Tuscaloosa County Judge Sentences Man Convicted Of Murdering Indiana Teen

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A judge on Monday sentenced a California man to 30 years in prison after a Tuscaloosa County jury found him guilty of murdering an Indiana University student near The Strip in 2020.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Allen W. May Jr. handed down the sentence to Zachary Profozich during a sentencing hearing held Monday morning after receiving the 30-year recommendation from prosecutors.

As Patch previously reported, a Tuscaloosa County jury found Profozich guilty of murder on May 14 for the shooting death of 19-year-old Schuyler Bradley, who was visiting Tuscaloosa with friends when he was fatally shot during an altercation on University Boulevard in the early morning hours of Oct. 16, 2020.

The confrontation occurred in the 1700 block of University Boulevard and escalated after a brief physical encounter between two groups of young men.

Prosecutors argued that Profozich pulled a handgun and fired the shot that struck an unarmed Bradley in the stomach, leading to his death a few hours later.

Before ruling on the sentence, Judge May heard statements from Bradley's mother and siblings, along with comments from Profozich's family and an employer.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Marshall referred to Bradley's murder as "tragic," and presented the court with a photo of Bradley and his friends outside of Innisfree in downtown Tuscaloosa just hours before the shooting.

He also mentioned Profozich's own words spoken during monitored calls at the Tuscaloosa County Jail after receiving the guilty verdict.

"I have seen nothing of remorse [from Profozich]," Marshall said. "He blamed everyone but himself. He blamed the 'liberal judge,' 'the liberal lawyer' and 'the 12 people stupid enough to not get off jury duty.'"

Ghiche Bradley was the first to speak for the family and held a dark red urn holding his brother's remains.

"Because our family is so small, his absence has been impossible to ignore," he told the court.

Bradley's mother, Daphne Groff, also delivered an emotional statement and recalled how one of the last text messages she ever received from her son told her how he would always take care of her.

"Now all I have is this urn," she said, after commenting how Profozich sat through six years of proceedings and trial without remorse.

Groff described Profozich displaying an "ice-cold, emotionless indifference."

Defense attorney Mary Turner was the first to speak on behalf of her client and said he honestly believes he acted in self-defense.

She also apologized for Profozich's remarks after being found guilty of murder, before mentioning that he and his family have been threatened.

"The Bradley family has lashed out," she said. "He has been called a racist and it was said he lynched someone."

Turner went on to present Judge May with an interview of Profozich's girlfriend at the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, where she told an investigator Profozich had been crying all night and felt bad for what had happened.

After Profozich's uncle and an employer spoke to his dedication and work ethic doing contracting work while out on bond, the judge then heard from his parents, sister and girlfriend.

His mother, Portia Profozich, became fought through tears as she spoke about how her son had saved lives thanks to his previous lifeguard training, in addition to broader statements about his kindness, reliability and love for others.

The court was then presented with several examples of letters written defending Profozich's character ahead of sentencing, ranging from priests to legal professionals.

But arguably the most emotional part of Monday's sentencing came when Profozich, clad in a red Tuscaloosa County Jail jumpsuit, addressed the court and asked for mercy.

Profozich opened his statement by turning to Bradley's family and telling his mother "Pretend I'd been acquitted. I'd trade places with him right now."

Profozich's family sobbed in a front row pew behind the defense table as he told those on the other side of the courtroom that he had not targeted Bradley.

"I thought he was reaching for something and if I knew what I know now, I never would've made the same decision."

Profozich closed by saying a prayer aloud and apologizing to the court for his past comments.

Before issuing his sentence, Judge May spoke to what he views as a trend of "callousness" impacting society.

"Life is not as valuable as it once was," he said. "And there is an expectation that the court should somehow recalibrate when it comes to sentencing."

However, Judge May said his court would not "recalibrate" and issued the 30-year sentence with a 42-day window for Profozich to file an appeal.

Profozich will be denied probation and will be eligible for parole after serving the first 15 years of his sentence.

"I love you guys," Profozich told his family as he was led from the courtroom.

Reactions After Sentencing

Gathered with her family, Groff said her primary focus over the last six years has been getting her son justice to the fullest extent of the law.

"Honestly, nothing is ever going to be satisfying," she said. "My son actually said that to me numerous times over and over — that no matter the amount of time that [Profozich] gets, it will never fill the void of losing Schuyler. But in this day and age, some justice is better than no justice."

She also commented on Profozich's statements made to her family Monday in the courtroom before the sentence was handed down.

"Now that it's over ... I can really say that was probably the fakest moment I've ever seen someone do, besides actors on TV," she said. "So he should get an Oscar for that performance."

In terms of moving forward, Groff said Bradley's birthday is coming up on July 6. He'd have been 25.

"For the first time ever, we have something to truly celebrate: that [Profozich] is not walking the streets anymore," she said. "He's not celebrating his birthdays, and that me and my children know that he is behind bars where he deserves to be."

District Attorney Hays Webb praised the work of prosecutors during the trial and sentencing, before explaining the rationale for the state seeking a 30-year sentence as opposed to life.

"For most sentences, 30 years is the point at which you've maximized the sentence while parole eligibility remains at 10 years," he said. "In other words, a third of the sentence is generally the point at which someone becomes eligible for parole. So on a 30-year sentence, in most cases, you would be parole eligibility at 10 years, which is the maximum."

He went on to say that because it's a Class A felony involving serious physical injury or death, there's also an 85% rule that applies.

"That means parole eligibility doesn't come until 15 years," Webb said.

Webb then commented on the "tragic" nature of the case and pointed out how that was acknowledged by all involved.

"In no way does that minimize or mitigate what happened," he said. "But we also have to reserve the ability to request harsher sentences for repeat offenders, lifetime criminals and people who commit crimes in a pre-planned, premeditated way."

Webb then touted the preparation done by prosecutors and his office's staff, which he said demonstrates how seriously his office take public safety.

"The judge also referenced today his concern about what seems to be a growing acceptance of this kind of behavior — a shift in cultural norms where people begin to think this is okay," Webb said. "He specifically said that he is not going to lower our standards regarding the value of human life. So we're very glad to have the support of a judge who sentenced the defendant the way we asked after trial."

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com