Body Believed To Be Missing Bethel Park Woman Reveals No Clues About Her Murder
BETHEL PARK, Pa. (KDKA) - A man who allegedly admitted to murdering his Bethel Park girlfriend near Las Vegas won't be charged until a body found in Clark County can be identified.
Police say 39-year-old John Chapman is facing multiple charges, including kidnapping, in the disappearance of 33-year-old Jaime Feden who was last seen Sept. 15.
According to the criminal complaint, police interviewed Chapman in connection to Feden's disappearance. The criminal complaint identifies Chapman as Feden's boyfriend and says she has a "tumultuous" past with him.
In an interview with police, Chapman allegedly told them that sometime in September, he drove from Bethel Park to Las Vegas, leading Feden to believe the purpose of the trip was a vacation with the "potential of acquiring residence" in Las Vegas.
#NEW: The Nevada coroner tells me the pathologist still have not positively ID'd the "Jane Doe" body believed to be Jamie Feden of Bethel Park.
Details at 5 on @KDKA pic.twitter.com/XQAnchasKC— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 18, 2019
Police say Chapman's real motivation was to murder Feden during this trip.
Champan told police he convinced Feden to drive to the desert. Once out there, police say Chapman admitted to using zip ties to bind Feden's hands and feet before tying her to a signpost.
He then allegedly told police he put duct tape over her mouth and nose, suffocating her.
After talking to Chapman, a detective contacted the Clark County Nevada Coroners Office, which said they did find a dead, unidentified woman on Oct. 5. They say the description matches Feden's description and there is "sufficient evidence" to believe Feden is the unidentified woman.
The Nevada coroner tells KDKA's Meghan Schiller that they have yet to positively identify that body, but he believes it matches the body of missing Jaime Feden.
The tattoos match, the surgeries match and the very small stature matches as well.
According to police, Feden lived with VATER Syndrome, which produces defects to several parts of the body.
#BREAKING: The Clark County, Nevada Coroner now tells me they've had zero luck with the discovered body's teeth and no luck w/ any fingerprints—so they will now try to match the DNA of the body with Jamie Feden's brother in order to to ID her body. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/2KFSUSFkHI
— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) November 18, 2019
The coroner says he hasn't been able to identify her from her teeth or her fingerprints. Forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht says that sounds right. It wasn't until early October that a passerby called 911 to report a "dead child."
"Seven to 10 days in the desert outside of Las Vegas would have produced significant changes in the body. The dehydration. The shrinkage," Wecht says.
Now, since the case involves criminal prosecution, the coroner tells Meghan Schiller they will try to match the body's DNA with Feden's brother. They will be looking for "genetic markers" to determine the body is Jaime's.
Until that happens, there likely won't be any additional charges against Chapman. Despite his confession, he hasn't been charged with homicide.
Meghan Schiller says it could take two to three more weeks for the body's identity to be confirmed.