John Matthew Chapman married Maryland man charged with murder of Bethel Park, Pa. girlfriend, Jamie Rae Feden: a double life lived.
A married Maryland man ‘living a double life’ has been charged with kidnapping and killing his Pennsylvania girlfriend after luring her to the Nevada desert, where he says he tied her to a post and suffocated her last year, according to federal court documents.
The FBI charged John Matthew Chapman, 39, with kidnapping resulting in death in a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District court.
Chapman is accused of kidnapping and murdering 33-year-old Jamie Rae Feden, of Bethel Park, Penn., last September. Her body was identified in November, a month after her remains were found in the desert.
Chapman was arrested in November in Pennsylvania, and told police he took Feden on a cross-country road trip to Las Vegas to look at homes, FOX5 Las Vegas reported, citing court documents.
Chapman came up with the plan to kill Feden before they left Pennsylvania, and even had a ‘kill kit’ ready, the document said. Authorities have alleged his motive was money.
He told police he lured Feden out to the desert under the guise of a bondage photoshoot, according to the documents. He told police he used zip ties to bind Feden’s hands and feet and tied her to a signpost. He then covered her mouth and nose with duct tape and watched her suffocate.
He removed the zip ties, tape and Feden’s clothing before leaving her body near the signpost and driving back to Pennsylvania, the documents stated.
Married man eventually caught out:
Feden was just over 4 feet tall and weighed 75 pounds, police said. She suffered from VATER syndrome, a rare congenital condition. The letters stand for vertebrae, anus, trachea, esophagus and renal (or kidneys), which are the areas of the body that are affected.
While Feden was missing, Chapman lived in her house and sent her family messages on Facebook to cover up her death, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Chapman was busted after a friend contacted Bethel Park police on Nov. 14 for a welfare check at Feden’s house because no one had seen her since Sept. 15.
Ms. Feden was not answering calls on her cellphone. She did, however, apparently respond to messages on Facebook Messenger, but her cousin said she didn’t believe it was Ms. Feden because the speaking style was different from hers.
Living a double life:
After Chapman was taken into custody, he called his wife, Maureen, telling her, ‘I killed her because I had to,’ Maureen told WPXI-TV at the time. She said her husband was ‘living a double life’ and had told his family he was going to Las Vegas on a work trip.
A previous report via the dailymail noted Chapman’s Facebook page not mentioning he was married and actively single.
Read the man’s bio: ‘I’m a 39 year old single guy from Pennsylvania. I’ve lived here most of my life. I’m always trying to meet new and interesting people.’
Of note, Chapman had previously been prosecuted in federal court in Pittsburgh for wire fraud and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2014.
Responding to Feden’s murder, Bethel Park Police Chief Timothy O’Connor told Action News4 that the medically challenged victim had unwittingly participated in her own demise.
‘I’d say this is one of the more strangest cases that I’ve encountered in my career and would also say that I think our victim is a very innocent person that was taken advantage of,’ O’Connor said.
‘I would say she struck me as a sweet, gentle soul and she was only around 4 feet tall and I think she was very compassionate. I think her compassion and generosity were taken advantage of in this case.’
Chapman has remained in custody since his arrest. He will appear before a judge next month.