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Court documents: Arnold suspect "choked her out"

Posted: Feb 17, 2012 6:21 PM by News Staff (KTVQ Billings)
Updated: Feb 17, 2012 8:06 PM


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SIDNEY- Detailed court documents have been released in the abduction and murder of Sidney teacher Sherry Arnold.

The documents reveal that Michael Spell confessed to investigating agents that he and Lester Waters Jr. abducted Sherry Arnold while she was jogging and killed her.

According to Spell confession, Waters was smoking crack cocaine on the morning of Saturday, January 7th, the same morning Arnold went missing.

Spell told authorities Waters told him crack cocaine brought "the devil" out in him and he (Waters) was capable of doing anything while using crack cocaine. Spell said that Waters then began talking about kidnapping and killing a female.

The documents state that Spell said Waters was driving through a town when they observed a female running along the road. Spell said Waters told him to grab the lady and pull her into the Explorer as she jogged by.

When Spell forced her into the vehicle, Spell said the female struggled and her shoe fell off. Spell said Waters got into the back seat with the female and "choked her out."

According to the report, Spell advised that Waters said he would kill Spell and his family if Spell ever told anyone what happened.

Spell confessed that the two men then apparently threw Arnold's clothing in a dumpster at Lonnie's Truck Stop across the street from Walmart in Williston.

Spell said he and Waters drove to a rural area outside of Williston and dropped off Sherry Arnold's body. The two then returned to Williston and purchased a shovel at Walmart.

The two returned to the female's body, and Spell said Waters made him dig a hole two or three feet deep, and then they placed the her body in the hole. Spell said the grave site was at the end of a shelter belt on an old farmstead in a rural, isolated area outside of Williston.

Evidence collected has been submitted to the federal crime lab for testing. Authorities are continuing to search for Sherry Arnold's body.

Both Waters and Spell are facing a charge of felony aggravated kidnapping.

Topics: Sherry Arnold, abduction, disappearance

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