Bush was sentenced to life imprisonment following conviction for murder in the year 2018 at the hands of J.J. Mount

After a conviction in January as a murderer, Christopher Bradley Bush was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Bush 48, of McKenzie was found guilty for his involvement in the murder of killing of Josha James “J.J.” Mount at Hayslette’s Bridge near the Butler County line.

Bush as well as three other suspects were indicted after a 911 call on the 3rd of August of 2018, after police responded to Hayslette’s Bridge area where they found Mount’s body, which was dragged across the wood line that was nearby.

Indicted in the investigation The defendants in the case were Joseph Vernon Armstrong, 77; Tammy Armstrong Bush, 40 and Jonathon Alan Bush 34, all from McKenzie. Tammy Bush is the child of Vernon Armstrong, and the wife of Jonathon. Bradley is the ex-husband of Vernon’s second daughter Jessica Bush. Jessica Bush was dating JJ Mount when he was killed. his murder.

District Attorney Walt Merrell and Assistant District Attorney Nikki Stephens prosecuted the cases.

“Bradley Bush’s conviction and sentence will bring closure to families of J.J. Mount,” Merrell stated. “This was the longest-running murder case in our docket and we’re pleased to see it be resolved.”

Based on statements made by witnesses and defendants, about two weeks before the murder of Mount, Jessica Bush and Mount were accused of taking Armstrong’s Corvette and Bradley Bush’s welding vehicle. It was discovered within Lowndes County and had been burned to the ground. The Corvette was found in McKenzie and was destroyed and abandoned. Bradley Bush and Jessica Armstrong as well as Bradley Bush had filed theft reports, and authorities from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office had issued warrants to arrest the couple of Jessica Bush and Mount. Butler County Investigator Robert Fulton testified at trial that after he informed Bradley Bush of the recovery and destruction of his truck, Bradley told him, “You must make sure you locate Bradley Bush before I do, as it’s not good for him.”

Tammy Bush gave multiple interviews to the police throughout the investigation. Tammy Bush said that, earlier in the day she discovered that her sister Jessica as well as JJ Mount were in the same place and their car is the Ford Bronco, was stuck in the mud of Hayslette’s Bridge. Tammy asked her mother Jerry Armstrong, and her niece, Emily Bush, travel together towards Hayslette’s Bridge to find Jessica. Jerry and Emily did not agree. Emily later called her dad, Bradley Bush, and made arrangements for him to visit Tammy. Then, Tammy and Bradley met at a station in the vicinity of McKenzie and hopped into Tammy’s GMC Yukon and headed towards in the Hayslette’s Bridge area looking for JJ and Jessica.

In the in the meantime, Armstrong learned Tammy and Bradley were trying to locate Mount as well as Jessica within Hayslette’s Bridge. Hayslette’s Bridge area. Armstrong asked Jonathon accompany him to the bridge for the similar. Armstrong stated that he was looking to locate his daughter as well as get the Corvette keys. After Jonathon as well as Armstrong reached Hayslette’s Bridge, Armstrong exited Jonathon’s car and stated that the truck was his to wait for Jessica or Mount’s departure. Armstrong was carrying 12 gauge shotguns at the time.

Bradley Bush told police that the shotgun and an .380 firearm in his truck. Bradley Bush carried along when he rode along with Tammy up to Hayslette’s Bridge. After riding around in the area for a short time, and then after briefly meeting Jonathon Armstrong and Jonathon Armstrong near the bridge Tammy along with Bradley returned to Tammy and Jonathon’s home in McKenzie. Tammy confessed that she let Bradley inside the gun storage area to take out the scoped .243 hunting rifle that was owned by Jonathon. They also changed vehicles with Tammy’s Nissan Maxima, because they were worried they JJ and Jessica were looking for Tammy’s Yukon.

Tammy as well as Bradley left her home and went back in the Hayslette’s Bridge area. While they were on their way to Bridge, they came across Jonathon who was exiting the woods. Jonathon had hidden his vehicle in the woods and rode until Hayslette’s Bridge with Tammy and Bradley. When the trio arrived near the Bridge, Bradley got out of the truck with three guns -one shotgun, a .243 firearm, as well as a .380 pistol. Bradley Bush and Armstrong Bradley Bush and Armstrong took their positions in the wood line to the north from Hayslette’s Bridge, and waited for the return of Jessica and Mount on the Bronco.

Mount was back in the region around the afternoon along with two other friends, Jerry “Bo” Ziglar and his brother, Justin Ziglar. The Ziglars resided near the area and Mount had gone to Bo’s home to ask for assistance. When Mount as well as the Ziglars tried to connect for the connection to the bronco, gunfire began to erupt. Both Ziglars claimed that Armstrong was seen emerging from the woodline near them, holding a shotgun and later Bradley Bush emerge from the wood line, about 30-40 yards eastward with the rifle. Justin Ziglar recounted JJ Mount fleeing of the vehicles, and away from their immediate area of view. Mount did not realize that he was in Bradley Bush’s lines of sight and was wounded in the head with an optic of the .243 rifle. He passed away immediately.

They Ziglar brothers were shackled at gunpoint with their hands raised in the air, while Armstrong as well as Bradley Bush discussed who had been killed and whether Bradley Bush should also be killed. Ziglars should be also executed to ensure their future statements in the trial of Bradley Bush. Armstrong admitted to the officers, and later admitted to that Bradley planned to kill the Ziglars as they were witnesses. Armstrong claimed he bribed Bradley out of the other murders. Based on the testimony of the two Ziglar brothers Bradley Bush told them, “My name is Bradley Bush and if you ever tell anyone the story of what happened here I’ll go after you and murder yourself and the rest of your loved ones.”

After Mount was killed, Bradley drug Mount’s body on his feet away from the open space where the victim was killed to an adjacent wood line. Armstrong admitted that he took his Corvette keys out of Mount’s shorts pockets when he was killed. In court, Armstrong testified that he was able to access keys in order to hear the car’s engine rev once more.

Bradley and Armstrong followed them to the south towards Hayslette’s Bridge and hid the two rifles and shotguns on a fallen tree beneath some brush and leaves. Armstrong in a state of disarray, not able to keep pace with Bradley was waiting for his ride, while Bradley was hiding in the forest until after dark. Tammy Bush and Jonathon went back the Hayslette’s Bridge after receiving word Mount was dead and Armstrong was able to get into the car along with them. When they tried to leave the area, police pulled them back and they were detained immediately.

Bradley Bush was not located until three a.m. the next day at the house of his mother in McKenzie. The deputies were able to find him after being able to have Tammy make a sly call to Bradley. After Bradley was on the line the first thing he said to Tammy were “How many shit do we involved?” Bradley declined to visit the Sheriff’s Office for any interview but instead was detained at the home of his mother.

The trial testimony was corroborative of the interviews conducted by witnesses and defendants in the investigation as per the office of the district attorney. Covington County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Cody Holmes testified that he saw a blood mark and a pool in the parking area next to the bridge. Holmes took the drag marks until he reached Mount’s body about 20 yards of the pool. Holmes remembered the wound that was a result of the bullet to Mount’s right temple. Holmes confirmed that he inspected the area for any signs of life however, Mount was dead.

Former CCSO Investigator now employed by the State Bureau of Investigation, David Hamby testified to interviewing Bradley Bush after he was eventually taken into custody The interview was also played to the jury. Bradley said he killed Mount in fear that Mount might inflict harm upon Armstrong. Armstrong was also a witness during the trial of Bradley, stating that the pair Bradley were waiting in the woods near Hayslette’s Bridge for Mount and Jessica Bush to return to the area. Based on Armstrong’s account after Mount as well as their Ziglar brothers arrived at the scene the witness (Armstrong) removed himself from the woods and fired a shot in the air to call the attention of the entire group. At the time, Mount, who was unarmed, fled the scene after which Bradley Bush shot him.

Justin Ziglar testified at trial that his brother and he only discovered the truth about Mount’s death after Bradley Bush approached them and stated, “I shot him clean through the head.” The Ziglars view of Mount’s corpse was blocked by bushes and a tiny rising in the terrain. After Bradley Bush’s threats of killing his family members, the Ziglars along with their loved ones they Ziglars got their freedom and contacted 911 as fast as they could, after they left the scene.

According to Alabama law, anyone who is a complicit to an offense is guilty of just like the primary person accountable for the offense. The four were also accused with murder. With respect to the different levels of guilt the cases were dealt with of accordingly.

“There was a lot of public talking about how unfair the defendants were treated, or how the justice system has damaged the lives of these defendants,” Merrell said. “I think it is likely that the Bush family is totally unaware to the repercussions their actions caused to those in the Mount family, and they even care. If you’re in the position of waiting to kill someone, you have to expect to face consequences.”

Vernon Armstrong pled guilty in August 2022 to murder , and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is currently in the Kilby Correctional Facility. Merrell pointed out that Armstrong’s age was a factor in the agreement to plead guilty. “He is aged 77. It could be an indefinite sentence for him.”

Tammy Bush also pled guilty in August 2022 of the crime of murder, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tammy Bush applied for probation when she entered her plea, and a hearing was scheduled for on Jan. 10 2023. Her request for probation , or any other split-sentence was rejected by the judge. She is currently at Covington County Jail. Covington County Jail, waiting for transfer into Alabama Department of Corrections. Alabama Department of Corrections.

Jonathon Bush pleaded guilty on Jan. 17th, 2023 to the first degree of conspiracy assault. He was sentenced five years. He was also granted probation. “[Jonathondid not have any understanding of the plan. He also did not have any involved in the incident. We decided that a lesser sentence was proper,” Merrell said.

Bradley Bush’s life-long sentence was handed on Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Judge Charles “Lex” Short. The Assistant District Attorney Nikki Stephens requested Short sentence Bush under Alabama’s Habitual Felony Offender Act. Bush was convicted of two previous convictions as a felony -one of them for first degree assault following his shooting at the McKenzie residence prior to entering the house and shooting at the victim twice. The second one was for possession of ecstasy, in Bibb County in Georgia. In the months since his January conviction, Bush was also accused of assault in the third degree for his involvement in the assault of another prisoner at the Covington County Jail. Bush was required by the judge to make the family of Mount’s funeral expenses.

Bush was represented by Montgomery attorney Wesley Pitters, and Brewton lawyers, Earnest White and Cierra White.

“There were a lot of police agents, forensic scientists and other key witnesses who gave us background information that helped us to piece the case off,” Stephens said. “It requires a lot of moving parts working together to ensure an effective prosecution. We want to express our appreciation to every person who was involved in the trial or investigation regardless of how big or insignificant or important, to the jury as well as to the family of the victim for believing in the way we operate and that we could actually arrive, despite delay. It’s an effort of the entire team, and I’ll always believe that ours is among the most successful,” said Stephens.

“For the past nearly five years, we’ve been repeatedly told the fact that these defendants are good citizens who have done nothing wrong,” Merrell said. “That isn’t able tocan’t be the case when you plan the murder of someone, and be on the lookout for somebody. No one in our office or Mount’s family have ever claimed the notion that JJ had a divine character. He was a drug addict in the midst of addiction. Mount as well as Jessica both made poor decisions but they weren’t the kind of decisions that justified Mount’s death. Mount was guilty of making those poor decisions along with Jessica however, the Bush family didn’t attempt to arrange the execution of Mount. The truth is that Mount said, ‘There but for the mercy that comes from God will I. We must not let our society reduce its own self-worth to the level where it was the Bushes diminished themselves. We’re superior I believe. Justice is being delivered. However, justice will not be able to bring JJ Mount home to him, or to his family.”

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