Photo: Maleng Regional Justice Center
A Washington state man who was charged in a 2021 murder case is now accused of three more killings and luring his victims by asking them for help digging up buried gold, KOMO reports.
Prosecutors have filed more murder charges against 40-year-old Richard Bradley Jr., who's currently awaiting trial in the death of 44-year-old Brandi Blake. The suspect has been accused of killing 59-year-old Michael Goeman, 31-year-old Vance Lakey, who's Goeman's son, and 36-year-old Emilio Maturin.
According to court documents obtained by reporters, Bradley allegedly murdered his victims with the same method, which began with requesting their help in digging up a stash of stolen gold. Prosecutors claim the defendant would then bring the victims out to a wooded area, kill them, and then steal their vehicles and possessions inside.
Reporters said Bradley was charged with first-degree murder in May 2021 after Blake's body was found in a shallow grave in Game Farm Park in Auburn. She went missing earlier that month after winning $20,000 at a casino, prosecutors stated. Three human ribs were also discovered at the scene.
In March 2021, Goeman and Lakey were reportedly found shot to death on an unmaintained road not far from the same park.
Charging documents state Maturin was last seen alive in July 2019. His girlfriend told investigators she overheard Bradley allegedly telling Maturin “he needed help digging up some buried gold in Auburn." Despite his skepticism, Maturin reportedly agreed to Bradley's request and left in his recently purchased BMW that day with roughly $15,000 in cash.
Authorities found an unregistered BMW several hours later that day. Bradley returned to the vehicle but got into a car and foot chase with authorities, reporters learned. Maturin was reported missing two weeks later, and Bradley was declared a person of interest in his disappearance. The ribs found in the park reportedly matched Maturin's DNA.
Prosecutors noted that both Maturin and Blake were known to carry large amounts of cash on them, and Goeman just received a large inheritance before he and and his son's murder.
Bradley was officially charged with three more counts of murder in the deaths of Maturin, Goeman, and Lakey earlier this month.