Chapman has admitted to killing Ms Feden for money. (Representative pic)
A US man, who convinced his girlfriend to drive to a desert, where he then tied her to a post and watched her die, has been sentenced to life in prison. According to People, the incident took place in 2019. On Friday, John Matthew Chapman, 44, was convicted on one count of kidnapping resulting in the death of the woman, identified as 33-year-old Jaime Feden. He was arrested in November 2019, following which he admitted to killing his girlfriend for money.
“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 US Attorney Jason M Frierson in a statement. “This sentence should send a clear message to others that kidnapping and killing another person will result in a substantial prison sentence,” he added.
Citing a federal criminal complaint, the outlet reported that the 44-year-old initially told Ms Feden they were driving to Nevada from Pennsylvania to potentially buy a home in Las Vegas in September 2019. While in Nevada, he then convinced Ms Feden to drive into the desert to participate in a “bandage photoshoot”.
Once there, prosecutors said that Chapman zip-tied Ms Feden’s hands and feet to a signpost before covering her nose and mount with duct tape. He watched Ms Feden suffocate, and then after she had died, he removed the tape, zip ties and her clothes and left her body in the desert.
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Prosecutors said that Chapman had a plan to kill Ms Feden before they went on the trip. Ms Feden’s body was found in the desert in October 2019. According to prosecutors, after committing the crime, Chapman drove back to Pennsylvania, discarding Ms Feden’s clothes along the way.
In November 2019, Ms Feden’s friend requested a welfare check. Neighbours told the cops they hadn’t seen the 33-year-old for months, but they also said that had seen someone they believed to be her boyfriend coming in and out of her home.
Inside the woman’s house, cops found Chapman’s ID, Ms Feden’s cell phone and multiple rolls of duct tape and zip ties.
Following his arrest, prosecutors said Chapman admitted to killing Ms Feden for money.