She was an honor student and an athlete at the local high school. Nothing we havent experienced before, right? Teens get tough lesson in consequences of crime, https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=American_teenage_girl_charged_with_murder_of_her_mother&oldid=4700349. He also testified that Rachelle helped them get rid of evidence like fingerprints or marks from her house. Larson: What did she say to you?Radel: She said, Can I ask a question? Sorry, there are no recent results for popular collections. And what about those stories, Rachelle's dramatic descriptions of abuse? The last entry, which has since been removed from public view, was posted on November 18, 2004 and read: Just to let everyone know, my mother was murdered. The allegations, Claus insisted to "Fatal Frontier," were false. So jurors picked apart each piece, each tale that was told, beginning with who they thought was most responsible for the murder -- Rachelle or her one-time boyfriends Jason Arrant and Brian Radel. Rachelle Waterman, (aka Rachelle Ann Monica Waterman and "smchyrocky"), a 16-year-old girl from Craig, Alaska, USA, has been charged with the first degree murder of her mother. More than a decade after the original crime took place, Rachelle Watermans appeal of her conviction in the death of her mother has been denied by the Alaska Court of Appeals. See Photos. Chelle Waterman. Or was he the victim of an egregious injustice? They had planned to make it look like a drunk driving accident. A retrial was held in 2011, and she was only convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to three years in prison. This girl got off way too light imo. She had just returned from a Chamber of Commerce event and was looking forward to the solidarity of home. See Photos. In a blow to the prosecution, the same judge who allowed Rachelle's videotaped confession to be used in court threw it out, saying she now believed the confession had been coerced. Arrant: She mentioned that a good window of opportunity would be coming up, when she would be going up north for volleyball, and when her dad would also be gone from the home. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Currently, Rachelle is single. He had what appeared to be a self-inflicted scratch on his throat," Claus explained. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. How could Rachelle Waterman's fantasies spiral into her mom's murder? Her mom, Lauri, was a special education teachers aide who volunteered with her church and other civic groups. Protect Rachelle? Lingit Aani Kaa Kei Nas.ax Haa Yoo Xatangi. The case has rapidly received a wide following on the Internet, partly because Waterman kept a public record of her thoughts and activities on LiveJournal, a popular blogging service. Lauri Waterman, 48, seldom drank more than a couple of sips of wine, maybe a bit more if a friend wanted to drink with her, according to testimony Tuesday from Carl "Doc" Waterman, Rachelle's . Rachelle was charged with first degree murder involving the death of her mother, Lauri Waterman, in 2004. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. Mom Urged Son to Get Help, 'Turn His Life Around.' Her daughter Rachelle an honor student and athlete at the local high school was 400 miles away in Anchorage, playing in a volleyball tournament. The defense had already tried to suppress her confession, saying it had been coerced. And a beautiful, lovely woman, very selfless and very giving. When addressing the court b4 her sentencing, all she talked about was how hard things would be for her, since she wouldn't have her mother present for her future graduation, marriage, motherhood etc! McPherron: You didn't tell anybody.Rachelle: I was scared. Criminologist Susan Magestro was interviewed by KTUU on the subject of juvenile crime, in late November, 2004, after Waterman became the second teenager within two months to be accused of murdering her own parent. The alleged conflicts with her mother that Rachelle related to Jason, who then shared his concerns about Rachelles safety with his friend Brian Radel, planted the seed for Lauri to be kidnapped and killed while her daughter and husband were away, according to prosecutors who brought all three suspects to trial. This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 02:16. 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. IE 11 is not supported. She [Rachelle] asked what happened to the minivan and I said it had been burned, it was completely destroyed and she expressed disappointment that she wouldnt be inheriting it. Jason Arrant. While the 16-year-old admitted shed lied about the sexual relationship between her and Jason, omitted facts about telephone conversations between them, and had downplayed the familial conflicts while perhaps exaggerating the physical abuse, she refused to cop to murder. Both men also said that the murder was not the first attempt they made on Lauris life. 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. Some felt it was the strongest piece of evidence against her. So that was the issue on appeal, that this ought to go back to juvenile court considering what she was convicted of. John Larson reports. But the most troubling information came from the confessed killers themselves --- Jason Arrant and Brian Radel. And I was like, Well, yeah, I suppose. And I didn't know if it was for sure or not. And I didn't feel complete. After Rachelles arrest, the judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial. I don't think I can answer that.Larson: What do you think your mom would want you to do with regards to your sister?Geoffrey Waterman: Love her. It would likely mean there would be a re-trial. Rachelle was an honor student, athlete, and member of her schools choir. They initially planned to stage the scene as a drunk driving accident but there were extensive injuries on Lauris body. That all changed when 48-year-old Lauri Waterman, a well-liked special ed teacher, and girl scout volunteer was abducted from her home, beaten, and set on fire. The Daily News-Miner is locally owned by the Helen E. Snedden Foundation, a 501(c)(3), "Let's look back at some of our history together.". Breaking her neck, I definitely wasn't successful at that. Now She's Speaking Out. But the judges deferred to the legislative branch of the government. Eventually, though, she finally confessed and admitted the abuse was "pretty much lies," Claus said. Defense attorney Wells claimed Arrant duped his best friend Brian Radel, convinced him Rachelle wanted her mother dead. Winds light and variable. In an effort to hide the evidence, they set the minivan on fire with her inside. I wont have computer access until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. She just really wanted to bring out the best in people. Whee! In Rachelle's trial both Brian and Jason testified. Rachelle (tape): I told them not to do it! 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. Doc searched the town and then called police. After getting out of jail, Rachelle revived her blog and has posted on it in 2021 as well. Rachelle Waterman needed an outlet. Rochelle Waterman. On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman finally had the house to herself. The book Love You Madly: The True Story of a Small-town Girl, the Young Men She Seduced, and the Murder of her Mother by Michael Fleeman was published in November 2011. Here Radel suffocated Lauri to death and then set the van on fire. It was actually the Alaska Court of Appeals. 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. Watermans lawyer, Steven Wells, says they tried to appeal the verdict, arguing that the trial shouldve been in juvenile court. She was also a rebellious teen who ran a blog titled My Crappy Life where she referred to her mother as a psycho b*tch and the female parental unit.. Pierce: Brian Radel, he scares me. When interviewed by Alaskan television station KTUU about the nature of online journals, (in late November, 2004) forensic psychologist Susan LaGrande commented that "[i]t's such an anonymous vehicle that you can be whoever or say whatever you want. Human remains were in the backseat of the car. Police had spent hours gathering information and evidence. Alaska State Police Lt. Rodney Dial has stated that a hunter discovered Lauri Waterman's body and her burnt-out van, while driving on Forest Service Road 3012, a remote logging road, early in the afternoon of Sunday November 142004. They didn't just pick Lauri Waterman out of the phonebook. It didn't take police long to suspect that Radel Arrant or both men had something to do with the murder. Sgt. Rachelle was subsequently ordered to serve three years, with credit for time served while awaiting her first trial (479 days). So troopers brought Rachelle in to try to find out what was going on. (Laughter) What can I say? So its no real surprise to anyone that these two rambling men would be pals. Low 42F. A darker side - revealed in an Internet blog Rachelle called "My Crappy Life., "Don't you hate it when the little pieces of sh-- pile up to the point you're at the breaking point, and you want to scream and cry at the same time.". Jason told the police that he entered the Waterman home at 3 am through the unlocked front door. At the time police say the killing occurred, Rachelle Waterman was apparently playing in a volleyball tournament in Anchorage, Alaska. Setting up an account with the free blog platform LiveJournal, Rachelle gave it a name that left nothing to the imagination about its content: "My Crappy Life." Fairfield University student Mark Steven Fisher was looking for a fun night out in Manhattan with friends, but he had a little too much to drink, met a girl he liked, and followed her to a deadly party. Both Radel and Arrant testified against her, but the trial ended in a hung jury. On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman was abducted from her home in the tiny town of Craig, on the idyllic Prince of Wales Island off Alaska's panhandle coast, and murdered. (Don't get me wrong, the others that were convicted deserved everything they got). Just watched the "People magazine investigates" doco (season1 ep10?) about this case. The jury had deadlocked -- 10 votes in favor of acquittal, two in favor of a guilty verdict. For her role in the crime, Waterman was sentenced in July of 2011 to three years in prison. A murder so brutal, and different because it may have begun as the fantasy of a teenage girl. Rachelle told Jason and Brian that her mother would be home alone, and left the front door unlocked. McPherron: No, Im not pre-arranging anything; all I want her is to tell me the truth. After Lauri drank wine, the duo forced her into the familys minivan and began searching for a good accident site. Due to the severity of the charges, Waterman has been waived into adult court. Anchorage jurors found Waterman not guilty of 1st and 2nd degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder. Wells: Did Rachelle Waterman ever ask you to kill her mother?Radel: No.Wells: Did Rachelle Waterman ever tell you, I want my mom dead?Radel: No.Wells: Did she ever come to you and say, Let's figure out plans to get rid of my mom?Radel: No. That all changed when 48-year-old Lauri Waterman, a well-liked special ed teacher, and girl scout volunteer was abducted from her home, beaten, and set on fire. 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 . On November 15th, 2004, the remains of 50-year-old Lauri Waterman were found in a burned out vehicle near the north side of the island of Craig, Alaska. Jason received 99 years, but 49 of those were suspended. . I didn't do any of it very well. Her husband, Carl Doc Waterman, was away on business. Up until then, I was like, Man, where are we going with this? Cuz I wasn't seeing anything until then.. I dont think that the sentence was unreasonable, I mean I can see why the court did what it did. It was here Rachelle began sharing with the world her teenage troubles dealing with boys, parental restrictions, never-ending boredom, judgments passed by old friends, and the experimentation with the goth look. Jason Arrant and Brian Radel would both plead guilty to the charge of murder. Don Martelli, Lauri Watermans brother: She's making up stuff to get attention. ", A report in The Ketchikan Daily News stated that, "The first seven counts of the indictment allege that all three defendants committed the crimes of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder; first-degree murder; second-degree murder; kidnapping; first-degree burglary; first-degree vehicle theft and tampering with physical evidence." Dina Keyt, Rachelle Watermans aunt: It's not possible.Larson: Its like this family's suffering enough-- now youve got to drag somebody else into it.Dina Keyt: Yeah. On November 13, 2004, Lauri Waterman was beaten to death, and her murder was disguised as a car accident. Let's say you had gotten away with it.Brian Radel: Gotten away with it? When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Jason, who was significantly older than Rachelle, saw Lauri as an obstacle to their relationship as the latter often showed displeasure at Rachelle dating a considerably older man. John Larson, Dateline correspondent: If everything had gone perfectly, how would this story have played out? Jason knew he was lucky to have a girl as intelligent and pretty as Rachelle. Rachelle Waterman's attorney, Steven Wells, said Monday that a state court judge granted Waterman's request earlier this month to remain free on bond, pending an appeal. And when summer finally comes to Craig, temperatures will be doing well to make it up the 70 degree mark. 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. Magistrate Kay Clark presided over the arraignment and set bail at $150,000. I even got to fly down the stairs, she wrote, suggesting shed been pushed and describing her then current mood as sore., Two months earlier, on April 6, 2004, Rachelle listed her mood as angry, writing, I had a bad night, and a bad day. Arrant insisted the weekend Lauri was killed he had been hanging out with Radel the whole night, watching "The Princess Bride" over and over. Did former Indiana State Trooper David Camm kill his wife and two children? Rachelle's grandfather and uncle are not as forgiving. Wells: You have in mind what you want her to say. Rachelle Waterman's 60-year-old father, Carl "Doc" Waterman, is a real estate agent and serves as president of the Craig School Board. He was known around town as a pied-piper of sorts who gathered high schoolers to his computer shop where they played video games and dungeons and dragons. Anchorage's police department was called in to help, and Claus waited at the crime scene overnight to make sure no animals or weather disturbed the body. Arrant worked as a janitor and was something of a "burnout," according to "Fatal Frontier: Evil In Alaska." The prosecution introduced Jason's e-mails and letters to show he'd do anything to keep his relationship with Rachelle alive. And when investigators examined the evidence -- the heat of the fire, the location of the remains, the trail of gasoline leading from the vehicle, it was clear that this was no accident. 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. Rachelle Waterman, now 22, is on trial, accused of plotting with the men to kill her mother. Both men fell in love with Rachelle and over time, she shared stories about life in the Waterman home, a life, she said, far different from what it seemed. Don Martelli, Sr.: If she'd own up to it, say, Im very, very sorry this happened, should never have happened, Id feel a lot better about it. If convicted, she was looking at a prison term of 99 years. Jason was a 24-year-old high school janitor who lived in his mothers basement. On the floorboard behind the front seat was a pile of ash and a human skull. Pierce: I got a call asking me to take Rachelle home because she was losing it. He broke into the Waterman home and forced Lauri to drink a bottle of wine, then drove her in her own van to a remote forest service road, where he met Arrant. If you piss me off, you die.. 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. Jason Arrant also pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was awarded a maximum of 50 years in prison with parole eligibility just after 16 years. 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. There are no fast food franchises such as McDonalds, just locally owned joints with names like The Baitbox. I thought, I mean how can you stop people who are protective? It didnt take long before Alaska state troopers began hearing about the troubles between Rachelle and her mother; one officer knew the family personally (his daughter was a friend of Rachelles) and had firsthand information about the mother-daughter conflicts. Brian Radel: Somebody ended up dead in this story. I remember me saying, like, 'No, don't do it,'" Rachelle said, as seen in video footage of the interview obtained by "Fatal Frontier. The car was also taken in and identified as the Watermans' vehicle. Don Pierce, friend of the Waterman family: Something she said triggered such strong emotions in Jason that he felt that he had to save her. Rachelle Waterman was 16 and unhappy with her life in the tiny town of Craig, Alaska. Their efforts were to no avail. "You don't need to be a smart aleck," the interviewer said. Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. It was disgusting," Merritt told producers. When that didn't work, Radel smothered her. Im actually hoping my dad goes off his rocker and can have reason for emancipation.. Commercial fishing is the predominant source of income for most of Craigs residents, with lumbering and saw mills running a close second. She was rocking back and forth in the passenger seat of my truck, um, she was saying Hail Marys. Corrections Deputy Commissioner Portia Parker indicated that Waterman "is an adult in the eyes of the law.". More than a decade after the original crime took place, the Alaska Court of Appeals denied Rachelle Waterman's appeal of her conviction in the death of her mother. Lauri Waterman Didn't Approve of Her Daughter's Friends, Investigators Found a Letter of Apology from Lauri to Rachelle Waterman, Rachelle Waterman Claimed Her Mother Abused Her. Rachelle, then 16, was a student-athlete who sang in the school choir, played volleyball and competed in an academic decathlon. This was the first time Rachelle had heard a description of her mother's death from the killer himself the story of how he kidnapped her mother, took her to a remote logging road and then slowly killed her.
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