LAS VEGAS (LOOTPRESS) – A man from Pennsylvania received a life sentence after a federal jury convicted him of kidnapping a woman in Pennsylvania, driving her to Nevada, and murdering her in the desert.
Following an eight-day trial in May 2024, John Matthew Chapman was found guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death. United States District Judge James C. Mahan oversaw the trial and imposed the maximum sentence. “The defendant betrayed the victim’s trust by luring her away from her family and friends in Pennsylvania to the Nevada desert, where he brutally killed her,” stated United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada.
“This sentence should clearly communicate that kidnapping and murder will lead to severe penalties. We appreciate the efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners in achieving justice for the victim’s family.” “Today’s sentencing holds the defendant responsible for the cold and brutal murder of an innocent young woman,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.
“We hope this brings some closure to the victim’s family and reaffirms the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to seek justice for victims of violence.” Court documents and trial evidence revealed that on November 14, 2019, the Bethel Park Police Department in Pennsylvania performed a welfare check on the victim at a friend’s request. Neighbors reported they had not seen the victim for about two months but had noticed a man they believed to be her boyfriend (Chapman) coming and going from her home. Inside, officers discovered identification cards with Chapman’s name and picture, the victim’s cell phone, several zip ties, and a roll of duct tape.
On November 15, 2019, detectives from the Bethel Park Police Department arrested and questioned Chapman. He confessed that in September 2019, he transported the victim from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to Las Vegas, Nevada. He misled her into believing the trip was a vacation and that they might buy a house in Las Vegas. However, Chapman had intended to kill her before they left for Nevada. He admitted to driving the victim to the desert in Lincoln County, Nevada, under the guise of a bondage photo shoot, where he bound her hands and feet with plastic zip ties, attached her to a signpost, covered her mouth and nose with duct tape, and watched her die from asphyxiation.
The investigation revealed that Chapman returned to Pennsylvania and impersonated the victim, even using her Facebook Messenger account, while continuing to use her home and finances after her death.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, and the Bethel Park Police Department in Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady, Megan Rachow, and Steven Rose prosecuted the case.
