 Details of investigation released November 21, 2004
Alaska State Troopers had previously arrested Brian James Radel, age 24, of Thorne Bay late Thursday night and charged him with Murder in the First Degree. Details of the investigation released by the Alaska State Troopers revealed that Rachelle Waterman approached Arrant and solicited him to kill her mother, Lauri Waterman. Trooper Robert Claus who authored the latest release stated that Arrant agreed to kill Lauri Waterman and enlisted the aid of Brain Radel, age 24, of Thorne Bay. Trooper Claus stated in a news release that between the solicitation and the actual murder, Arrant, Radel and Waterman plotted several murder scenarios and aborted one attempt to carry out a plan in September 2004. The Alaska State Troopers reported that on Tuesday, November 10th, Rachelle Waterman the teenage daughter of Lauri Waterman, told Arrant that both she and her father would be out of town for the approaching weekend. She and Arrant agreed that it would be a good time to attempt to carry out their plan, because Lauri Waterman would be home alone. Rachelle Waterman told Arrant how to enter her house without being detected. Investigation revealed that on Saturday, November 13th, Arrant and Radel made preparations to carry out their plot. During the early morning hours of Sunday, November 14th, Arrant dropped Radel off near the Waterman residence in Craig and drove to a prearranged meeting place. Radel entered the house. He abducted Lauri Waterman out of her bed and forced her into her mini-van that was parked in the garage. Radel drove Waterman out in the mini-van to the vicinity of Main Line Road Bridge over the Yatuk Creek, in the central part of Prince of Wales Island and met up with Arrant. Their plan was to murder Waterman and to stage what appeared to be a fatal drunk driving motor vehicle accident, but after Radel had murdered Waterman they changed their plan. Quoting Trooper Robert Claus, Radel and Arrant loaded Waterman's body in the mini-van and drove to the end of the USFS 3012 Road, a remote and deserted location in the vicinity of Thorne Bay. Once there investigation revealed, Radel soaked the body and the van in gasoline and set it on fire in an effort to destroy evidence. After the van was burning, they drove in Arrant's truck to another remote location near Hollis, where they attempted to burn and destroy other items of evidence. Information released by the AST stated that on Sunday afternoon, after Rachelle Waterman returned home, Arrant contacted her and reported that they had killed her mother. Trooper Claus who authored the release, said this account was developed during interviews with the three defendants over a period of four days. During the interviews all three made admissions as to their involvement in the murder. Physical evidence recovered at the various crime scenes collaborated many of the defendant's statements. Radel, Arrant and Waterman have been charged with Murder in the 1st degree. Due to the severity of the charges, Waterman has been waived into adult court. Additional charges of Solicitation (for Murder), Conspiracy, Tampering with Physical Evidence and other charges are pending. Arrant and Waterman were arraigned in the District Court in Craig Saturday morning. Radel was arraigned in the District Court in Craig Friday.
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