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Rachelle Ann Monica Waterman, aka smchyrocky, (born August 26, 1988) is a teenage girl from Craig, Alaska who was charged with the first degree murder of her mother. The jury was unable to reach a verdict. The count was 10 to 2. This means that only 2 members of the jury wanted to find her guilty. The case received a wide following on the Internet, partly because Waterman kept a public record of her thoughts and activities on LiveJournal. August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ...
1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Craig is a city located in Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Alaska. ...
LiveJournal (often abbreviated LJ) is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal, or diary. ...
Biography and family background
Born on August 26, 1988, Waterman 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 Academic Decathlon team. She was well-accomplished and won prizes in each of these endeavors. August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ...
1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
A choir or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. ...
Volleyball is an Olympic sport in which two teams, separated by a high net, hit a ball back and forth over the net between the teams. ...
The United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) is one of the premier academic competitions in the United States. ...
Case history Rachelle Waterman was accused of conspiring with Jason Arrant and Brian Radel, both 24, to murder Waterman's then-48-year-old mother. Both Arrant and Radel pled guilty to first degree murder, in exchange for all other charges being dropped; they agreed to testify for the prosecution as part of their plea-deal. Jason Arrant is accused of murdering and conspiring to murder ex-girlfriend Rachelle Watermans mother, Lauri Waterman, with co-conspirator Brian Radel. ...
Brian Radel is accused of murdering and conspiring to murder ex-girlfriend Rachelle Watermans mother, Lauri Waterman, with co-conspirator Jason Arrant. ...
Jason Arrant is accused of murdering and conspiring to murder ex-girlfriend Rachelle Watermans mother, Lauri Waterman, with co-conspirator Brian Radel. ...
Brian Radel is accused of murdering and conspiring to murder ex-girlfriend Rachelle Watermans mother, Lauri Waterman, with co-conspirator Jason Arrant. ...
Arrant and Radel murdered Lauri Waterman, using a blunt object, shortly after midnight local time on November 14, 2004. They then burnt the Plymouth minivan in which the body was carried in an attempt to destroy the evidence. Jason Arrant is accused of murdering and conspiring to murder ex-girlfriend Rachelle Watermans mother, Lauri Waterman, with co-conspirator Brian Radel. ...
Brian Radel is accused of murdering and conspiring to murder ex-girlfriend Rachelle Watermans mother, Lauri Waterman, with co-conspirator Jason Arrant. ...
No motive for the crime has yet been suggested by the police or the prosecutors. In her online journal, she often mentioned arguments with her mother, and sometimes referred to her mother as the "female parental unit".
Police investigation Alaska State Trooper Lt. Rodney Dial 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 14, 2004.
On Saturday, November 20, 2004, Alaska State Trooper Robert Claus stated:
During ... interviews all three made admissions as to their involvement in the murder. Physical evidence recovered at the various crime scenes corroborated many of the defendants' statements ... Radel, Arrant and Waterman have been charged with murder in the first degree. Due to the severity of the charges, Waterman has been waived into adult court. Additional charges of solicitation, conspiracy, tampering with physical evidence and other charges are pending. Arrant and Waterman will be arraigned in the District Court in Craig this morning.
Arraignment On Saturday, November 20, 2004, Waterman appeared in Craig District Court, dressed in an orange CCJF jumpsuit, for arraignment on the charges. Waterman and her alleged co-conspirators, Jason Arrant and Brian Radel, faced a 10-count felony indictment.
A report in The Ketchikan Daily News stated that"[t]he 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."
Magistrate Kay Clark presided over the arraignment and set bail at $150,000. Clark also appointed a public defender to represent Waterman, who was sent to the Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau Alaska.
The trial Waterman pled not guilty. The Judge Patricia Collins, of the Juneau Superior Court has been assigned as the trial judge. While the date of February 3, 2005 was initially scheduled for the trial, the proceedings were postponed until August 22 a few days before the original date to conduct and evidentiary hearing. A new trial date was set and the trial was to start in Craig Alaska. A few days before trial was to start the case was moved to Juneau. Jury selection began on January 23, 2006.
Arrant and Radel pleaded guilty to first degree murder in June 2005, in exchange for the dismissal of all other charges against them. They will testify against Waterman at her trial as part of their plea bargain [1].
Waterman's court-appointed attorney for the trial was Assistant Public Advocate Steven Wells. Assistant District Attorney Daniel Schally was initially assigned, although became a state judge and was replaced by Steven West. An attorney is someone who represents someone else in the transaction of business: For attorney-at-law, see lawyer, solicitor, barrister or civil law notary. ...
Look up trial in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Steven Wells is a journalist and author. ...
A district attorney is, in some U.S. jurisdictions, the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ...
A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ...
On February 14, 2006 the jury came back after 5 days of deliberations and told Judge Collins that they were deadlocked and unable to reach an unanimous verdict. The judge then declared a mistrial. The next day it was revealed that the jury voted 10-2 in favor of acquit. Judge Collins set to hear a motion to listen to arguments for an acquittal on March 7, 2006 [2]. February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
A jury is a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial verdict and a finding of fact on a legal question officially submitted to them, or to set a penalty or judgment in a jury trial of a court of law. ...
This article refers to legal deliberation; for other meanings of the word refer to its Wiktionary entry. ...
Unanimity is a complete agreement by everyone. ...
March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in Leap years). ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
On March 7, 2006, Judge Collins dismissed all charges against Waterman, ruling that Waterman's videotaped testimony on the day of her arrest, the main reason for her indictment, was coerced. She later upheld her decision on 20 March 2006, in response to a prosecution motion to re-consider her earlier decision. The state said they planned to appeal the decision to the state appeal court. March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in Leap years). ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Online journal The case became well-known on the Internet, because before the alleged crime Waterman had maintained a public journal on the widely-read Livejournal web site. The last entry, which has since been removed from public view, was posted on November 18, 2004 and read: LiveJournal (often abbreviated LJ) is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal, or diary. ...
Just to let everyone know, my mother was murdered. I won't have computer acess [sic] until the weekend or so because the police took my computer to go through the hard drive. I thank everyone for their thoughts and e-mails, I hope to talk to you when I get my computer back. A diverse group of users, both friends and strangers, have posted over 7,000[3] comments on the journal, positive and negative, transforming the case into an Internet phenomenon dubbed the Livejournal murderer.
Incarceration
 Rachelle Waterman embraces her father after her father posted bail and she was released Waterman was formerly incarcerated at the Lemon Creek correctional facility, in Alaska. She signed an agreement to be placed into the general population. Corrections Deputy Commissioner Portia Parker indicated that Waterman "is an adult in the eyes of the law." Rachelle's father posted her bail on the morning of March 8, 2006. She is currently in his custody. [4] Image File history File links RachelleWatermanFather. ...
Image File history File links RachelleWatermanFather. ...
Alaska law places persons charged with first-degree murder at the age of 16 or older in the adult court system, and most of the records concerning this case are open to the public for inspection.
Psychological analysis 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. You don't have all the responsibilities that are inherent in a face-to-face real, legitimate relationship." This same report pointed out that Waterman had mentioned suicide in her online journal.
References
Waterman on LiveJournal - Rachelle Waterman's LiveJournal The last entry visible is for March 29, 2004. Later entries have been concealed from public access, apparently by a personal friend of Waterman's. (update 3/8/2006 - LiveJournal has been deleted)
- User information for Rachelle Ann Monica Waterman LiveJournal User Information, undated (update 4/3/2006 - User info is unavailable for deleted LiveJournals)
- A semi-complete mirror of Rachelle Waterman's LiveJournal Prior to its removal, SixSixSix.org created a mirror of most of Waterman's LiveJournal.
Police report on the case - Alaska State Department of Public Safety press release on Lauri Waterman murder investigation, November 20, 2004.
Press reports about the case - Complete Courttv.com coverage, Courttv.com January, 2006.
- Daughter charged along with two others in mother's slaying, Juneau Empire online, November 20, 2004.
- Girl arraigned in slaying of her mother, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, November 23, 2004.
- Honor student at plot's core Anchorage Daily News, November 24, 2004.
- Honor student plotted mother's murder, police say, San Angelo Standard Times, November 26, 2004.
- Trio indicted in Waterman death Ketchikan Daily News, November 27, 2004.
- People flock to online journal after 16-year-old's arraignment, Anchorage Daily News, November 28, 2004.
- Teen's Internet diary a cry for help? KTUU (Alaskan NBC Television affiliate), November 29, 2004.
- Daughter, 2 men charged in Craig murder, MSNBC News, November 29, 2004.
- Accused teen gains Internet notoriety, Juneau Empire online, December 12, 2004.
- 'Just to let everyone know, my mother was murdered', Telegraph (UK), December 12, 2004.
- 'Murder trial for teenage girl, two other suspects is rescheduled', Anchorage Daily News, February 3, 2005.
- 'Father torn by grief, loyalty', Anchorage Daily News, August 7th, 2005.
- 'Girl goes free after judge tosses murder indictment', CNN, March 8th, 2006.
Press reports which mention the case within a larger context - Juvenile justice system may get a boost, KTUU (Alaskan NBC television affiliate), November 30, 2004.
- Teens get tough lesson in consequences of crime, KTUU (Alaskan NBC television affiliate), November 30, 2004.
Scholastic affiliations - Craig Academic Decathlon team - 2004 Craig High School, undated.
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