Mother of accidental shooting victim speaks out
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KSWT, FOX 9) - The mother of the 24-year-old woman who shot herself at the Adair Shooting Range in Yuma at the end of April spoke out about the tragedy in hopes this does not happen to anyone else.
Madalyn Bryce was found shot dead at the Adair Shooting range on April 29 after spending just hours with a man more than half a century older than her.
Yuma County Sheriff's deputies asked the man she was with what led up to the shooting, and he claimed Bryce asked what his form of protection was in his home and told her it was a gun. She was then adamant on visiting the gun range.
That's when authorities said she either took her own life or the gun possibly jammed.
Deputies said the 24-year-old and 78-year-old had met on the website, Ashley Madison.
Madalyn's mom said she was under the impression that her daughter was getting help for her drug addiction at a treatment center in Yuma, but then thinks she checked herself out of the treatment center voluntarily.
Deputies said Madalyn could be a possible victim of sex trafficking after calls came from an unknown man confirming the pickup of the 24-year-old and demanding her return by midnight.
“We don’t know who that was. That’s about the time period that I don’t know, we don’t know where she was,” said DeGroff. “We got her phone back from evidence, and we charged it. All of her phone calls and messages are all gone. We may be able to get phone records, but there are no other clues from her phone.”
With a lot of unknowns, her mom hopes that this tragic series of events does not happen to anyone else.
"I don't want this to happen to anyone else because it has really devastated our family. We really loved her. At the time she was really, she seemed really positive about getting her life together," said Kari DeGroff.
Her mom added the toxicology report showed that no drugs or alcohol were in Bryce's system.
News 11 reached out to the man who told deputies he was with her during her final hours but unfortunately, he does not wish to speak to the media.
