North Liberty police: Death in home was a suicide

NORTH LIBERTY - The death of a Cedar Rapids man in a North Liberty home last week was determined to be a suicide, authorities said Tuesday.

North Liberty Police Chief Diana Venenga said in an email that the Johnson County Medical Examiner's Office ruled in a preliminary report that the death of Dairion C. Bradley, 21, was a suicide. Venenga said the final autopsy report won't be available for four to eight weeks.

'We do not expect any changes,” Venenga said.

Clayton Schuneman, administrative director of the Johnson County Medical Examiner's Office, said he could not discuss the autopsy findings because Bradley's death certificate had not yet been filed.

Bradley was allegedly part of a robbery investigation that started in Iowa City and continued to the residence at 60 David Lee Court, where he shot himself, police said.

Iowa City police said Bradley, along with Samuel L. Wetmore, 16, of Iowa City and Natasha N. Masterson, 17, of Cedar Rapids, robbed a man around 12:34 a.m. Sept. 26 in the area of Center and Davenport streets in Iowa City. Police said the victim was pistol whipped during the robbery and shot at.

Venenga said Iowa City police asked North Liberty officers to go to David Lee Court early that morning as part of the robbery investigation. Around 5:10 a.m., officers made contact with the residents of David Lee Court. As officers were standing in the doorway, they heard gunshots coming from inside the home and evacuated.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team was called to the scene, entered the home and found Bradley dead inside from a gunshot wound. A witness told police the wound was self-inflicted, which was supported by visual evidence, police said. Venenga said the case would remain open until an autopsy was completed, however.

Masterson and Wetmore both face charges of first-degree robbery, a felony.

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