Brian Radel, dated Rachelle Waterman: She would mention that her mom had hit her with a baseball bat, that her mom liked to hit her in the lower back. For a time she dressed all in black, with black nail polish to match, and when she picked out a black velvet dress for prom, her mother told her I couldnt pull it off, she wrote. Although Waterman has been waived into the adult justice system due to the nature of the crime, the Governor of Alaska, Frank Murkowski, has proposed increasing the number of personnel assigned to the juvenile justice system. Brian Radel, on the other hand, agreed to testify and took the stand against Rachelle. Demars: They didn't give her any room to talk.Jones: For a 15-year-old who's scared out of her mind, they're professionals. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Rachelle was subsequently ordered to serve three years, with credit for time served while awaiting her first trial (479 days). Both Jason and Brian were reported to have dated Rachelle. A story about an Alaskan teenager who imagined and told stories of wild things - even murder. When the other sergeant re-enters the room, Rachelle's attitude changes again. She explained how Rachelle may not have fully appreciated the consequences of her actions -- her venting her problems about her mother to her boyfriend -- because teenagers use a different part of the brain than adults for decision-making, judgment and impulse control. The police put two and two together and concluded that Lauris body must have been put in the car after a brutal murder. Rachelle Waterman and the plan to end her mother. Wells: If she wanted her mom dead, wouldn't it have been easier if she gave you a key?Arrant: It would have been easier, yes. I saw the booze in the garbage. The car investigators had found was clearly a Chrysler minivan. And when it came to Jason, who testified that Rachelle sought his protection from an allegedly abusive mother, jurors agreed on one thing: the confessed killer would say anything to get Rachelle's mother out of the way. In another incident, her mother grounded her (restricted her to home) for receiving an 89% score on a test. Rachelle, then 16, was a student-athlete who sang in the school choir, played volleyball and competed in an academic decathlon. Arrant then allegedly watched as Radel doused the body and van with gasoline and then used a roll of paper towels to set it on fire, in an attempt to destroy the evidence. February 9, 2015 by Leila Khiery - KRBD, Ketchikan. Watermans attorneys argued that juveniles brains are not yet fully developed, which affects their judgment, impulse control and appreciation of consequences. Brian stated that Jason asked him to kill Lauri and that Rachelle had often complained to him about her mothers abuses. According to the prosecution, she had wrapped two young men around her little finger, manipulated them into murderand then left them holding the bag. Lauri Waterman had been murdered. The authorities found the fingertip of a rubber glove on the floor of the master bedroom and an empty bottle of wine in the kitchen odd considering Lauri barely drank. After Rachelles arrest, the judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial. 'People Magazine Investigates' : Who Killed Sunday School Teacher Sasha Krause? Rachelle's brother Geoffrey still has questions, but has never discussed their mother's murder with Rachelle. There are no fast food franchises such as McDonalds, just locally owned joints with names like The Baitbox. In 2015, the Alaska Court of Appeals denied Rachelles appeal of her conviction in her mothers death. The morning after the murder, Rachelles teachers found her demeanor not normal for someone whose mother was missing. Jason Arrant and Brian Radel would both plead guilty to the charge of murder. Doc searched the town and then called police. Both Radel and Arrant testified against her, but the trial ended in a hung jury. And Doc had an alibi. Nothing more, nothing less. Brian, per Jason, all but said the words Sure, why not? and they began developing a plan for murder. And when it came to the fatal night in question, Jason testified that Rachelle not only told him how to break into the house. Radel: I felt pressured that I needed to protect Rachelle. Apart from the online diary Rachelle kept, the case is also unusual because matricide committed by female minors is extremely rare. Its hard to imagine a more beautiful place to settle something so ugly. Upon further questioning, Rachelle gave way under pressure and said that she had several fights with her mother, who did not like her choice in clothes, boyfriends, and her recent interest in Wicca. Several podcast episodes have been devoted to Rachelle Waterman, including Forensic Transmissions, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Moms and Murder, and more. When she returned, Radel continued Radel: She didn't die.West: How could you tell that?Radel: She was still breathing. Brian Radel not only implicated himself, but Jason Arrant was clearly involved in the killing, too. Book banning policy leads to bare teen shelves at Hamilton - USA Today Rachelle's relatives were rocked by the news. ANCHORAGE, Alaska A jury Thursday convicted a 22-year-old woman of criminally negligent homicide in a case that alleged she arranged to have two men kill her mother more than six years ago. He frantically called the police and reported her missing. She stated that "I think that we're starting to see more violence with kids who are younger, and the behaviors that they're exhibiting are more aggressive and more violent." Waterman was found guilty in a 2011 retrial of criminally negligent homicide for telling two men she had been dating that she wanted her mother dead, and then failing to warn her mother or alert authorities when she found out that the two men were, indeed, planning to kill Lauri Waterman. Arrant was then brought in for further questioning, finally admitting his full involvement. Arrant agreed to wear a wire to get proof. Meanwhile, Carl Waterman stood by his daughter and accused the authorities of coercing her confession. Mom, She Saw Her Family Murdered by a Hammer-Wielding Stranger When She Was 3. The Murder of Lauri Waterman. Rachelle claimed in the interview her mother once hit her with a baseball bat, and had pushed her down the stairs once. Low 42F. 'People Magazine Investigates': Did Pam Hupp Stab Her Friend More Than 50 Times. They became friends, playing Dungeons and Dragons together, and she eventually met and started dating Arrant.This caused a lot of concern for her family, as Arrant was 25 when he was dating the 16-year old. Unlike Jason, Brian had not had sex with Rachelle, at least not to anyones knowledge, which may explain why, although Rachelles mother had not approved, it had not been a strong point of contention. He forced her to drink wine so she would be intoxicated, then put her bound into her car's backseat. Rachelle Waterman is 34 years old and was born on 08/26/1988. The two men believed they were going to save Rachelle, who had asked them to kill her mother. The two 24-year-old men, Jason Arrant, of Klawock, and Brian Radel, of Thorne Bay, later confessed to killing 48-year-old Laurie Waterman and were charged with first degree murder. In 2004, Lauri Waterman was like any other American mother struggling to understand her teenage daughter. Clearly, her death had been no accident. He was a hulking man with wild red hair and a goatee who turned up in town a few days after the murder with his head and face shaved. Corrections Deputy Commissioner Portia Parker indicated that Waterman "is an adult in the eyes of the law." Doc had been on a trip to Juneau for a board meeting for the Girl Scouts, which he was heavily involved in. Rachelle wrote that Lauri beat her with a baseball bat, pushed her down the stairs, body-shamed her, and forced her to go on a strict diet. She said, Can I ask a question? I said, What is it? and she kept repeating, Can I ask a question?. He told police his best friend Brian Radel had killed Lauri Waterman. Larson: Did you guys believe at all that Lauri Waterman was hitting her with baseball bats and--. Larson: Guys in the back? Rachelle Waterman| The Teen Who Ordered a Hit On Her Mother To a continental U.S. urbanized mother, a daughters obsession with black clothing and piercings is usually viewed as a freedom of expression of ones self, but in snowy-white Craig, Alaska, a goth sticks out like a snowman on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. "You don't need to be a smart aleck," the interviewer said. Around age 15 or 16, Rachelle met and briefly dated Brian Radel, who was then in his early 20s. And then, they would hand the judge a message no one wanted to hear. The Murder of Lauri Waterman - Killer Queens: A True Crime Podcast I think my frustration with this has more to do with the statute than what the court did.. Community theater, high school volleyball, and concert band werent enough. Rachelle: Murder wasn't the first thing we came to. Other charges were made against Arrant and Radel. Almost from the moment Lauris body was discovered, troopers focused on Rachelle as a prime suspect, regardless of rumors about Docs recent extramarital affair. Rachelle: My mom was really mad at me and they were low on money and she was talking to me about selling me for prostitution as a punishment. In Rachelle's trial both Brian and Jason testified. They also argued that the harsh police interrogation was not proper as Rachelle was too young to understand her Miranda rights fully. On this, they seemed to agree. She would help her mother with the dishes and she would help cooking. Her daughter Rachelle an honor student and athlete at the local high school was 400 miles away in Anchorage, playing in a volleyball tournament. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Don Martelli, Sr.: Far as she's concerned, it's gone and forgotten. I won't have computer acess [sic] until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. It was disgusting," Merritt told producers. Brian Radel: Somebody ended up dead in this story. Alaska Teen on Trial in Mother's Killing - ABC News Love You Madly: The True Story of a Small-town Girl, the Young Men She Seduced, and the Murder of her Mother. Teen Blogger Murder Trial (AK v. Waterman 2006) Court TV After her arrest, Rachelle Waterman was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and five other counts in her mothers killing. But the judges deferred to the legislative branch of the government. His wife and Rachelles mother, Lauri, was nowhere to be found and the family minivan was missing. And yet Dan Reierson: I felt she was definitely involved.Larson: Involved how?Reierson: Involved in the fact that she probably at one point did say, I want my mom dead. But you know, Ive heard my own sister say, I want my mom dead.. Furthermore, the judge threw out Rachels confession claiming it had been coerced. Larson: What did she say to you?Radel: She said, Can I ask a question? Arrant finally cracked. For more on this case and others like it, watch"Fatal Frontier: Evil In Alaska," airing Sundays at 7/6c on Oxygenor stream episodes here. Physical evidence recovered at the various crime scenes corroborated many of the defendants' statements Radel, Arrant and Waterman have been charged with murder in the first degree. Eventually, however, police elicited a confession from Jason. They would struggle with that very question for five days. According to Jason, he and his friend Brian were well aware of the abuse Lauri inflicted on Rachelle; at least, according to Rachelle. Radel shaved his entire body to avoid leaving evidence behind. What sort of message does that send to people like her, and the rest of society? Jason then drove to a remote logging road where Brian was waiting. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Showers in the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. "The remains had been almost completely destroyed by the fire," Claus told "Fatal Frontier: Evil In Alaska," airing Sundays at 7/6c on Oxygen. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The Teen Who Ordered a Hit on Her Mother For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Didn't kill her right away when I hit her in the throat. The next morning, Lauri didn't show up for church. The judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial after her arrest. In her blog, Rachelle allegedly talked about facing abuse from her family and had casually mentioned that her mother was murdered. It consumes most of my thoughts. So, like I said, it was discussed and I said, "Well, yes, let's do it.". It made no sense to anyone who knew Lauri Waterman. Jason then confided in his friend, Brian, and together the duo decided to get rid of Lauri Waterman. McPherron: You didn't do a very good job of stopping them, did you?Rachelle: Well, maybe I should not ever be on a debate team.Sgt. Family and friends could not believe it -- Lauri Waterman was loved in town, always the first to volunteer and the last to leave when a job needed to be finished. IMAGO / ZUMA Wire. But as revealed in the next episode of People Magazine Investigates, airing Monday night on Investigation Discovery, beneath the surface of Rachelles life there was tension. Jason testified about a call he received from Rachelle the night after her mother's murder. Did former Indiana State Trooper David Camm kill his wife and two children? Hi, Im a 30-something true crime writer & storyteller. I live with my hubby & our two adorable fur babies. I don't really know how to kill somebody. Mar 08, 2006; Juneau, AK, USA; RACHELLE WATERMAN, the 17-year-old Alaska honor student accused of plotting with two former boyfriends to kill her mother, with her father, CARL . Brian Radel: I opened the door and I rushed in. And after an hour and a half of interrogation, she tells them a new story. However, Arrant said he and Radel believed it, although he claimed he was simply Radel's driver. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Whee! They initially planned to stage the scene as a drunk driving accident but there were extensive injuries on Lauris body. I dont think that the sentence was unreasonable, I mean I can see why the court did what it did. But the defense was about to begin with a very different story. Judge Patricia Collins: The indictment must also be dismissed. Geoffrey Waterman, Lauri Watermans son: She was loving. By 26, Rachelle was free. But if you scratch the surface a little bit, there seems to be a current of anger that maybe goes beyond just your typical adolescent ranting.. When the police investigated, they found out that Lauris husband had reported her and her car missing. I was crying so hard I was shaking. He then put her in her minivan and drove it to a remote woodland road, where Arrant met him. The jurors struggled over the significance of the interrogation video, sorting through all those conflicting stories Rachelle told. But just like Alaskans are strong people willing to brave Americas last wild frontier, Rachelle was taking on the newly discovered frontier of the online world: blogging. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that, "the complaint against Rachelle Waterman relied on statements by all three co-defendants. She was an honor student and an athlete at the local high school. And I mean if she said, Yes, I did it. I don't even know if I would put a lot of weight on it just because through the whole thing she stuck with "no.". (Rachelle nods). So that was the issue on appeal, that this ought to go back to juvenile court considering what she was convicted of. The answer was almost impossible to believe. So she asked her 25-year-old boyfriend to do something about it. One of the last entries in Rachelle's journal wonders whether anyone is reading her comments (verbatim spelling): Although Waterman has not yet been convicted, sociologists and forensic psychologists are beginning to study her journal and the circumstances of her writing it. Dianne Masters wanted to divorce her husband Alan Masters, a powerful Chicago attorney, but he had too much to lose to let her out of the marriage alive. Hed tried the military, but that didnt work out. If it weren't for her lies, her mother may well still be alive. Wells: Rachelle says "I would be so much better off without my mom." Mike Schwab: No.Larson: Attempting to kill her and maybe sell her into prostitution?Kelly Demars: No.Mike Schwab: Absolutely not.Larson: So are we to believe that Rachelle is like, some sort of compulsive liar?Kelly Demars: Oh yeah. Its not unusual for underage teen girls to date men in their early twenties in a place like Craig. Rachelle Waterman, 17, is on trial, accused of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the November 2004 death of her mother, 48-year-old Lauri Waterman. After binding her arms, they led her to the kitchen where they forced her to drink an entire bottle of wine, since a final act of the murder was to make it appear to be a drunken driving accident. IE 11 is not supported. Police then asked him if he would wear a wire to help gather evidence on his friend and the plan worked. But, you know, behind closed doors, other things happen. Rachelle emphatically told them they were wrong, her post was simply short and to the point. See Photos. Jason, however, wasnt as strong. Both men also said that the murder was not the first attempt they made on Lauris life. Rachelle was also allegedly experiencing issues with her mom over her likes, dislikes, and her boyfriend, who was significantly older than her. Son Jeffrey wasn't even in Alaska, as he was attending college in the mainland. McPherron: And then after you knew what had happened --Rachelle: I told them not to do it!Sgt. Before the night was over, however, Lauri would be abducted in the familys purple minivana vehicle later found 40 miles away, burned with Lauris charred remains inside. Rachelle Waterman, now 22, is on trial, accused of plotting with the men to kill her mother. A murder so brutal, and different because it may have begun as the fantasy of a teenage girl. He said they then drove to a further spot, set her and the car on fire, and abandoned the vehicle. Magestro also opined that "we've got a lot more fetal alcohol and drug children who are growing up, and they don't understand the consequences of some of their actions." She was also a member of the Academic Decathlon team (ACDC) and sang in the choir, a profile that has left many people questioning her involvement in the killing and asking what motive there might be. She lives in Florida and continues to run her blog, My Crappy Life where she touts Covid-19 conspiracies. Randy McPherron: No -- I want her to --Wells: A certain set of facts.Sgt. Mom Urged Son to Get Help, 'Turn His Life Around.' As early as February 24th of 2004, she posted the following: Numerous readers have pointed to Rachelle's negative comments concerning her mother's wishes to send her to a "fat farm" to lose weight. West, reading e-mail: Ill be so glad when this whole thing with your mother is over. What was that a reference to? On Saturday, November 202004, Alaska State Police Trooper Robert Claus stated: During interviews all three made admissions as to their involvement in the murder. And Rachelle would find the same to be true in her own family. The allegations, Claus insisted to "Fatal Frontier," were false. John Larson, Dateline correspondent: If everything had gone perfectly, how would this story have played out? At one point before the fire, before she died, Lauri spoke. Radel had also dated Rachelle at one time. Arrant and Radel then allegedly met at Forest Service Road 3012 at about 2:30 a.m., and Arrant followed Radel to its dead end, where Radel had driven the Waterman's van. On Sunday, Nov 14, 2004 Robert Claus, now a retired Alaska state trooper, went into work at the police station in Crag only to receive a call that a hunter had found a burning van with potential human remains in it over on a logging road that was essentially in the middle of nowhere. Teen shelves half empty at Hamilton East as library conducts $300K board-pushed book review. I recommend it. Feb. 7, 2006 -- Closing arguments are scheduled to be heard today in the case of an Alaska teenager accused of conspiring to kill her mother. It happened in this beautiful place of cold, deep water and endless spruce forest. Clearly, Lauri had made it back to the home before she was killed. Craig, Alaska, is the largest town on the Prince of Wales Island, which is only 135 miles long and 45 miles wide. Investigators quickly became suspicious of Rachelle. Low 29F. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. With suspicions growing, the police were able to break both Jason and Brian under interrogation. But the next morning, a Monday, there was still no sign of Lauri. McPherron: Well, you don't need to be a smart aleck with me.Rachelle: Well, you don't need to question everything I say then. Jason Arrant was one of a handful of Craigs youth who didnt seem to break free. According to it, she is based out of Florida, although more information about her is not available presently. Rachelle Waterman Alaska Wikipedia: Where Is She Now? The locals will tell you there's no reason not to leave your keys in your car no need to lock your doors at night. Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. They know how to get people to talk. But she is absolutely a sociopath. Rachelle was brought in for questioning and informed of her rights, authorities told "Fatal Frontier," and still agreed to talk without her father or an attorney present. Investigation Discoverys People Magazine Investigates: The Darkest of Nights portrays the brutal murder of Lauri Waterman at the hands of Brian Radel and Jason Arrant. McPherron: That's because that was what the plan was.Rachelle: No, it's what I assumed.Sgt. I think there's people saying "guilty," but they had the reasonable doubt in their minds.Larson: Yeah.Kasberg: I think a lot of people were there. Yes, she did but police had searched Rachelles computer, interviewed friends, and checked into her past activities. Honor student plotted mother's murder, police say, People flock to online journal after 16-year-old's arraignment. We weren't even sure it was Lauri and she was beside herself. Waterman to report to jail end of this month - KRBD Police said Jason Arrant and Brian Radel tried to destroy the . She was retried earlier this year and acquitted of conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder. Wells: You have in mind what you want her to say.