Pennsylvania man accused of kidnapping woman, killing her in Nevada

Federal authorities have filed charges against a Pennsylvania man accused of kidnapping a woman, then taking her to Lincoln County, Nevada, and killing her.

Authorities previously said the victim, Jamie Feden, 33, was tied to a sign post in rural Lincoln County, then asphyxiated when her assailant placed duct tape over her nose and mouth.

On Friday, the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, Nicholas Trutanich, issued a news release saying John Matthew Chapman, 40, of Pennsylvania, was charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. Chapman currently is in custody in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where he faces an initial appearance in federal court on March 2.

In a criminal complaint against Chapman filed on Nov. 14, police in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, said they conducted a welfare check on Feden at the request of a friend. Acquaintances said they had not seen her or her van in months, but they had seen a man they believed to be Chapman entering and leaving Feden’s residence.

“Inside the victim’s residence, officers found a fake CIA identification card with Chapman’s name and photograph, the victim’s cellular telephone, multiple zip ties, and a roll of duct tape,” the press release states.

Authorities also said a family member thought they were communicating with Feden through Facebook at the time, but an investigation showed Chapman was posing as Feden on the social media service. Authorities said Chapman subsequently confessed to killing Feden when interviewed by Bethel Park police.

“Chapman admitted that in September 2019 he drove the victim from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to Las Vegas, Nevada,” the press release states. “He further admitted that he misled the victim to believe the trip was a vacation and they would potentially purchase a residence in Las Vegas. Chapman, however, had planned to kill the victim and had a ‘kill kit’ ready before their departure to Nevada.

“Chapman told investigators that he drove the victim out to the desert in Lincoln County, Nevada,” the press release continued. “Under the pretext of a photo shoot, he bound her hands and feet with plastic zip ties and affixed her to a signpost. He then applied duct tape to her mouth and nose, and watched her die from asphyxiation.”

The victim was eventually identified by the Clark County coroner’s office. Chapman could face a death sentence if convicted.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.