Officials In Nevada Positively Identify Remains Of Jaime Feden
CLARK COUNTY (KDKA) -- Officials said the body found in a Nevada desert has been positively identified as Jaime Feden.
The Clark County Nevada Coroner confirmed Thursday the 33-year-old's identity through dental records and her family has been notified. Officials will no longer send out for DNA analysis for positive identification.
Feden was last seen in Bethel Park on Sept. 15. John Chapman is accused of kidnapping and killing Feden.
The criminal complaint reports that Chapman told police he convinced Feden to drive to the desert in September.
Once out there, police say Chapman admitted to using zip ties to bind Feden's hands and feet before tying her to a signpost.
"Pretty cold and calculated that someone would take somebody like this out into the desert and do what they allegedly did," Lincoln County Nevada Sheriff Kerry Lee told KDKA News.
Chapman also allegedly told police he put duct tape over her mouth and nose, suffocating her.
"It didn't appear there was any attempt to hide the body," Sheriff Lee said. "The body was just 25, 30 yards off the dirt road and seven-tenths of a mile off the main highway."
A Nevada detective contacted the Clark County Coroners Office and said they found a dead, unidentified woman on Oct. 5.
They said the description matched Feden's description.
"A big one is because of her physical characteristics. She is very petite and very tiny, which matched the remains we had located," said Sheriff Lee. "We were also able to compare tattoos from Jaime Feden to our remains."
The Lincoln County Sheriff said it was also evident, based on examining Jaime's body, that she had had multiple surgeries and metal implanted in her spine.
The criminal complaint identifies Chapman as Feden's boyfriend and says she has a "tumultuous" past with him.
The Lincoln County Sheriff will be sending deputies to Pennsylvania to continue investigating.
If homicide charges end up being filed, the case will be handled in Nevada.
Chapman would be extradited to Nevada if charged with homicide.
"I'll have officers fly out to Pennsylvania. They'll meet with law enforcement out there," Sheriff Lee said. "Get an arrest warrant for the suspect, and we would have to extradite him back to Nevada for homicide murder charges."
The Lincoln County District Attorney would be responsible for filing additional charges against Chapman.
If that happens, officers would travel to Bethel Park to conduct interviews and then ultimately extradite Chapman from the Allegheny County Jail to Nevada.
The Las Vegas office of the FBI is also assisting with the investigation.
I just got off the phone with the Lincoln County Sheriff in Nevada. He said he will be sending sheriff's deputies out to Pennsylvania to continue investigating. If homicide charges end up being filed, the case will be handled in Nevada.
— Amy Wadas (@AmyWadas) November 22, 2019