Las Vegas BDSM Desert Photoshoot Turns into Murder — True Crime
He told his girlfriend that he wanted to take her to Las Vegas for a vacation . . . while he packed his murder kit.
John Matthew Chapman, 39, a married man living in Maryland, is accused of abducting his girlfriend, Jaime Rae Feden.
Jamie Rae Feden was a 33-year-old woman with limited capacities who lived in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Jamie was a small woman, barely over four feet tall, and weighed only 75 pounds. She also suffered from a rare congenital condition, VATER Syndrome.
VATER Syndrome — Wikipedia says it refers to a recognized group of congenital disabilities that tend to co-occur. Each child with this condition can be unique. No specific genetic or chromosome problem has been identified with VACTERL Association. Include, Vertebral anomalies, Anorectal malformations, Cardiovascular anomalies, Tracheoesophageal fistula, Esophageal atresia, Renal or Radial anomalies, and Limb defects . . . which is where the name VACTERL comes from.
September 2019
Friends had last seen Jamie on September 15, before her trip to Las Vegas with her boyfriend Chapman. He had told her it was going to be a vacation for the two of them as he looked for a house to buy.
November 13, 2019
Neighbors started spotting Chapman coming and going from Jamie’s house, but no one saw her.
When friends and family tried calling Jamie, they would only get her voicemail. She never returned any of their calls. Instead, she responded via Facebook messenger.
But those who knew her said the speech patterns were off, saying the messages didn’t sound like her.
So her family decided to prove it wasn’t Jamie. Her cousin sent a message to Jamie saying that “Uncle Ralph” had died. They got a response back saying, “I’m sorry. When did he die?” They text again saying that he died “yesterday,” and that “gram” had been trying to get ahold of her. These were untrue statements that the real Jamie would have known.
Finally, they got a response back from whoever was pretending to be Jamie, “I’m sorry to be distant, but the way everyone has treated me, I don’t feel like part of the family anymore.”
Then whoever was controlling Jamie’s accounts said she had a new number.
Champman had started to feel the pressure from Police since a friend of Jamie’s had been calling them saying they needed to speak to Champman about her disappearance. These calls prompted Chapman to retaliate and threaten the friend.
Police later would find out that Jamie’s so-called new number was just Chapman’s number being masked.
November 14, 2019
Friends called the Bethel Park Police asking for them to perform a welfare check on Jamie’s residence since they had not physically seen her since the middle of September.
The Police called Chapman, asking him about Jamie’s whereabouts. He claimed he had spoken to Jamie and had urged her to call her family, and he said he would ask her to call the Police.
The next day Chapman called back into the Bethel Park Police, where he gave “false and conflicting information” about Jamie’s status, the Police said.
Champman’s changing stories prompted the Police to arrest John Matthew Chapman in the disappearance of Jamie Rae Feden. He was charged with kidnapping.
Confession
Once pulled into the police station Chapman confessed. He said that he lied to Jamie about the reason for their trip to Las Vegas. He admitted that he had planned to kill her before leaving Pittsburgh, saying he had a “kill kit” packed in the car.
They arrived in Las Vegas on September 23, 2019, and spent a couple of days visiting sites.
Then two days later, on the 25th of September, he drove them into the desert outside of Las Vegas. He had told her he wanted to do a photoshoot of her in bondages.
Once in the desert, he tied her feet and hands with zip ties. While she was unable to fight back, he then tied her body to a signpost. While she was at his mercy, he proceeded to cover her mouth and nose with duct tape.
“He then watched [her] die from asphyxiation,” quoted in an FBI complaint based on Chapman’s confession.
After he determined she was dead, he removed the zip ties and unbound her from the post. Then he stripped her fully naked and left her lying in the desert.
He got back in his car and started making the trip back to the east coast. Chapman said that he tossed her belongings and clothing throughout the drive across the country.
Body of Proof
On October 5, 2019, an unidentified body had been found in Lincoln County in the desert. After receiving the confession from Chapman, they were able to match the body through dental records to Jamie.
Evidence Obtained
When Police searched Jamie’s house, that Chapman had been living in since her death, they found quite a bit of strange evidence.
1 | The Kill Kit — Chapman had brought his kit back with him that contained his zip ties, restraints, and duct tape.
2 | Fake ID — next to the book bag containing his kill kit, they found fake CIA credentials in Chapman’s name.
3 | Photos — on Chapman’s cell phone, they found photos of Jamie standing in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign that was dated September 24, 2019. They also found a picture for the following day of Jamie tied to the signpost where her body would be found.
4 | Girlfriend — Police found a woman who claims that she and Chapman had been dating. She had been to Jamie’s house, where Chapman told her it had belonged to an uncle of his who had passed away. He also told her he was a guard at the Allegheny County Jail.
The Killer’s Wife Speaks Out
Maureen Chapman talked to WPXI in Pittsburgh after her husband’s arrest. “He said he had murdered a woman. I was in disbelief.”
She said that he had called her after he was arrested and confessed to her. Saying, “I killed her because I had too.”
His wife says she was taken completely by surprise that her husband was leading a “double life.”
Maureen said that her husband had told her he was going to Las Vegas on a work trip, then never came home. She did not comment on where she thought he was in the months that followed.
Previous Convictions
In 2014 Chapman had been brought before the federal court in Pittsburgh for wire fraud. He was found guilty and served 18 months in prison.
Upcoming Court Dates
As of now, Chapman is scheduled to appear before US Magistrate Judge Maureen Kelly on March 2, 2020. This will be his initial hearing for new federal charges that have been brought against him since his arrest.
At this time, he has not been charged with murder; they are waiting for further information. If he is charged, Chapman will most likely be extradited to Nevada to stand trial.
*UPDATE*
On May 19, 2020, John Chapman was indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas. He is being charged with one count kidnapping, which resulted in the death of the victim.
His next appearance will be in the US District Court on May 29, 2020.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like some other stories published on True Crime Addiction . . .
Also, follow True Crime Addiction on Facebook to never miss a new story!
