Miami man found guilty of attempted murder, burglary

A jury in southeast Kansas has found a man from Miami, Oklahoma, guilty of several charges stemming from an incident in 2016 when he stabbed a man several times. Read the full press release below:

A Cherokee County Jury deliberated less than two hours Thursday afternoon before returning guilty verdicts of Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Burglary on 38 year-old Brian Waterman.

The charges stem from a May 2016 incident where Waterman entered the home of a Baxter Springs man, stabbed him repeatedly before dousing him with bleach and then fled the scene.

Law enforcement later located and apprehended Waterman hiding under a bed in Miami, Oklahoma, according to testimony presented during the four-day trial held in the Cherokee County Courthouse in Columbus.

“Getting this case to trial is the culmination of a tremendous team effort on the part of law enforcement, our office, and all of the individuals who dutifully remained available over the years and
responded to their subpoenas to appear and testify. I’m obviously pleased with the jury’s decision and encouraged by their dedication to our system of justice. Sacrificing the time required as a juror is never
easy but is essential and the entire community should be grateful. I know the verdict will help provide some form of closure to the victim’s family,” stated Cherokee County Attorney Nathan Coleman who prosecuted the case along with Deputy County Attorney Kurt Benecke.