Washington man accused of killing 4 by luring victims with promises of buried gold, authorities say

By Eric Levenson and Cheri Mossburg, CNN

(CNN) — A man from Washington state is facing four murder charges for allegedly luring victims into the woods with the promise of buried gold before killing them, dumping their bodies and stealing their vehicles, according to court documents.

Richard Walter Bradley, 40, was first charged with murder in May 2021 in Brandi Blake’s death, then earlier this month, he was charged in the killing of Emilio Raul Maturin, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said in a court filing earlier this month they planned to also charge Bradley with murder in the deaths of Michael Goeman and Vance Lakey. Since then, two additional murder charges have been filed but CNN was not able to immediately verify the charges related to Goeman and Lakey.

The killings all had a “common scheme,” King County senior deputy prosecuting attorney Thomas C. O’Ban II wrote in a charging document filed in early December.

“(He) tells an individual that he needs their help digging up gold, lures them out to a wooded area, alone with him, murders them, and buries/leaves their body deep in the park,” O’Ban wrote. “After completing his murder, the defendant takes possession of the victim’s vehicle and anything inside the vehicle, and is seen driving that vehicle in the hours/days after the victim is missing.”

Authorities found Blake’s buried body in May 2021 at the Game Farm Wilderness Park in Auburn, Washington, a probable cause affidavit states. A freshly dug empty hole, a pick and a shovel were also located nearby, the document states.

Detectives also found three rib bones from an unrelated person about 30 feet away, the documents state. DNA testing on those bones matched Maturin, who was last seen in July 2019.

Several witnesses told police Bradley had told the victims prior to their disappearances he needed their help finding gold he had buried in the woods, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Further, Maturin’s girlfriend told police he was driving a white BMW the day he was last seen, and Bradley was later seen driving a white BMW near the Game Farm Park, the document states. Similarly, several witnesses told police Bradley was seen driving Blake’s Ford Mustang after she went missing, according to the document.

Prosecutors said in the court filings they also planned to charge Bradley with murder in the deaths of Goeman and Lakey, whose bodies were found in 2021 in a different wooded area in Auburn. Two small shovels were found next to their decaying bodies, and Bradley was seen driving the victims’ car and motorcycle after their disappearance, prosecutors wrote.

Last week, two additional murder charges were filed against Bradley but the King County Prosecutor’s Office could not immediately verify the charges were related to Goeman and Lakey.

Then last week, additional murder charges were filed against Bradley. was charged with murder in the deaths of Goeman and Lakey, whose bodies were found in 2021 in a different wooded area in Auburn, according to prosecutors in charging documents. Two small shovels were found next to their decaying bodies, and Bradley was seen driving the victims’ car and motorcycle after their disappearance, prosecutors wrote.

Bradley had earlier pleaded not guilty in Blake’s killing, and he pleaded not guilty last week in Maturin’s killing, according to court documents.

His attorney, Peter Geisness, has not responded to a request for comment.

Bradley has previous convictions for robbery, attempt to elude, vehicular assault and burglary, among other charges, according to court documents.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.