John Matthew Chapman Sentenced to Life: He Lured His Girlfriend to a Nevada Desert for a Fake Photoshoot and Murdered Her

A married man from Pennsylvania has been sentenced to life in prison.

He convinced his girlfriend to drive with him to Nevada, where he tied her to a signpost and watched her die.

John Matthew Chapman was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death for the 2019 death of 33-year-old Jaime Feden. 

The conviction was announced in May 2024, and Chapman was sentenced on Friday, August 2.

Attorney Jason M. Frierson said that the defendant betrayed the victim’s trust by luring her away from her family and friends in Pennsylvania and into the Nevada desert, where he brutally killed her.

“This sentence should send a clear message to others that kidnapping and killing another person will result in a substantial prison sentence”, Attorney Jason said.

Jaime Feden

According to official documents, Chapman told Feden they were driving from Pennsylvania to Nevada in September 2019 to possibly buy a home in Las Vegas. 

However, prosecutors said that Chapman had planned to kill Feden before the trip.

When they arrived in Nevada, Chapman convinced Feden to drive into the desert for a "bondage photoshoot."

Once there, prosecutors said Chapman zip-tied Feden’s hands and feet to a signpost.

After tying her, he covered her nose and mouth with duct tape and then watched as Feden suffocated.

After she had died, Chapman removed the tape, zip ties, and her clothes, and left her body in the desert. 

Prosecutors said that Chapman then drove back to Pennsylvania, disposing of Feden’s clothes along the way.

Her body was found on October 5, 2019, about a month after her death.

In November 2019, a friend of Feden requested a welfare check.

Neighbors told police that Feden hadn't been seen for months.

They also told police they had seen someone they believed to be her boyfriend coming in and out of her home in Bethel Park, PA.

Inside Feden’s home, police found Chapman’s ID, Feden’s cell phone, and several rolls of duct tape and zip ties.

After police investigated her disappearance, Chapman was arrested.

 He confessed to killing Feden for money.

After returning to Pennsylvania from Nevada, prosecutors said Chapman stayed in Feden’s house and spent her money. 

He also impersonated her and used her Facebook account.

Her obituary describes Jaime as "resilient, kind, loving, and strong-willed." 

It continues, "She left this earth too soon for us to fully comprehend, but we must believe that God has a purpose, and Jaime is still among us fulfilling hers."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. 

The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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