AUBURN, Washington – An alleged serial killer in Washington state faces new murder charges after authorities revealed that he may have used a similar scheme to kill all four of his victims by luring them to help him find buried treasure. 40-year-old Richard Bradley Jr, already facing trial for murder charges in the death of 44-year-old Brandi Blake since 2021, now faces additional charges in the deaths of three more people. One victim was identified from buried ribs on Bradley’s 160-acre Game Farm Park in Auburn, matched to his mother using DNA.
Authorities believe that all four victims were killed after falling for Bradley’s tale that he needed their help to dig up buried gold in a wooded area of his farm. The victims were then killed, and their possessions, including their cars, were stolen by Bradley. The scheme came to light in murder charges filed this month in the deaths of Emilio Maturin, Michael Goeman, and his 31-year-old son Vance Lakey. Bradley has also been charged with arson for allegedly offering a man $1,000 to set fire to Goeman and Lakey’s Dodge Durango after it had been impounded.
According to prosecutors, the victims had come into money just before their deaths. Goeman had received a substantial inheritance, Blake had won $20,000 at a casino, and Maturin always carried large amounts of drugs and cash. Despite skepticism, Maturin, who went to visit Bradley with a pound of heroin and $15,000 in cash, never returned. He was reported missing by his girlfriend in August 2019. His girlfriend tracked his phone to Bradley’s farm, and police later spotted his parked BMW and waited for the driver. Bradley was arrested after a car and foot chase.
Bradley is scheduled to stand trial next month for Brandi Blake’s death and now faces a total of two counts of premeditated first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and second-degree arson. He has not yet entered a plea for the new charges.