A man from Washington state has been charged in the murder of four victims, whom authorities say he led into the woods under the promise of finding treasure.
The 40-year-old man is said to have killed a woman after drawing her into a forested region of Seattle. He promised his unsuspecting victim that buried gold awaited them in the depths of the woods before murdering her.
Serial Killer Runs Rampaent in Seattle
Investigators working on the case suspect that 40-year-old Richard W. Bradley Jr. committed the killings between 2019 and 2021.
According to their reports, they all took place in the area of Auburn, a King County city approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.
Seattle Killer Arrested
Bradley was finally arrested in May 2021 before being charged with the murder of Brandi Blake. The 44-year-old woman’s body was found in Game Farm Park in Auburn, according to court documents.
It was later brought to light that Bradley may have killed at least three other people over a two-year period from 2019 to 2021.
Luring Victims into the Woods
Prosecutors allege Bradley used the same plan in all of his killings. He would lure his victims into wooded areas, claiming he needed help to exhume his gold.
Once alone and deep enough into the forest, Bradley would then kill his unsuspecting victims and bury their bodies in the park.
Witnesses Knew About the Scheme
Documents signed by a King County Sheriff’s detective have revealed that investigators interviewed numerous witnesses who had heard about Bradley’s terrifying scheme.
Others came forward and claimed they even saw Bradley driving the victim’s vehicles after their disappearance.
The Accused Pleads Not Guilty
Bradley claims he is innocent and has pleaded not guilty to the crimes of killing four people on three separate occasions.
The accused serial killer is currently being held in jail without bail as he awaits the resolution of his case, according to court records.
First Murder Takes Place in 2019
According to investigators, the first murder likely happened in July 2019, after Emilio Raul Maturin was reported missing.
His girlfriend told police that she’d heard Maturin and Bradley discussing a “sketchy” plan to get the gold at the time (via USA Today).
Maturin Drove Bradley In Brand-New BMW
She alleges that the conversation happened on July 18. According to the girlfriend’s report, Maturin eventually agreed to go, taking Bradley to the location in his brand-new BMW.
Maturin’s girlfriend followed his phone location to Game Farm Park. Yet, after a short search, she “got scared and left,” per court documents.
Two Years Before Any Sign of Maturin Was Discovered
Two years after Maturin disappeared, police were searching the park for Blake when they came across three rib bones close by the location of Blake’s body.
Medical examiners conducted tests and determined the bones were human. Later, DNA testing concluded that the ribs had a high probability of belonging to Maturin. Bradley was charged with his murder on Dec. 5 (via The Associated Press).
Other Victims of the Plan
Other victims include a father and son, Michael Goeman, 59, and Vance Lakey, 31, who were lured into the woods.
Two small shovels were found next to these victims. Bradley was spotted driving the victims’ car and motorcycle, according to witness statements.
Bradley Pays Man to Set Fire to SUV
The father and son were found shot on a road near the park in March 2021, per The Associated Press. Bradley then became a person of interest.
He was charged that May with second-degree arson after offering a man $1,000 to set fire to the father and son’s impounded SUV.
Motive Behind the Killings
According to The Associated Press, all of the victims had large sums of money either on them or in their names before they were killed. Blake, for instance, had just won a large jackpot at a casino before her death.
Investigators believe this could have motivated Bradley to lure his victims into the woods before killing them. If convicted of the charges, the accused faces life in prison.
