where is rachelle waterman today

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! But the killers, Arrant and Radel, told police that Rachelle had feared for her life and that they felt compelled to act. There was hardly a soul on the island that hadnt given a juicy tidbit of gossip in an effort to catch a killer. She appeared to be a normal, high-achieving junior in high school. It was a good choice; the jury was hung, with the results being 10 to 2 for acquittal. Eventually, however, police elicited a confession from Jason. Rachelle says she knew that no one would believe her stories of abuse no one but Brian Radel and Jason Arrant. Every entry since March 2004 has apparently now been deleted or hidden, but a ZIP archive of the entire weblog, from before the entries were deleted, is available on Deadly Blogging. Rachelle's older brother, Geoffrey, lives out of town and is a student at Tacoma College. In it, Rachelle called home "Hell, Alaska." Just watched the "People magazine investigates" doco (season1 ep10?) Whee! Her husband "Doc" was out of town. Rachelle: She has raised a knife to me. The People Magazine Investigates episode on Lauris death, The Darkest of Nights, airs Monday night (10 p.m. Or is Rachelle Waterman a teenage girl? Don Pierce, friend of the Waterman family: As painful as the loss of Lauri was, I think that the arrest of his daughter was even harder. Now, with her father standing by her, Rachelle would face the prosecutor and her mother's killers. 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 fire burned so hot, it stripped the paint off the van, melted the license plates. It was the same thing her family and friends wanted to know: Why? When investigators came to the home, they noted the clothes she wore to the Chamber of Commerce dinner were in the house, as were photos of the event. Rachelle claimed in the interview her mother once hit her with a baseball bat, and had pushed her down the stairs once. State law stipulates that for the most serious crimes, including homicide, defendants as young as 16 years old are treated the same as adults. He forced her to drink wine so she would be intoxicated, then put her bound into her car's backseat. 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 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. Rachelle Waterman looks back during the opening of her trial at the Dimond Courthouse Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, in Juneau, Alaska. Son Jeffrey wasn't even in Alaska, as he was attending college in the mainland. 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. 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 court rejected the appeal and said the state law stipulates that defendants as young as 16 years old are treated the same as adults in the case of serious crimes, including homicide. Jason and Brian went way back as the latter later confessed in court that as teens, the pair had made a blood oath to do whatever the other needed doing. At one timeor still was, according to someBrian had been Rachelles boyfriend. American teenage girl charged with murder of her mother, Press reports which mention the case within a larger context, Last edited on 15 December 2022, at 02:16, "Just to let everyone know, my mother was murdered", User information for Rachelle Ann Monica Waterman, "I get to talk to the troopers today. It was disgusting," Merritt told producers. Previously, Radel had gone to shoot Lauri as she exited from the school but had to call it off after noticing he had forgotten the bolt for his rifle. Dr. Marty Beyer, clinical psychologist: She thought that crying on Jason's shoulder about her mother was nothing more than venting. She threatened me while going like this with a knife. Her mom, Lauri, was a special education teachers aide who volunteered with her church and other civic groups. Two men are serving long prison sentences for their roles in Lauri Waterman's death. Brian stated that Jason asked him to kill Lauri and that Rachelle had often complained to him about her mother's abuses. Arrant: The whole thing with plotting to kill her. TV-14 Reality and Game Show Daytime Web Exclusive Go to show page And, the defense took on what looked like the most damning evidence: Rachelle's taped confession. Neither man had ever done anything like this before, but the killing began. Larson: Did you ever see the bruises?Radel: Yes, I did see bruises.Larson: Where were they?Radel: The ones that I saw were on her upper thighs. In her blog, Rachelle allegedly talked about facing abuse from her family and had casually mentioned that her mother was murdered. 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. Although its difficult to find a teen today thats not blogging or social networking of some sort, in 2004 it was still a relatively new endeavor. Investigators then began sifting through clues settling on mother-daughter conflict as a motive for her killing and advancing a startling theory: Rachelle was arrested on charges that she had her mother murdered by her older boyfriend and his friend. The only odd thing, Rachelle noted, was a bottle of wine that had been left out her mother wasn't a drinker. Did the teen have psychic abilities, or did she have something to do with her mothers violent end? Investigators questioned Arrant, telling him they believed the attack was fake and that he was behind Lauri Waterman's murder. But even the Watermans' best friends say they doubt Rachelle will ever be welcome back in Craig, Alaska, the small village where so many loved her mother. 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. At the end of the trial, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, and the judge was forced to declare a mistrial. And when Doc and Rachelle returned home that afternoon they discovered Lauri and the family van were gone. Winds light and variable. By 26, Rachelle was free. He was sentenced to 50 years in that plea deal to testify against Rachelle. But told him the weekend to do it. A story about an Alaskan teenager who imagined and told stories of wild things - even murder. During the interview, she claimed she didn't encourage them to murder her mother. But, you know, behind closed doors, other things happen. The Murder of Lauri Waterman. 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. By Becca van Sambeck Lauri Waterman Didn't Approve of Her Daughter's Friends 1:11 Exclusive Investigators Found a Letter of Apology from Lauri to Rachelle Waterman Now Playing Exclusive The time had come to arrest this motley trio and start making the trek toward justice. Rachelle Waterman was 16 and unhappy with her life in the tiny town of Craig, Alaska. Jason received 99 years, but 49 of those were suspended. Her youngest, Rachelle, was participating in a high school volleyball tournament in Anchorage. I think the penalty for inciting or coercing another into comitting murder should be far greater. Lauri was loved and respected in her small town, often referred to as a "saint" by most of the people who knew her. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Defense attorney Wells claimed Arrant duped his best friend Brian Radel, convinced him Rachelle wanted her mother dead. All other pending charges against the duo were dropped. Together, they moved to Alaska. Soon, though, he admitted she had asked him and Radel to murder Lauri. They say Waterman had the power to stop the murder and didnt. So she asked her 25-year-old boyfriend to do something about it. Rachelle Waterman was 16 when her two boyfriends beat her mother to death and framed the murder to look like a car wreck. 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. According to Jason, he and his friend Brian were well aware of the abuse Lauri inflicted on Rachelle; at least, according to Rachelle. Pierce: Brian Radel, he scares me. I would believe that. Download . Last night my mom went psycho b- on me. Her mother, Lauri, was a teachers' aide and served on the board of the Little League and the town library. There they left Lauri unconscious in the vehicle and set it moving unmanned. Both Brian and Jason are still incarcerated, serving their respective sentences. Rachelle was also allegedly experiencing issues with her mom over her likes, dislikes, and her boyfriend, who was significantly older than her. And the defense questioned Jason's motive for implicating Rachelle, saying he'd gotten a "sweet deal," a plea agreement that would cut his prison time in half in exchange for testifying against Rachelle. Her remains were so badly burned that only a skull was immediately recognizable. It wasnt enough to keep Jason and Rachelle apart, however. 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. People in the small Alaskan village of Craig were shocked by the brutal murder of Lauri Waterman and the arrest of two young locals who quickly confessed to the killing. Both men were 24 at the time of the killing near Craig, in Southeast Alaska. Police had found a blog Rachelle ran called "My Crappy Life," where she described Craig as "Hell." Now She's Speaking Out. Almost everybody?Schwab: All equally. 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 relationship took off between Rachelle and Jason, a janitor at a local high school who lived in his mothers basement. He frantically called the police and reported her missing. 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. She was retried earlier this year and acquitted of conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder. 'People Magazine Investigates': Did Pam Hupp Stab Her Friend More Than 50 Times. Some of the jurors cried as the deadlock was announced, frustrated they weren't able to reach a verdict. How could Rachelle Waterman's fantasies spiral into her mom's murder? On this, they seemed to agree. If Rachelle had been in on the plot, wouldn't she have just told Brian about that key? Arrant and Radel pleaded guilty to murder and testified against Rachelle. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Schally is assigned to prosecute the case. In 2015, the Alaska Court of Appeals denied Rachelles appeal of her conviction in her mothers death. Hed tried the military, but that didnt work out. The two former boyfriends, Jason Arrant of Klawock and Brian Radel of Thorne Bay, confessed to the 2004 murder, which took place outside of Craig on Prince of Wales Island. To get a better understanding of Lauri and her familys life, you must first know about where they lived. The key, the defense argued, would have easily opened any door in the house. I didn't feel like we finished it.Larson: Hadn't finished your job.Jones: Yeah.Demars: I felt a little bit like I let Rachelle down. 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. It was later revealed that the men were, for all intents and purposes, instigated by Lauris daughter, Rachelle. The Waterman family is a locally prominent, middle-upper class family. Low 42F. 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. Pierce: I don't think that any of us really knew Jason. 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. Defense attorney Wells said Arrant would do anything, including commit murder, to keep his teenage girlfriend. 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. The police, from the beginning, suspected that Jason and Brian might have had something to do with Lauris murder, but when questioned, both men claimed they were at Radels house on the night of the murder. But nothing could have prepared them for what came next -- the men claimed it was Lauri's teenage daughter who put them up to it. Furthermore, he stated that Rachelle was not worried about her mother. Lauri in particular was described as thoughtful "and helpful, so eager to give help," by her friend Victoria Merritt. "I knew Rachelle had changed dramatically in her appearance and behavior in the past year, including hanging out with scary-looking guys and they were Jason Arrant and Brian Radel," Claus, who was friendly with the Watermans, told producers. "My whole family is going to hate me," she cried in the tape. Arrant, meanwhile, also said he had been with Radel that weekend, but that he slept at his own home. 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. Rachelle was an honor student, athlete, and member of her schools choir. I was lost and I was confused. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. I dont think that the sentence was unreasonable, I mean I can see why the court did what it did. Ten and a half years after her mothers murder, Waterman is scheduled to appear at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center Aug. 31st to serve the remainder of her sentence. She had last been seen at a Chamber of Commerce dinner 24 hours before. Lauri Waterman was suffocated after her killers failed to break her neck and make her death appear to be a drunk-driving accident. On the floorboard behind the front seat was a pile of ash and a human skull. After help arrived, the body was sent in for an autopsy, where dental records confirmed the victim was Lauri Waterman. Rachelle Butler (Waterman) See Photos. As of November 2022, Rachelle's "My Crappy Life" blog, the one that started it all, is still active on LiveJournal. Magistrate Kay Clark presided over the arraignment and set bail at $150,000. I dont think she wanted her mom killed.Larson: That was a hell of a mistake.Radel: Yeah. Her oldest child, Geoffrey Waterman, was away at college. 30-something TBI survivor + storyteller powered by caffeine & my feline overlords https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership, https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership. Although the other charges against him were dropped, he plead guilty to first degree murder and is now sitting in a prison in Alaska, serving a 99-year sentence for Lauri Waterman's murder. Several podcast episodes have been devoted to Rachelle Waterman, including Forensic Transmissions, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Moms and Murder, and more. No one had seen her and she'd left no explanations. Luckily, they both quickly implicated themselves in the murder. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular collections. The morning after the murder, Rachelles teachers found her demeanor not normal for someone whose mother was missing. 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. But as investigators inspected the scene, they found no sign of a driver who would have been in the front seat. Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections. In July 2011, Rachelle was sentenced to three years in prison. Always.Jason Arrant: What I did was a horrible thing, and I won't dispute that by pretending to be innocent. 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. Radel: I crouched down in front of her and said something along the lines of, You won't ever f---ing hurt Rachelle again.. But the judge allowed the confession to be admitted as evidence. Get mom out of the way so he could be with Rachelle. The NBC series Fatal Frontier: Evil in Alaska featured a 2021 episode about the Waterman caseepisode five of season one is called "Murder on the Island." 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." I wish you understood how much you're loved". The car was also taken in and identified as the Watermans' vehicle. And then there was Arrant's best friend, 24-year-old Brian Radel. (Don't get me wrong, the others that were convicted deserved everything they got). Radel admitted to killing Waterman, but insisted Arrant was much more involved than he had previously told police. 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. Through brilliant police and work and interrogations, investigators were able to make swift progress in the case to bring the perpetrators to justice. 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. But as the investigators dug deeper, they discovered another side of Rachelle one her family hadn't seen. Radel said all the talk of murder was coming only from Arrant. 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.". The next day, Rachelle went to school and told her friends that her mother had been killed in a drunk driving accident. 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. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. But the next morning, a Monday, there was still no sign of Lauri. Radel, who worked at a computer store, was described similarly. Or, if you like, you can send me lifeblood to keep me going. Pierce: Lauri wasn't one to go around without people knowing that she was gonna go somewhere. Waterman and her alleged co-conspirators, Jason Arrant, and Brian Radel, faced a 10-count indictment, listing 26 felonies. They realized her death would not look like an accident as they had planned. As for Brian Radel, he has a lot of time to think. 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. Brian, per Jason, all but said the words Sure, why not? and they began developing a plan for murder. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Her Chrysler minivan was also gone. 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. West, reading e-mail: Ill be so glad when this whole thing with your mother is over. What was that a reference to? Richelle Waterman. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. The longest nights of winter in Craig can last almost 15 hours and has recorded a low temperature at almost -80 degrees Fahrenheit, although the average winter temp is between 18 and 44 degrees. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Rachelle Waterman was being tried for the second time in the death of her mother, Lauri Waterman. Lauri Waterman had been murdered. Don Martelli, Sr.: Far as she's concerned, it's gone and forgotten. Love You Madly: The True Story of a Small-town Girl, the Young Men She Seduced, and the Murder of her Mother. Investigators first turned to Doc as a potential suspect, as there were rumors he'd had affairs. Arrant: She said that she thought it would be better if her mother wasn't around anymore.Steven West, prosecutor: Did you ask her what she meant by that?Jason Arrant: Oh, yes.West: And what was her response?Arrant: That she thought it would be better if her mother was dead. This is my warning to all of you. The retrial took place in 2011 in Anchorage. Her daughter Rachelle, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, went to school where she shared fears that her mother was dead -- perhaps even killed in a drunk driving accident. Rachels defense argued that Jason Arrant was the real criminal and claimed that he orchestrated the whole plot because Lauri wouldnt allow him to date her daughter. 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