Man sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping Pittsburgh-area woman, killing her in Nevada desert

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A man will spend life in prison after he was convicted of kidnapping a woman from Bethel Park in 2019 and "viciously" killing her in the Nevada desert. 

John Chapman was sentenced to life in prison in connection with the death of 33-year-old Jaime Feden, the Department of Justice announced on Friday. A jury found him guilty of kidnapping resulting in death after an eight-day trial in May. 

Chapman told investigators that in September of 2019, he drove Feden from Bethel Park to Las Vegas. Police said Chapman intended to kill Feden but he told her that they were going on vacation and might look at homes to buy together.

According to investigators, once in Nevada, Chapman took Feden out to the desert and zip-tied her to a signpost "under the pretext of a bondage photoshoot." Prosecutors said Chapman put duct tape over Feden's nose and mouth then watched her die. 

When he got back to Pennsylvania, authorities said Chapman pretended to be Feden on Facebook and used her home and money. Police started investigating Chapman after a friend of Feden's requested a welfare check in November. Neighbors told police that they hadn't seen Feden for about two months but had seen Chapman going in and out of her house. 

"The defendant violated the victim's trust by luring her away from her family and friends in Pennsylvania and out into the Nevada desert where he viciously killed her," said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. "This sentence should send a clear message to others that kidnapping and killing another person will result in a substantial prison sentence. Thank you to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their hard work in bringing justice for the victim's family."