If you’re gonna do it, I’m gonna do it too,’” the aunt said.
Tatum is said to have claimed Bradshaw approached him with a knife and a screwdriver, and that was when he shot her.
Adekola expressed that the loss of her daughter “tore my heart in pieces.”
“She was carrying your baby, you should have more sympathy towards her. I don’t understand that,” Adekola said, per WPVI. “I feel like I didn’t protect her enough to let this man kill my daughter, and I wasn’t there to help her. It makes me feel broken inside.”
Tatum was arrested on Monday, court records show. The defendant appeared in court for a preliminary arraignment on Wednesday and is due to reappear for a preliminary hearing on March 30.
Law&Crime has reached out to the Philadelphia Police Department for more information about this case.
An obituary for Bradshaw states that “Police have described” her death “as an act of domestic violence, and the individual responsible has been taken into custody.”
“Her death has left a deep and painful void in the hearts of everyone who loved her,” it adds. “Lemmarra was a daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend. She had a bright spirit and a future ahead of her that was tragically cut short. The loss of both Lemmarra and her unborn baby has devastated our family and our community.”
