The murder of Myla Oaks by her neighbor, Robert “Chad” Bridges, is featured in the latest episode of Fear Thy Neighbor on Investigation Discovery.
Myla lived in Cleveland County, New Jersey with her husband, Jeff Oaks, who had an ongoing property dispute with Bridges.
On the morning of January 27, 2016, Jeff drove his 12-year-old son to the end of the gravel road on Mann Court and waited for his school bus to arrive.
Just a short time later, Bridges got into his vehicle and attempted to drive to work, but when he got to the end of the road, Jeff decided to block with his vehicle. That’s when Bridges rammed him.
Jeff called his wife, who was still at their residence, and informed her about what happened. Myla called 911 before heading to the scene.
Myla, Jeff, and Bridges got into a verbal altercation. Between five and fifteen minutes later, Bridges took a gun and opened fire, striking Myla once in the head and hitting Jeff twice in the head.
The couple’s son was in the back of their vehicle at the time of the shooting. When his school bus arrived, he ran and got on the bus.
Emergency medical services responded to the scene and transported the victims to an area hospital, where Myla was pronounced dead. Jeff survived the shooting, but he is now unable to walk and speak. He also has difficulties putting on his clothing.
Bridges was arrested later that day. Officers found him walking down a dirt road, drinking a coke. He was charged with first-degree murder, along with several other criminal offenses.
He was found guilty of murdering his neighbor and critically injuring her husband and was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
Fear Thy Neighbor — Rural Madness, airs at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.