So they drove to another location, doused the inside of the van with gasoline -- with Lauri's body inside -- and lit it. 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. And, the defense took on what looked like the most damning evidence: Rachelle's taped confession. 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. He's pissed. 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.". I don't really know how to kill somebody. Why would a 16-year-old girl, who had just lost her mother, to murder nonetheless, write such a cold, uncaring statement so devoid of any emotion? They also argued that the harsh police interrogation was not proper as Rachelle was too young to understand her Miranda rights fully. 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. High 53F. Mostly sunny skies. Her mom, Lauri, was a special education teachers aide who volunteered with her church and other civic groups. Jason testified that Rachelle told him she wanted her mother dead, and the two of them had discussed various murder plots. Jason then drove to a remote logging road where Brian was waiting. Jason Arrant, Rachelles boyfriend (in court): I loved her and I'd already told her I would do anything for her. In the fall of 2004 Rachelle Waterman shared a family life that appeared anchored and happy until murder shattered that facade. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Arrant, meanwhile, also said he had been with Radel that weekend, but that he slept at his own home. Rachelle (tape): I told them not to do it! How could Rachelle Waterman's fantasies spiral into her mom's murder? It didn't take police long to suspect that Radel Arrant or both men had something to do with the murder. Jason and Brian were arrested and charged with murder. Lauri Waterman had been murdered. No one had seen her and she'd left no explanations. In small towns, news travels fast and gossip even faster. "You don't need to question everything I say," Rachelle responded. After Rachelles arrest, the judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial. Rachelle claimed that she had told Jason about the abuses she has faced. Prosecutors painted the picture of a troubled teen who manipulated two older men into committing murder. And I didn't feel complete. Rachelle appealed on the basis that a 16-year-old should not have been judged as an adult. Chance of rain 60%. So thats one year and four months, thats 16 months.Since she got a three-year sentence, that means that she has to do roughly another eight months in custody unless for some reason shes not given good time.. Wells says he thinks the court was fair, but still has reservations about the outcome. It would likely mean there would be a re-trial. McPherron: Okay. What happened down this road took all the natural beauty and solitude of the place and overnight made it seem ominous. 00:00 Rachelle Waterman was 16 when her two boyfriends beat her mother to death and framed the murder to look like a car wreck. 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. 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. 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 . Here, she met and got acquainted with the owner, Brian Radel, and his friend, Jason Arrant. Brian Radel: Somebody ended up dead in this story. Mom, She Saw Her Family Murdered by a Hammer-Wielding Stranger When She Was 3. Radel: I said "I'd protect Rachelle. Human remains were in the backseat of the car. 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. Its not unusual for underage teen girls to date men in their early twenties in a place like Craig. There they left Lauri unconscious in the vehicle and set it moving unmanned. Growing tired of their search and nearing sunrise, they finally decided on a rutty, rarely traveled road primarily used by logging trucks. Rachelle tells the troopers she talked to the two men about seeking emancipation -- the legal equivalent of divorcing her parents. Both Jason and Brian accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying against Rachelle and took the stand during her first trial. You can start to see what the picture looks like even though there's a piece missin' here, a piece missin' there, a piece missin' there. 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. But other correspondence took a darker, conspiratorial tone. The car investigators had found was clearly a Chrysler minivan. 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. 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. Both Brian and Jason are still incarcerated, serving their respective sentences. She played 2 losers, and walked away laughing. Arrant and Radel pleaded guilty to murder and testified against Rachelle. View the profiles of people named Rachel Waterman. Chelle Waterman. 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. Her mother, Lauri, was a teachers' aide and served on the board of the Little League and the town library. After spending almost a year in an Alaskan juvenile detention facility, Rachelle opted to take her chances with the jury. 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. She had just returned from a Chamber of Commerce event and was looking forward to the solidarity of home. I was crying so hard I was shaking. 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. Just like there isnt much to choose from when it comes to dating, the same holds true for friendships in this Alaska community, especially guys like Brian and Jason. Jason knew he was lucky to have a girl as intelligent and pretty as Rachelle. Rachelle Waterman and Jason Arrant were arrested on November 19, 2004. Defense attorney Wells said Arrant would do anything, including commit murder, to keep his teenage girlfriend. She threatened me while going like this with a knife. 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. On the day Lauris remains were discovered, investigators caught a man named Jason Arrant loitering around the Waterman home, asking suspicious questions about the crime scene. McPherron: I want her to tell me the truth. And then there was Arrant's best friend, 24-year-old Brian Radel. 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. Jason Arrant and Brian Radel were both 25 and had been friends since their teen years. And an hour into her questioning, Rachelle's story and her attitude began to change. To get a better understanding of Lauri and her familys life, you must first know about where they lived. Lauri Waterman's murder in Alaska will be featured on the next episode of People Magazine Investigates on Investigation Discovery. Where Is Rachelle Waterman Now? Waterman is now 26. 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. 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. 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. Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age. Pierce: Rachelle was just totally in tears. Honor student plotted mother's murder, police say, People flock to online journal after 16-year-old's arraignment. But who would kill one of the most-loved people in town? But told him the weekend to do it. However, when things didnt go exactly as they imagined, they set the vehicle on fire and fled. Maybe Lauri feared her daughters life would become like hersendless volunteer work to fill the otherwise boring days. Anjette Lyles was known for her good cooking, but no one could have suspected the deadly recipes she was brewing up for her loved ones. Lets find out all there is to know about Brian Radel and Jason Arrant, shall we? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Rachelle's grandfather and uncle are not as forgiving. Today, Rachelle goes by the name Rocky. 'People Magazine Investigates' : Who Killed Sunday School Teacher Sasha Krause? Waterman was a tenth-grade honor (A-average) student in her second year at Craig High School. Geoffrey Waterman, Lauri Watermans son: She was loving. I recommend it. During the night, a call came in: a local man named Doc Waterman reported his wife, Lauri Waterman, was missing. 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. Soon, though, he admitted she had asked him and Radel to murder Lauri. 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. Jason then confided in his friend, Brian, and together the duo decided to get rid of Lauri Waterman. She was rocking back and forth in the passenger seat of my truck, um, she was saying Hail Marys. Waterman was a teenager in 2004 when she was accused of conspiring to kill her mother, Lauri Waterman. Rachelle Waterman was being tried for the second time in the death of her mother, Lauri Waterman. Police told her they knew the answer: she had played a role in her mothers murder. I didn't do any of it very well. Lauri in particular was described as thoughtful "and helpful, so eager to give help," by her friend Victoria Merritt. Rachelle Waterman was 16 when her two boyfriends beat her mother to death and framed the murder to look like a car wreck. She wrote that her mother was critical of her weight. Both Jason and Brian were reported to have dated Rachelle. And then, in a classic good cop-bad cop act, the sergeant warns Rachelle the other investigator is losing his patience. 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. She was released from prison in 2015 and remains on probation. He also testified that Rachelle helped them get rid of evidence like fingerprints or marks from her house. (Rachelle nods). Some of the jurors cried as the deadlock was announced, frustrated they weren't able to reach a verdict. Dr. Marty Beyer, clinical psychologist: She thought that crying on Jason's shoulder about her mother was nothing more than venting. 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. After Lauri drank wine, the duo forced her into the familys minivan and began searching for a good accident site. You can get here only by ferry or tiny float plane. He had what appeared to be a self-inflicted scratch on his throat," Claus explained. 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. They burned other evidence as well. Rachelle sang in the school choir and played on the volleyball team. Both men confessed that they were involved in Lauris murder. Craig is a tiny town on an island in Alaska, so small that everybody knows each other. 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. They did find her guilty of negligent homicide. Let's say you had gotten away with it.Brian Radel: Gotten away with it? Her remains were so badly burned that only a skull was immediately recognizable. The e-mails addressed to Narcissa, Rachelle's e-mail name - were sexually graphic. Wells: You have in mind what you want her to say. A story that included tales of abuse, prostitution, even witchcraft. Radel did "make some admissions about killing Lauri" while Arrant spoke to him wearing a wire, authorities said. 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. Radel: I crouched down in front of her and said something along the lines of, You won't ever f---ing hurt Rachelle again.. Richelle Waterman. In 2015, the Alaska Court of Appeals denied Rachelles appeal of her conviction in her mothers death. According to the prosecution, she had wrapped two young men around her little finger, manipulated them into murderand then left them holding the bag. Rachelle also ran a blog called My Crappy Life. I won't have computer acess [sic] until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive.
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