James Opelton Bradley was born on September 8, 1962, in North Carolina, United States. He grew up in a regular family environment. As a young man, James decided to join the military. He served as an Army Sergeant, which showed that he had some level of discipline and commitment.

During his time in the Army, he was stationed in various locations. After leaving the military, James returned to civilian life. He later married and became a stepfather.

In June 1988, James Opelton Bradley reported that his 8-year-old stepdaughter, Ivy Gibson, had been kidnapped in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The police later found that he had staged the scene to make it look like there had been a struggle. Two days after the report, Bradley confessed to killing Ivy. He claimed that he choked her while she was making the television too loud. After realizing she was dead, he put her body in a garbage bag and took it to the local dump. On January 22, 1990, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received a life sentence.

Bradley was released on parole on February 11, 2013. Less than a year later, on April 5, 2014, he killed 53-year-old Shannon Rippy Van Newkirk. She was reported missing two days after her death. Police reviewed traffic camera footage and searched Bradley's home and truck. He changed his story about the night Van Newkirk disappeared, claiming she left his truck after an argument.

On April 29, police found a body in a field, bound in duct tape and wrapped in garbage bags. Initially believed to be Van Newkirk, it was later confirmed to be 33-year-old Elisha Tucker, who had been missing since August 2013 and had been bludgeoned to death. On December 5, 2016, Bradley was charged with Tucker's murder.

He was first tried for the murder of Van Newkirk and on June 29, 2017, he was convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years and five months in prison. Prosecutors offered him a life sentence if he disclosed where Van Newkirk's body was, but he did not comply. On March 26, 2019, he was convicted of first-degree murder in Tucker's case. The jury could not agree on a death sentence, so he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He is currently held at Tabor City Correctional Institution.