Cocoa man accused of causing partner’s death by neglect charged with manslaughter
A Cocoa man whose significant other died after she was found living in unsafe conditions while under his care has now been formally charged with aggravated manslaughter, court records show.
Robert Eugene Bradford, 63, was initially arrested in November after his disabled significant other, Robin Grogan, died in January 2022. The two had been together for around 15 years since they met at a medical rehab facility, according to Bradford, as recorded in his arrest affidavit.
Prosecutors on June 2 charged him with aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person, a first-degree felony punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance June 11.
The Cocoa Police Department first responded to Bradford’s residence on Jan. 5, 2022, after an anonymous caller requested a welfare check on Grogan. When police arrived at the residence, they discovered an extremely malnourished Grogan lying naked and covered by a pillow on the living room floor.
Bradford told police he kept her covered with a pillow due to her seizures, according to the affidavit. Police also found the house to be littered with trash, beer cans, animal feces and infested with flies. Police asked Grogan if she wanted medical attention, to which she agreed and was subsequently transported to a hospital.
Grogan died at the hospital 12 days later. According to the affidavit, a report by the Brevard County Medical Examiners Officer in November listed Grogan’s causes of death as encephalopathy, malnutrition, sepsis with pneumonia and necrotizing fasciitis, a rare-flesh eating infection. The report said these resulted from gross negligence.
Bradford was arrested the following day.
Police spoke with Grogan’s sister, Kelly Matott, who said she had attempted to visit her sister several times, and that sometimes Bradford would not allow her to do so. On the occasions where she could visit her sister, Grogan was unable to leave the residence.
Matott had made multiple reports with the Department of Children and Families, but believed nothing had been done to help her sister, according to the affidavit.
Police located two reports from the Florida Department of Children and Families regarding Bradford and Grogan. The first report, made in 2013, listed Bradford as Grogan’s caregiver and found that the home had roaches, dog feces and no running water.
A second report made in 2019 stated Bradford had bitten Grogan, leading to his arrest and a charge of aggravated battery, but prosecutors opted against filing formal charges. Matott told investigators she believed the case was dropped because Grogan refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
Bradford and Grogan’s joint bank account with Wells Fargo showed that Bradford was the sole payee of Grogan’s Social Security Disability payments. Bradford couldn’t tell law enforcement how much of the money was used for Grogan’s medical care and instead allegedly used these payments to purchase items including beer and marijuana, according to the affidavit.
Between the joint account and Bradford’s personal account, there were about $15,508 deposited and about $15,500 withdrawn. The affidavit states the deposited money was most of the Social Security Disability payments and that all of the withdrawals were made by Bradford.
Bradford is being held on a $100,000 bond. His next court appearance is in August.
