Pennsylvania man sentenced to life in prison for killing woman found buried in Nevada desert

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KOLO) – A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping a woman, driving her to Nevada and killing her in the Lincoln County, Nevada desert.

John Matthew Chapman was convicted in May of this year on one count of kidnapping resulting in death.

“The defendant violated the victim’s trust by taking her away from her family and friends in Pennsylvania and into the Nevada desert, where he brutally killed her,” said U.S. 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. We thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for their hard work in achieving justice for the victim’s family.”

“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for the cruel and brutal murder of an innocent young woman,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office. “We hope this provides a sense of closure to the victim’s family, while reaffirming the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to seek justice for those affected by violence.”

The court found that on November 14, 2019, the Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department conducted a welfare check on the victim at the request of a friend. Neighbors said they had not seen the victim in approximately two months, but saw Chapman entering and leaving the residence.

Inside the victim’s residence, police found an identification card with Chapman’s name and photo, the victim’s cell phone, several zip ties and a roll of duct tape.

Chapman was arrested and interviewed on November 15, 2019. He told police that in September 2019, he drove the victim from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to Las Vegas under the premise of going on vacation before purchasing a residence in Las Vegas.

Chapman, however, had planned to kill the victim. He told police he had driven her to the desert in Lincoln County, Nevada. Then, under the guise of a bondage photo shoot, he bound the victim’s hands and feet with plastic zip ties and secured her to a sign post. Chapman then applied duct tape to her mouth and nose and watched her die of asphyxiation.

Chapman then returned to Pennsylvania, where he posed as the victim, using her Facebook messaging account, residence and money.

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