The FBI, along with many law enforcement organizations, including the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office and the Evansville Police Department, continue to investigate Megans case. Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/103.0.0.0 Safari/537.36, Shawn Parrs Backstage Country, Weeknights, President Biden announces new sanctions against Russia, countering Putins invasion of Ukraine, Three out of state residents arrested near Effingham for trafficking drugs. The family called police to report her missing at about 1 am July 4, 2014. (WFIE) - Evansville police say detectives arrested an Evansville man on murder charges in relation to the 2014 disappearance/murder of Megan Nichols. She also left a note saying she loved her mother, but would never be happy at home. Murbarger is awaiting trial for the 2014 slaying of 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. Megan was last seen alive on July 3, 2014, at her . In count three, Murbarger is accused of intentionally or knowingly caused the death of Megan Nichols by manner and means to the Grand Jury unknown, causing the death of Megan Nichols. In Count four, the Concealment of a Homicidal Death alleges that Murbarger knowingly concealed the death of Megan Nichols by causing her body to be buried in a shallow grave in a remote area of Wayne County. The act allegedly occurred on or between July 3, 2014 and December 26, 2017. In counts 5 and 6, Murbarger is accused of Home Invasion in that he allegedly committed a Criminal Sexual Abuse against Megan P. Nichols in that said defendant committed an an act of sexual conduct or sexual penetration with Megan P. Nichols, who was at least 13 years of age but under 17 years of age and the defendant was less than 5 years older than Megan P. Nichols. The owners say theyve grown deeply frustrated because they want to be rid of the property but cant seem to get an acceptable proposal past city officials. Megan, who was featured in Datelines digital series Missing in America shortly after she vanished, was initially considered a missing person. On July 3, 2014, 15-year-old Megan Nichols disappeared from her Fairfield, Illinois home. Murbarger took the stand on Wednesday and testified that Nichols blood was in his car after a sexual encounter in which he used his shirt to clean the blood. Its not just you, Work phones make a comeback as offices ban WhatsApp, TikTok. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. FAIRFIELD, Ill. (WEHT)- Friends and family of Megan Nichols have been on an emotional rollercoaster as her former boyfriend Brodey Murbarger is behind bars, accused of murdering her. The man at the center of a high profile murder case out of Wayne County, Illinois, learned his sentence on Friday. The documents show hes accused of strangling and suffocating Megan and burying her in a shallow grave. Murbarger did address Judge Molt, asking for leniency. The house is one of only seven historical homes in the city, according to Donna Bass, chairwoman of Placentias historical committee. There are many other important things that need to be taken care of financially in Placentia, she said. As they see it, there are only two options left: Sell the property to a builder for development or allow the city to take over the site and pay for the restoration. Brodey Murbarger testified that Megans blood was in his car after a sexual encounter, in which he used his shirt to clean the blood. I had never had someone that I was close to that had died and, you know, that was traumatic," August said. Its one of those things where you kind of always knew it was him," Hold told WFIE. Brodey Murbargers attorney filed a motion on his clients behalf Tuesday. WAYNE COUNTY A 27-year-old former Fairfield man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for strangling his then-high school girlfriend to death nearly 10 years ago. You have permission to edit this article. The charges include three counts of First Degree Murder, one count of Concealment of a Homicidal Death and two counts of Home Invasion. According to the clerk, Murbarger will now be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. Murbargerwas arrestedin connection with Nichols' death in 2020 after she went missing in 2014 at the age of 15. Murbarger had lived in Fairfield, and met Nichols at New Hope School, where he was a senior and she was a sophomore. The plans we submitted before had up to 10 to 14 homes, which was higher density. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. The remains were found in a rural location in Wayne County, Illinois, FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware previously told Dateline. Lee said that when they bought the property, they believed that the city would let them clear the site and build condominiums. 25-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger appeared in a status hearing via Zoom in Wayne County Circuit Court yesterday morning. A farmer found the remains three years after the 15-year-old girl was reported missing. As we previously reported, Brodey Murbarger, the man found guilty of murdering Fairfield teen Megan Nichols, was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Testimony began Tuesday with officers from the Illinois State Police as well as the FBI who conducted separate searches of the car Brodey Murbarger used at the time of Megan Nichols disappearance. Evansville man linked to murder of Megan Nichols, victims friend speaks out, Evansville hotel manager accused of stealing from guest, Silver Alert canceled for elderly Evansville woman, Dispatch: Missing persons case underway after car found under Twin Bridges. Credit: Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, Credit: Evansville Police Department/WFIE, Search for accused Johnson County scammer ends in arrest, Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett remembered on 5 year anniversary of line of duty death, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Record-breaking rain raises ongoing flood concerns, Live Doppler 13 Weather Blog: Mild air returns with more rain, snow returning late week, Datelines digital series Missing in America, Two women missing in southwestern Indiana, Suspect in 1986 cold case dies months after confession. The once-elegant . The defense, however, argued the evidence is speculation and circumstantial. Sep 2019 - Present3 years 5 months. "Which excited is a weird word for something like this, but I think that Ive gotten excited from, Oh, shes been sighted over there, - you know, that kind of thing. [Click here to see the indictment documents obtained by 14 News]. In July, a fire damaged the propertys garage, according to Placentia police. Call or Email Renovari Counseling for a free phone consultation now - (714) 248-0598. The dates of the alleged acts were on or between July 2, 2014 and July 3, 2014 in count 5 and one or more occasions and as a continuing course of action between November 28, 2013 and July 1, 2014. They dont want to pay for the property.. If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megan Nichols death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675. Then in December of 2017, remains were found in a rural area in Illinois. He added that theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. Murbarger, 24 was taken into custody Wednesday morning at his place of employment in Evansville and lodged in the Vanderburgh County jail pending extradition to Illinois to stand trial on multiple charges related to the death. The father and son were asked about blood found in the defendants car prosecutors argued was used to transport Megans body to a rural Boyleston field where it was buried. It used to be luxurious: five bedrooms, a guest house over the garage, a swimming pool, a hot tub and cabana, a lighted tennis court and a covered barbecue. 00:56:29 - On July 3, 2014, 15-year-old Megan Nichols disappeared from her Fairfield, Illinois home. Brodey Murbarger, 24, has been charged with murder, Evansville Police said. Local radio news at noon stated that the Grand Jury indictments cant yet be released. Her biological father was . It wasn't until 2017 that Nichols' remains were discovered in a rural area of Wayne County. Murbarger is strangled and suffocated Megan Nichols to death in her Fairfield home on July 3, 2014, and later buried her body in a shallow grave in a rural part of Wayne County. The Court on Tuesday issued a protective order for Megan Nichols medical records. But the city has vetoed the owners previous proposals for the site, said Jeffrey Lee, spokesman for the group that owns the house. https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/closing-arguments-wrap-up-in-murbarger-murder-trial-jury-to-deliberate/. EVANSVILLE, Ind. WAYNE CO., Ill. (WFIE) - The trial started Monday morning for the man accused in the 2014 murder of Megan Nichols. Brodey Murbarger, man convicted of murdering Wayne County teen Megan Nichols, sentenced to prison, Indiana man arrested in Wayne County teens murder, Man found guilty of murder in Wayne County teen's death, Another Government Agency Being Impersonated by Scammers Calling Tri-Staters, Wayne County Sheriff Locates Student Who Never Came Home From Class, 21-year-old pleaded guilty in designer phone case, Former student-athlete speaks amidst misconduct investigation at a local college, Child dies after falling off cliff at Garden of the Gods, Jury selection begins in trial for man accused of murdering Illinois teen. Opinion: How has American healthcare gone so wrong? WAYNE COUNTY A Wayne County jury has started deliberations in the case charging 26-year-old Brodey Murbarger with the 2014 murder and disappearance of his high school girlfriend Megan Nichols. Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020 and is facing a first-degree murder . To a 15 year old. OSullivan said the messages at first were romantic and sexual in nature and included several references to the couple planning a runaway in mid-2014. The city says the owners should. Brodey Murbarger has been sentenced to prison for the murder of Fairfield, Illinois teen Megan Nichols. A 24 year old is not a former bf. There was a problem saving your notification. In reference to the varying stories, the defense states Murbarger was an awkward teen under a lot of pressure due to rumors circulating of his involvement in Nichols disappearance and would have been flustered during interrogations. Im local to her and her family, local radio just announced that the former boyfriend, Brodey Murbarger, has been arrested in connection with her disappearance and death. After deliberating for more than an hour, a jury found Brodey Murbarger guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Megan Nichols. Bond has been set at $3 million. https://www.14news.com/2022/10/12/ill-murder-suspect-takes-stand-day-8-trial/?outputType=amp. 1 South Carolina women rout Mississippi, reach, MLB pitchers adjusting to quick pace of new pitch, Military prospects see NFL hopes rise after policy, Register your business, school for our weather closing alerts, Developmental DisabilitiesAwareness Month, Charlottes Furniture is Your Stop for La-Z-Boy, 50th Anniversary of National Nutrition Month, Melanie Alberts Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, Hoosier Lottery Walk on the Wild Side 2023, KWC Womens Basketball Ticket Sweepstakes, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, John Mellencamp to donate his archives to Indiana, Trooper killed on I-69, speeding driver arrested, Ukraine: Mourners commemorate 8 men killed in Bucha, 1 killed when business jet encounters severe turbulence, Many trees uprooted across Smith Mills community, Murder suspected after Madisonville mans death, Tri-State storms leave substantial damage in its, Animal shelter dispels dog fighting rumors in Perry, Eyewitness News experiences hours-long power outage, Evansville PD says another officer fell ill during, High winds cause damage across the Tri-State, Suspicious mail leads to large drug bust in Evansville, Man describes seeing roof of St. Joes Church land, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Murbarger. Murdaugh, 54, was found guilty of all four counts against him on Thursday in connection with the deaths of his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, near the dog kennels of. Copyright 2022 WFIE. Follow 44News on Facebook, or download the free 44News apps on Android or Apple devices. Hes accused of strangling and suffocating Nichols and burying her in a shallow grave. The defense team for Murbarger says the evidence in the case is speculation and circumstantial, citing there is no motive for Murbarger to commit murder, and no evidence that Nichols death was due to strangulation. However, theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. The investigator also testified the two were planning to runaway together five months prior to Nichols disappearance. Police say Nichols was initially considered a missing person until her remains were found in a rural area in Wayne County, Illinois in 2018. A pre-trial hearing was held yesterday (Tuesday) via Zoom in Wayne County Circuit Court for 25-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger. While authorities first considered Megan a runaway, according to Dateline, her family didnt agree. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Parlor Doughnuts hold soft opening for new location on Main St. Man arrested on murder charges in Providence. In closing arguments Thursday, prosecutors told the jury Murbargers story has changed several times and that the varying stories contradict each other. The radio station hasnt updated their transcripts yet since this morning. They told the jurors there was no motive for Murbarger to kill Nichols, Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 14_7_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/14.1.2 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1, Shawn Parrs Backstage Country, Weeknights, JEFFERSON COUNTY ARREST REPORTS OCTOBER 13TH, 2022, Odin man pleads guilty in child sex abuse case. Placentia's historical Kraemer house sits abandoned with a broken balcony, boarded-up windows, a weed- and trash-choked lawn and broken glass strewn across the cracked driveway. EVANSVILLE, Ind. one hour of jury deliberation. An abatement order would require the houses owners to repair, rebuild or demolish the house. According to court documents, Brodey Murbarger was indicted on three counts of first degree murder, one count of concealment of homicidal death and two counts of home invasion. From Evansville, IN newsman (formerly of Fairfield): Brodey Ian Murbarger of Evansville, Indiana has been arrested in connection with the murder of his former girlfriend, Megan Nichols. A hearing on all pending motions in the case is scheduled for March 18 with a May 2 setting being eyed as a possible start date for a jury trial. Murbarger had lived in Fairfield, and met Nichols at New Hope School, where he was a senior and she was a sophomore. We will continue to provide updates on the case. Murbarger was found guilty of the murder of Megan Nichols this afternoon after approx. This is a subreddit for those cases of murder that go unsolved for years, even decades. EVANSVILLE, Ind. The house has slid from being a city jewel to a prominent eyesore. Murbarger remains in custody in Indiana pending extradition to Illinois. At the time of Megan's disappearance, Brodey lived in Fairfield and had allegedly been dating the victim. This was an on-record portion of the proceedings, meaning defense, prosecution, and jury were there along with the judge and court reporter. No further details were released. According to NBC News, she was considered a missing person as police said she withdrew money from a bank before her disappearance. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The man at the center of a high profile murder case out of Wayne County, Illinois, learned his sentence on Friday. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Murbarger was arrested in 2020 while working in Indiana. Ill update whenever I get more info. All rights reserved. We're continuing to follow the outcome out of a murder trial that's happening in Wayne County, Illinois. Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020.. I think the Kraemer house has tremendous possibilities, Bass said. Welcome to the subreddit! As Dateline previously reported, the 15-year-old was last seen on July 3, 2014, at her home in Fairfield, Illinois, where she lived with her mother and stepfather. According to authorities, prior to her disappearance, Megan withdrew money from a local bank while on her bicycle. The family, according to Lee and Bass, is not interested in paying to restore the home. The once-elegant 5,872-square-foot house, still flanked by birds-of-paradise bushes, is now a rotting shell. Tesla Mexico plant means $10-billion investment, Nuevo Leon governor says, Assistants kindly request that you stop calling them assistants, Working more on the weekends? Murbarger was arrested in connection with Nichols' death in 2020 after she went missing in 2014 at the age of 15. Evansville, Indiana Area. Police say Nichols was initially considered a missing person until her remains were found in a rural area in Wayne County, Illinois in 2018. It was hard to get a configuration that looks nice, said Lee, adding that the proposal has been drafted but not yet officially submitted to the city. Megan was dating an 18-year-old named Brodey Murbarger, and the relationship had caused a rift between Megan and her mother. Murbarger then said he placed the shirt in the trunk, where leaking water caused the blood to spread. Further, a search warrant for his home was issued. Jury moves outside to see suspects car on day 7 of Ill. murder trial, Evansville hotel manager accused of stealing from guest, Silver Alert canceled for elderly Evansville woman, Dispatch: Missing persons case underway after car found under Twin Bridges. The last tenants were 12 members of Cal State Fullertons Sigma Nu fraternity, who got a conditional-use permit from the city to live there from 1991 to 1997. Then he was going to leave the house and build houses around it. Its really hard to process, August said. At first, he wanted to take down the house, Rosenthal said. Murbarger faces a murder charge after an Illinois grand jury indicted him on September 25, 2020, in connection with Megan Nichols' disappearance and murder, the press release stated. Press J to jump to the feed. His attorney, Christian J. Baril, told Judge Michael Molt and State's Attorney Kevin Kakac the review of discovery materials is going well. More than three years later, the skeletal remains of Megan were found in a shallow grave south of . Nichols had gone missing in 2014 at the age of 15, but in 2017, her remains were discovered in a rural area of Wayne County, eventually leading to Murbarger's arrest. He was arrested Wednesday without incident and is in jail awaiting extradition back to Illinois.