With New Judge & Trial Date 5 Years After Her Son’s Killing, Mother Hopes for Closure

The mother of a young man who was fatally shot near the Tuscaloosa Strip more than five years ago is hopeful for closure now that a new judge is overseeing the case and a trial date is set.

As the Thread reported when it happened, 19-year-old Schuyler Bradley was shot in the stomach when he and his friends got into a short altercation with another group walking along University Boulevard before dawn on a Friday before an Alabama football game in October 2020.

Police say the suspect, then 22-year-old Zachary Profozich, drew a .357 revolver and shot Bradley in the abdomen, ran from the scene, and ditched the gun. Profozich was arrested soon after the shooting, and when Bradley died about 24 hours later, he was charged with murder.

This incident occurred before the passage of Aniah's Law in Alabama, allowing Profozich to be released on bond on the same day he was charged with murder. Days later, District Judge James Gentry granted a motion allowing Profozich to leave Tuscaloosa and move in with his parents in Orange County, California, until the case goes to trial.

That was five years and four months ago, and the matter has been stalled awaiting space in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Brad Almond, who retired in December. With his departure, the case has been reassigned to Circuit Judge Allen May, who has set a jury trial to begin on May 11, 2026.

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Daphne Groff, Schuyler Bradley's mother, was tired of waiting for justice back when the Thread first shared her story in October 2024. With the trial now set to begin in less than 75 days, she said she and her children are optimistic that the consequences of her son's killing will finally catch up to the man allegedly responsible.

"This is long overdue. We felt like Schuyler was forgotten, treated as just another statistic, and somehow less than a victim," Groff said.  "So for our family, it's time. [Profozich] has out there living free, having birthdays. At this moment, he could have a wife and kids for all we know - it's been more than five years!"

Groff says getting justice for her son is impossible because he was robbed of his future at 19 years old, and even if his killer is convicted and sentenced to life in prison, it won't balance the scales.

"We're never going to get true justice. But we want closure, where we can try our best to move on and start the healing process, because I don't think we've dealt with it at all. We've just kind of tucked it away and had to proceed with life, getting one disappointment after another," Groff said. "Our faith in the judicial system was wiped out, we were totally discouraged, but now we are just praying that justice and God are on our side."

Groff said it's not quite right to say she's excited for the trial to begin later this year if there are no further delays, but that she's "ready to get the show on the road."

For more exclusive coverage of the case and other crime and courts news from West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.