A murder-for-hire suspect flipped off courtroom cameras while his jury deliberated — because in today's justice system, contempt comes cheaper than consequences, and the families left behind pay the difference.
Douglas McFarlane, on trial for a $10,000 contract killing that went unsolved for five years, treated an Orange County, New York, courtroom like a joke Wednesday. Meanwhile in Virginia, a husband accused of zip-tying and shooting his wife told a judge he wasn't concerned about the outcome of his case. Two states, two accused killers, one unmistakable message: the system isn't something to fear.
McFarlane faces first- and second-degree murder charges in the March 2019 shooting death of Sebastian Avilan-Medina, a 26-year-old Middletown business owner, gunned down inside his own home. Prosecutors say McFarlane was paid $10,000 by Sheldon Paul, who believed Avilan-Medina had burglarized his house, according to the New York Post. A third accomplice, Dijion Constantine, was paid in marijuana for his role and has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
The case went cold for five years before police made arrests in 2024. Paul's first trial ended in a mistrial; he wasn't convicted until his second trial earlier this month and now faces up to 25 years to life. That's a lot of runway for a contract killing.
When News12 reporter Blaise Gomez took court-approved photos during jury deliberations Wednesday, McFarlane tried to hide his face — then resorted to giving the camera the finger. "A jury is now deliberating the fate of Douglas McFarlane," Gomez posted on X. "Today, he appeared to give me the finger as I took court-approved photos."
The victim's father, Bryan Avilan, described the trial as "a roller coaster of emotions" — and said it has been hardest to shield Avilan-Medina's son, who was just one year old when his father was killed, from the truth. "It's hard to bring this home and trying to hide it because we don't want him to know yet what happened to daddy," Avilan said.
Six hundred miles south, in Loudoun County, Virginia, Roger Bradford sat alone at the defense table in a red-and-white striped jail jumpsuit, shackled at the ankles, and told Judge Charles Koehler he'd be representing himself against second-degree murder and firearms charges in the September shooting death of his wife, Lisa.
WTOP reported that charging documents say Lisa Bradford, a Realtor, was found with her arms zip-tied behind her and a bullet-riddled pillow over her head. Her husband was arrested in Pennsylvania on September 22, hours after investigators say he retrieved ammunition from a storage locker and bought large zip ties.
"Representing yourself is almost always unwise," Koehler warned. "You'll be expected to follow the rules the same as someone with a license."
"I'm not here to grandstand," Bradford replied. "I'm just here to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may." He told the judge he wasn't concerned about the outcome. "It's for my late wife and children."
Prosecutors intend to upgrade the second-degree murder count to first-degree and say additional charges are likely. Bradford's preliminary hearing is set for December 7.
One man flips off the cameras. The other says he's not worried. Both treated the court as a stage — and the system, so far, has given them every reason to think it's just that. The question isn't whether these men respect the law. It's whether the law still has the teeth to make them.
