You can get here only by ferry or tiny float plane. The shelves of the "Teen Zone," the young adult section of the Hamilton East Public Library, are . On being asked, Rachelle said that her mom probably got drunk and ran off the road somewhere. Now, a jury would have to decide whether she was an innocent victim or as guilty of murder as the two men who had killed her mother. Mom Urged Son to Get Help, 'Turn His Life Around.' /1. (There is no indication that Waterman was a so-called "fetal alcohol" or "drug" child. Don Martelli is Rachelle's grandfather. Commercial fishing is the predominant source of income for most of Craigs residents, with lumbering and saw mills running a close second. This is my warning to all of you. Radel broke under heavy interrogation as well and admitted that he was the one who had killed Lauri. But several jurors bought the defense argument that Rachelle's confession was coerced, that she was broken down by seasoned officers. The jury all agreed Rachelle had been involved, but to what degree? The only difference was she lived in a place many would say is the end of the earth; a place too small to offer resources for parents dealing with adolescent challengesissues that undoubtedly stemmed from boredom. Currently, Rachelle is single. Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators. The next day, Rachelle went to school and told her friends that her mother had been killed in a drunk driving accident. View the profiles of people named Rachel Waterman. Mom, She Saw Her Family Murdered by a Hammer-Wielding Stranger When She Was 3. The defense cast Arrant, the prosecution's key witness, as a deranged child predator who plied Rachelle with alcohol, cigarettes and sex and then twisted her words, using them as an excuse to get her disapproving mother out of the way. And it was no secret that Lauri Waterman had not approved of her 16-year-old daughter's relationship with the older man. And then Rachelle heard the rumors spreading like fire through the high school rumors that a van was found in the woods with human remains inside. Wells: This deal actually salvages your life, doesn't it?Arrant: Yes, it does. I thought, I mean how can you stop people who are protective? She also threw out the indictment against Rachelle, which meant that no charges were pending against Rachelle as of that moment. Brian was sentenced to 99 years in prison while Jason received 50. After Rachelles arrest, the judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial. Brian was Rachelles ex-boyfriend. 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. Her husband "Doc" was out of town. Hi, Im a 30-something true crime writer & storyteller. It was disgusting," Merritt told producers. The same charges the two men who killed her mother faced. After Rachelle's arrest, the judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial. She played 2 losers, and walked away laughing. 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. At least there wasn't, until one rainy night back in 2004. Chance of rain 60%. The People Magazine Investigates episode on Lauris death, The Darkest of Nights, airs Monday night (10 p.m. The two men believed they were going to save Rachelle, who had asked them to kill her mother. Due to the severity of the charges, Waterman has been waived into adult court. The defense argued that the Watermans kept a key outside by the back door. Im actually hoping my dad goes off his rocker and can have reason for emancipation.. 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. And -- she knew it might happen that weekend and did nothing to stop it. We weren't even sure it was Lauri and she was beside herself. But who would kill one of the most-loved people in town? When that failed, he strangled her. Reportedly, Arrant dropped Radel off near the Waterman home shortly after 12:00 a.m. Sunday, November 13, 2004 (local time) where Radel proceeded to kidnap Lauri Waterman, force her into a minivan owned by the Waterman family, and kill her with a blunt object. And with a letter Rachelle wrote to Jason, the prosecutor tried to demonstrate how Rachelle, heartless and calculating, fantasized how things might be after her mother's death. Rachelle says she knew that no one would believe her stories of abuse no one but Brian Radel and Jason Arrant. Rachelle emphatically told them they were wrong, her post was simply short and to the point. When a woman ended up murdered, police suspected someone she knew was behind it but the culprit was even closer to home than they thought. At the end of the trial, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, and the judge was forced to declare a mistrial. 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." Arrant agreed to wear a wire to get proof. 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. Radel did "make some admissions about killing Lauri" while Arrant spoke to him wearing a wire, authorities said. Rachelle was an honor student, athlete, and member of her schools choir. And it's not helping you any. 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. She was afraid, Rachelle says, that her mother would kill her. 25 stock photos on the topic rachelle waterman are available for licensing. Rachelle was also found to have dated both men previously. If you piss me off, you die.. After the failure of the latest appeal, the three-year jail sentence stood. After dinner, she returned to an empty house. According to it she is based in Florida though more information about her is currently unavailable. Prosecutors argued early on that Rachelle played a crucial part in her mothers death, saying she led the two men to believe the mother abused Rachelle, and that Rachelle wanted her mother dead. Jason Arrant, Rachelles boyfriend (in court): I loved her and I'd already told her I would do anything for her. Rachelle tells the troopers she talked to the two men about seeking emancipation -- the legal equivalent of divorcing her parents. 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. In the backseat was Lauris skull. He forced her to drink wine so she would be intoxicated, then put her bound into her car's backseat. But as the investigators dug deeper, they discovered another side of Rachelle one her family hadn't seen. Around age 15 or 16, Rachelle met and briefly dated Brian Radel, who was then in his early 20s. To get a better understanding of Lauri and her familys life, you must first know about where they lived. He also said that Rachel informed Jason that she and her father would be away on the weekend of the murder. Her mom, Lauri, was a special education teachers aide who volunteered with her church and other civic groups. Both Radel and Arrant testified against her, but the trial ended in a hung jury. There was hardly a soul on the island that hadnt given a juicy tidbit of gossip in an effort to catch a killer. 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. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. She was sentenced to three years. Brian Radel: If she made it up, she made up a story but that's all she did.Larson: Hell of a story. Defense attorney Wells said Arrant would do anything, including commit murder, to keep his teenage girlfriend. Their efforts were to no avail. The day after police confirmed Lauri Waterman had been murdered, Rachelle's blog ended with an emotionless entry: 11/18/04 blog entryJust to let everyone know, my mother was murdered. The complaint says the girl told one of the suspects when she and her father would be out of town. It would likely mean there would be a re-trial. She was rocking back and forth in the passenger seat of my truck, um, she was saying Hail Marys. However, Arrant said he and Radel believed it, although he claimed he was simply Radel's driver. Radel abducted Lauri and forced her to drink wine to make her death look like a drunk driving accident. Brian stated that Jason asked him to kill Lauri and that Rachelle had often complained to him about her mother's abuses. Her daughter Rachelle an honor student and athlete at the local high school was 400 miles away in Anchorage, playing in a volleyball tournament. You don't have all the responsibilities that are inherent in a face-to-face real, legitimate relationship. Dina Keyt, Rachelles aunt: I wanna think the best because I love her and she's my niece and she's still dear to me. Rachelle Waterman was sobbing and hysterical at school the morning after her mother went missing, a defense witness testified Thursday, the most vivid description presented so far that the . After her arrest, Rachelle Waterman was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and five other counts in her mothers killing. Judge Patricia Collins, of the Juneau Superior Court, has been assigned to run the trial for the case. I dont think she wanted her mom killed.Larson: That was a hell of a mistake.Radel: Yeah. Rachelle: I just said, Sometimes I just wish my mother wasn't here; she causes me so much pain.Sergeant Randy McPherron: Okay. Rachelle Waterman was charged with first degree murder, conspiracy and five other counts in the killing of her mother and could face up to 99 years in prison if convicted. 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. Sgt. I was crying so hard I was shaking. Daughter Rachelle, a 16-year-old high schooler, had been in Anchorage for a volleyball tournament. And a beautiful, lovely woman, very selfless and very giving. 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. 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. Love You Madly: The True Story of a Small-town Girl, the Young Men She Seduced, and the Murder of her Mother. Both Jason and Brian were reported to have dated Rachelle. The Alaska Court of Appeals ruled in February to deny the appeal of a Craig woman who was found guilty of negligent homicide for actions that led to her mothers murder in 2004. But the most dramatic testimony in the trial came when prosecutor west called to the stand the other killer -- Brian Radel. Investigation Discoverys People Magazine Investigates: The Darkest of Nights chronicles the brutal murder and the subsequent investigation, which revealed the role of Lauris daughter, Rachelle, in the gruesome crime. CRAIG, Alaska 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. Protect Rachelle? In February 2011, Rachelle Waterman made her first return to Craig, Alaska since her original trial for a second trial on charges she conspired to kill 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. And the prosecution played its trump card, Rachelle's taped interrogations, which they said proved she was involved in the plot. I didn't do any of it very well. Rachelle's ethnicity is unknown, whose political affiliation is none; and religious views are listed as unknown. I won't have computer acess [sic] until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. Or was he the victim of an egregious injustice? But the defense was about to begin with a very different story. Rachelle Waterman looks back during the opening of her trial at the Dimond Courthouse Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, in Juneau, Alaska. . 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. 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. Rachelle: She has raised a knife to me. JUNEAU, Alaska - An Alaska woman convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of her mother will not be reporting to jail to begin her sentence Friday. The judge then threw out the indictment as well, which meant there were no longer any charges pending against Rachelle. ", 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." Now She's Speaking Out. Furthermore, he stated that Rachelle was not worried about her mother. Shelter Cove Lodge offers the islands fine dining. LiveJournal has subsequently restricted the viewing of her journal. Lauri was loved and respected in her small town, often referred to as a "saint" by most of the people who knew her. Eventually, though, she finally confessed and admitted the abuse was "pretty much lies," Claus said. Probably think she never cusses or anything. I don't think any of us would have felt good about totally letting her go. (The police have seized her computer and are examining the contents of its hard drive for evidence.). Almost everybody?Schwab: All equally. Jason said that Rachelle was the one who told him that she wanted her mother dead, and he, in turn, asked Brian to carry out the murder for him. Doc was a decorated serviceman who had met Lauri in Utah. It's the only book about this case and thus recommended for anyone looking for more in-depth information about Rachel Waterman, her family, or the two young men who were willing to kill for the attention of a teenage girl. It was later revealed that the men were, for all intents and purposes, instigated by Lauri's daughter, Rachelle. 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. The next morning, Lauri didn't show up for church. On the floorboard behind the front seat was a pile of ash and a human skull. Every chance Rachelle had, she was with Jason hanging out in the bookstore or sharing a pizza; never really trying to hide being in his company, and going through a vicious cycle of groundings and restrictions and groundings again. Her Chrysler minivan was also gone. Where Is Rachelle Waterman Now? On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman finally had the house to herself. What Rachelle's family heard didn't seem possible of the smart, athletic girl they knew and loved. The stories she told him about being abused by her mother only making him dream more of being the girls knight in shining armor. Rachelle Waterman and the plan to end her mother. Rachelle sang in the school choir and played on the volleyball team. Waterman is now 26. She was ultimately convicted of negligent homicide. Arrant and Radel pleaded guilty to murder and testified against Rachelle. Soon, though, he admitted she had asked him and Radel to murder Lauri. In 2004, Lauri Waterman was like any other American mother struggling to understand her teenage daughter. Once the police started investigating, they discovered that Rachel had two friends called Jason Arrant and Brian Radel. Larson: Guys in the back? Born on August 26, 1988, Rachelle showed an interest in acting, computers, movies and music, and was an honor roll student, involved in many extra-curricular activities, including choir, volleyball, and the decathlon team - advancing to upper levels and winning prizes in almost every endeavor. Concern about the age difference led Radel to end the relationship but not before he introduced Rachelle to his friend, Jason Arrant, who was about the same age at Radel. Arrant was a janitor and a Marine Corps dropout. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Pierce: I got a call asking me to take Rachelle home because she was losing it. State law stipulates that for the most serious crimes, including homicide, defendants as young as 16 years old are treated the same as adults. Jann Martelli, Lauri Watermans sister-in-law: Lauri Martelli Waterman was the consummate mother. Radel, who worked at a computer store, was described similarly. No one had seen her and she'd left no explanations. Low 42F. And she expressed disappointment that she wouldn't be inheriting it. So defense attorney Wells attacked the officers' methods, challenging sergeant Randy McPherron, one of the Alaska state troopers who interrogated Rachelle. Jason was taken in for questioning and it didnt take long for his story to unravel. Craig is a tiny town on an island in Alaska, so small that everybody knows each other. So its no real surprise to anyone that these two rambling men would be pals. The judge then sentenced him to a maximum of 99 years in prison, but with time off for good behavior, he could be released in 33 years. Rachelle Waterman (interrogation footage): She was a bit shocked, I guess, that I was talking to this older guy And in another interview two days later, Rachelle shares the same awful story she had told Arrant and Radel: that her mother, publicly well-respected, was privately abusive. 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.. She had told them when Lauri would be home alone and to enact the plan that weekend. He said they then drove to a further spot, set her and the car on fire, and abandoned the vehicle. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! And when it came to her mother, whom she called "the female parental unit, Rachelle wrote that Lauri criticized her weight, read her mail, once went psycho bitch on her and threw her down the stairs. Habib: Im sitting over here shaking my head, watching you lie. But with no verdict, the family's wounds remain open and their questions remain about Rachelle's involvement. Her youngest, Rachelle, was participating in a high school volleyball tournament in Anchorage. McPherron: You told your friends Monday before the body had been identified, that your mom probably died in a drunk driving accident.Rachelle: It's what I assumed.Sgt. 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. And when Doc and Rachelle returned home that afternoon they discovered Lauri and the family van were gone. The basis of Watermans appeal is that the then-16-year-old girl, should not have been judged based on the standard of care one would expect from an adult in a similar situation. According to Jason, he and his friend Brian were well aware of the abuse Lauri inflicted on Rachelle; at least, according to Rachelle. On Saturday, November 202004, Alaska State Police Trooper Robert Claus stated: During interviews all three made admissions as to their involvement in the murder. Absolutely no thought for the horror her mother endured. Most of the jury was convinced Rachelle's tales of abuse had triggered the killing, and that she even knew her two friends were plotting murder, but weren't sure there was anything more to it than that. Jason then drove to a remote logging road where Brian was waiting. Both men were 24 at the time of the killing near Craig, in Southeast Alaska. I think the penalty for inciting or coercing another into comitting murder should be far greater. Wells: There's only really one difference between Rachelle Waterman and every other teenage girl Rachelle Waterman had the misfortune to repeat her comments to Jason Arrant. On Saturday, November 20, 2004, Rachelle appeared in Craig District Court, dressed in an orange CCJF jumpsuit, for arraignment on the charges. 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. Wells: You want her to say a certain set of facts, don't you?Sgt. 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. Other than sporadic employment, Brian roamed aimlessly, living in the moment. Sgt. I wont have computer access until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. Jason knew he was lucky to have a girl as intelligent and pretty as Rachelle. 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. The police put two and two together and concluded that Lauris body must have been put in the car after a brutal murder. 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 . She was an honor student and an athlete at the local high school. ET) on Investigation Discovery. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? 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. If Rachelle had been in on the plot, wouldn't she have just told Brian about that key? Despite what she told her friends, Rachelle Waterman was neither abused nor antisocial. What sort of message does that send to people like her, and the rest of society? Sgt. Prosecutor Steven West would try to prove that she not only wanted her mother Lauri Waterman dead but with the cooperation of two former boyfriends -- helped plot the murder. If you are interested to know more about Rachelle and where she is now, we have got you covered. Brian told police he'd briefly had a sexual relationship with Rachelle when she was just 15 years old and when that ended, he set her up with his best friend Jason. Jason Arrant: She gave us the way to get into the house.Wells: Which was?Jason Arrant: It was through a basement window. On November 13, 2004, Lauri Waterman was beaten to death, and her murder was disguised as a car accident. Judge Patricia Collins: I have concluded that that testimony, should this case proceed yet again to trial, is inadmissible. 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. They burned other evidence as well. Listening to Rachelle's stories, it's difficult for even these seasoned troopers to know whether she's exaggerating typical mother-daughter battles or whether something Dangerous was going on. She was found guilty of negligent homicide and sentenced to three years in prison. 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. Her husband, Carl "Doc" Waterman, was away on business. Radel was called in, and police revealed what they heard while Arrant wore a wire. Rachelle was subsequently ordered to serve three years, with credit for time served while awaiting her first trial (479 days). 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. She tells them her mother tried to push her down the stairs, beat her with a baseball bat, even threatened to sell her into sexual slavery. Rachelle went to trial in January 2006. Jason had long wished to rescue his best girl from such a horrible life and solicited the help of his friend to finally put a stop to it all. But as revealed in the next episode of People Magazine. Residents of Craig, Alaska adored Rachelle's mother, Lauri, who was active in her church, worked as a teacher's aide . 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. 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. Other strange aspects of the scene told authorities the car hadn't crashed, but had instead been set on fire. Pierce: Tears. Two men are serving long prison sentences for their roles in Lauri Waterman's death. What'd you think about the confession?Schwab: Clinched it for me. "My whole family is going to hate me," she cried in the tape. Jason Arrant was one of a handful of Craigs youth who didnt seem to break free. about this case. 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. Curtis Blackwell, juror: Well, it was the most damning evidence they had. Curiously, there was no sign of forced entry. Jason received 99 years, but 49 of those were suspended. 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. Police told her they knew the answer: she had played a role in her mothers murder. Brian Radel was arrested on Nov. 18, 2004 and charged with murder. At one timeor still was, according to someBrian had been Rachelles boyfriend. After Lauri drank wine, the duo forced her into the familys minivan and began searching for a good accident site. I thank everyone for their thoughts and e-mails, I hope to talk to you when I get my computer back. I live with my hubby & our two adorable fur babies. Although only 16 years old, the harsh winters, excessively long nights, and mundanity of organized activities and honors studies were getting old. 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. Some of the jurors cried as the deadlock was announced, frustrated they weren't able to reach a verdict. This same report pointed out that Rachelle Waterman had mentioned suicide in her online journal. Brian Radel: Somebody ended up dead in this story. Larson: What was Rachelle's reaction when she found out there was a body in her mother's van? A story about an Alaskan teenager who imagined and told stories of wild things - even murder. Geoffrey Waterman, Lauri Watermans son: She was loving. The jury took one week in its deliberations and returned with not guilty verdicts on first degree murder, kidnapping, burglary and attempted murder, and guilty of criminally negligent homicide. Both Jason and Brian accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against Rachelle and took the stand during her first trial. Why, other than obvious reasons, Lauri was even more adamant than her husband that Rachelle not date Jason, no one will ever know, but she was very vocal with her opinion. It wasnt enough to keep Jason and Rachelle apart, however. All other pending charges against the duo were dropped. Community theater, high school volleyball, and concert band werent enough. According to the prosecution, she had wrapped two young men around her little finger, manipulated them into murderand then left them holding the bag. Brian and Jason both testified in Rachelle's trial. From her mother, known by everyone in town for her acts of kindness?