Murbarger was arrested in connection with Nichols' death in 2020 after she went missing in 2014 at the age of 15. Her family didn't believe she was actually a runaway though and her disappearance was featured in Datelines digital series Missing in America.". Local radio news at noon stated that the Grand Jury indictments cant yet be released. What happens when the murderer doesnt get caught? At the time of Megan's disappearance, Brodey lived in Fairfield and had allegedly been dating the victim. https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/closing-arguments-wrap-up-in-murbarger-murder-trial-jury-to-deliberate/amp/. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, was arrested Wednesday without incident and is in jail awaiting extradition back to Illinois. The man at the center of a high profile murder case out of Wayne County, Illinois, learned his sentence on Friday. An Indiana man was arrested Wednesday for the 2014 murder of an Illinois teen whose body was found nearly three years ago in a shallow grave. A chapter still remains unclosed as friends and families continue to wait. Murbarger was taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail, but he is no longer an inmate. A 24 year old is not a former bf. 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. A pre-trial hearing was held yesterday (Tuesday) via Zoom in Wayne County Circuit Court for 25-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger. There were a few cryptic clues left behind at the home, one was Megan's cell phone which had been completely wiped. The sheriff here reports that the arrest was made by Evansville IN PD at the direction of the FBI and his office is not involved at this time. 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. EVANSVILLE, Ind. Murbarger had lived in Fairfield, and met Nichols at New Hope School, where he was a senior and she was a sophomore. There are reports that Murbarger and Nichols had at one point dated, but the FBI could not confirm that to Dateline because of the ongoing investigation. RC Beverage Company. However, theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. Its one of those things where you kind of always knew it was him," Hold told WFIE. 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? 00:56:29 - On July 3, 2014, 15-year-old Megan Nichols disappeared from her Fairfield, Illinois home. The city says the owners should. It had been wiped clean. [Click here to see the indictment documents obtained by 14 News]. 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. Brodey Murbargers attorney filed a motion on his clients behalf Tuesday. one hour of jury deliberation. Ill update whenever I get more info. There are many other important things that need to be taken care of financially in Placentia, she said. 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. https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/closing-arguments-wrap-up-in-murbarger-murder-trial-jury-to-deliberate/. Murbarger had lived in Fairfield, and met Nichols at New Hope School, where he was a senior and she was a sophomore. However Wayne County court documents indicate that he has been or will be faced with: 3 counts murder or intent to kill or injure Either 1 count of concealing a homicidal death 2 counts of home invasion. Follow 44News on Facebook, or download the free 44News apps on Android or Apple devices. Through those statements, the state says Murbarger places himself with Nichols on the night and time she disappeared. 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. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, was indicted in September by a grand jury. Megans friend, Holden August, told NBC affiliate WFIE that her disappearance and death took a while to digest for him and his classmates. You have permission to edit this article. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The owners then tried to sell the house in 1990 but couldnt get anywhere close to the price they paid, Lee said. The trial continues on Wednesday. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, of Evansville, Indiana, was taken into custody outside his place of employment and transported to the Vanderburgh County Jail, according to a press release issued by. One is for concealment of homicidal death, and two are for home invasion. Built in 1918, the house now waits in a state of dire disrepair on its 1.5-acre Angelina Avenue lot while its owners and city officials wrangle over the next turn in its fortunes. UPDATE: Brodey Murbarger found guilty of murdering Megan Nichols in 2014. A private party could restore the Kraemer house as a residence, or someone could restore it and use it for some low-key use, like a bed-and-breakfast, she said. Copyright 2020 WFIE. She had left her cell phone behind at the house. Murbarger then said he placed the shirt in the trunk, where leaking water caused the blood to spread. An abatement order would require the houses owners to repair, rebuild or demolish the house. In Japanese court, Alkonis pleaded guilty to negligent driving. RELATED: Two women missing in southwestern Indiana, RELATED: Suspect in 1986 cold case dies months after confession, Example video title will go here for this video. "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. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Funeral arrangements made for Vanderburgh County, Late morning pileup slows traffic on Henderson strip, Overnight emergency shelter opening tonight in Owensboro, Flags flown at half-staff in Perry County, Greenville FD free person trapped after tree falls, Miami takes No. The man at the center of a high profile murder case out of Wayne County, Illinois, learned his sentence on Friday. Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020 and is facing a first-degree murder. The Wayne County Circuit Clerk told us Wednesday that Murbarger's sentencing date was being delayed. Multiple agencies in Evansville, Indiana took Brodey Murbarger, 24, into custody Wednesday morning. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Following a telephone conference on Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court, Murbarger's defense attorney requested a continuance until October 3. The City Council will consider that option at its Dec. 19 meeting, said Joyce Rosenthal, director of development services for Placentia. More than three years later, the skeletal remains of Megan were found in a shallow grave south of . Updated: Oct 13, 2022 / 04:08 PM CDT FAIRFIELD, Ill (WEHT) - Brodey Murbarger, 26, was found guilty of first degree murder on Thursday after the jury deliberated for only an hour. Murbarger was arrested in 2020 while working in Indiana. The Wayne County Circuit Clerk told us Wednesday that Murbarger's sentencing date was being delayed. When youre hanging up a poster with your friends picture on it, thats when its like, Oh, this is real, August said. Indeed, several structures--including Placentias historical water tower, a school and a major county thoroughfare--already bear the Kraemer name in honor of one of the early families to settle the county. The stain tested positive in the field for blood. Then in December of 2017, remains were found in a rural area in Illinois. Evansville, Indiana Area. Lee said that proposal is on hold because talks are underway to sell the property to a builder who will renovate and move the Kraemer house to another spot on the parcel. Parlor Doughnuts hold soft opening for new location on Main St. Man arrested on murder charges in Providence. 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. 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. The charges include three counts of First Degree Murder, one count of Concealment of a Homicidal Death and two counts of Home Invasion. One month later, on January 26, 2018, authorities positively identified the remains as belonging to Megan. Rosenthal said, however, that the requests were stalled because the city was waiting for acceptable renovation proposals from the owners. Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020.. A farmer found the remains three years after the 15-year-old girl was reported missing. Megan was dating an 18-year-old named Brodey Murbarger, and the relationship had caused a rift between Megan and her mother. In the 10 years that the property has been on the market, Lee said, there have been no offers. 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. WAYNE COUNTY, IL A 26-year-old man charged with the murder of his 15-year-old girlfriend nearly 10 years ago is seeking to have his trial moved from Wayne County where the young girls body was found in a shallow grave years after her disappearance. No further info regarding charges has been released. The investigator also testified the two were planning to runaway together five months prior to Nichols disappearance. Brodey Murbarger has been sentenced to prison for the murder of Fairfield, Illinois teen Megan Nichols. According to court documents, Murbarger was indicted on three counts of first degree murder, one count of concealment of homicidal death and two counts of home invasion. Nichols, 15 was reported missing from her Fairfield, Illinois home in the early morning hours of July 3, 2014. Sep 2019 - Present3 years 5 months. Three are for first degree murder. 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. A search warrant was also executed at Murbargers home at the Lakewood West apartment complex in Evansville, Indiana. We asked the city to condemn the property, but they refused to do that. No further details were released. She also left a note saying she loved her mother, but would never be happy at home. Court then moved outside so jurors could have the chance to see the car themselves. Press J to jump to the feed. Its been six dark years for Nicholss family and friends, whose questions were left unanswered. WAYNE CO., Ill. (WFIE) - The trial started Monday morning for the man accused in the 2014 murder of Megan Nichols. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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. The FBI, along with many law enforcement organizations, including the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office and the Evansville Police Department, continue to investigate Megans case. He was taken Friday to a jail in Illinois. During closing arguments Thursday, the state of Illinois argued that Murbarger has changed his story several times through interviews with police, claiming all stories contradict one another. He added that theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. The remains were found in a rural location in Wayne County, Illinois, FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware previously told Dateline. As we previously reported, Brodey Murbarger, the man found guilty of murdering Fairfield teen Megan Nichols, was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't until 2017 that Nichols' remains were discovered in a rural area of Wayne County. Under that plan, new homes would have been built around the Kraemer house for a colony of resident artists. The City Council has declared the house a public nuisance, and the city Planning Commission voted this month for abatement. Megans mother, Kathy Jo Hutchcraft, discovered her daughter missing from her room around 11 p.m. Dateline reported that she later found a note Megan reportedly left behind, telling her that she loved her, but she would never be happy at home. Nichols, 15 was reported missing from her Fairfield, Illinois home in the early morning hours of July 3, 2014. More than three years later, the skeletal remains of Megan were found in a shallow grave south of Fairfield. A month later, they were identified as those of Nichols. They also reminded jurors that Murbarger told others hed gone to Megans Fairfield home around 9:30 p.m. July 3, 2014 the night she disappeared. https://www.14news.com/2022/10/12/ill-murder-suspect-takes-stand-day-8-trial/?outputType=amp. Welcome to the subreddit! Nichols was 15 when she disappeared on July 3, 2014 from her home in Fairfield, Illinois. 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. The trial was set to begin May 2 but was delayed during a pretrial hearing on Friday in Wayne County Circuit Court. Her cell phone was also left behind and had been wiped clean. Now the price tag for renovation has reached $300,000. 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. FBI investigator William OSullivan testified Wednesday about the more than 7,000 text messages exchanged between Murbarger and Nichols between December 2013 and February 2014. 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. 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. According to authorities, prior to her disappearance, Megan withdrew money from a local bank while on her bicycle. Murbarger did address Judge Molt, asking for leniency. Murbarger was set for trial September 19 for the slaying of 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. MURBARGER PRE TRIAL 3/19/22 The first-degree murder trial of 25-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger has been delayed until fall. 4. If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megans death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675. But FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware could not confirm these details to Dateline due to the case being an ongoing investigation. But the overriding question remains: Who should pay for the renovation? But the bottom line is that something has to be settled with that property., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, L.A. County moves to require quake retrofits as Turkey-Syria death toll exceeds 50,000, Historic movie lot that gave Studio City its name to get $1-billion makeover, How renovation of an iconic Chinese mall represents a shift in L.A.s Chinese community. He was arrested Wednesday without incident and is in jail awaiting extradition back to Illinois. Murbarger. According to Lee, the owners have lost a substantial amount of money on the property, which cost $750,000 in 1988. I would love to see that house be taken and refurbished and something decent made there.. The documents show hes accused of strangling and suffocating Megan and burying her in a shallow grave. Court documents show Murbarger was indicted on six counts. Bass, the Placentia historian, said city officials balk at taking over the renovation because it will be so expensive. 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. Nichols was considered a missing person until her remains were found in a field outside Boyleston, Illinois in 2017. 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. Jayson Murbarger testified the trunk on his sons car often leaked water, but he was unaware of any other fluids that may be in the trunk. The house is one of only seven historical homes in the city, according to Donna Bass, chairwoman of Placentias historical committee. On Wednesday, an FBI investigator told the jury about text messages between Murbarger and Nichols which. In the meantime, he hasnt done what we think is the proper maintenance on the site.. Megan was last seen alive on July 3, 2014, at her . Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020 and is facing a first-degree murder . Her biological father was . Search for Free Cell Phone Deals Without Paying, Datelines digital series Missing in America. While authorities first considered Megan a runaway, according to Dateline, her family didnt agree. UPDATE: Brodey Murbarger found guilty of murdering Megan Nichols in 2014. Murbarger is awaiting trial for the 2014 slaying of 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. The family, according to Lee and Bass, is not interested in paying to restore the home. They have been trying either to find a builder who would buy and clean up the site or pursue some other option that would make city officials happy while unloading the property. I think the Kraemer house has tremendous possibilities, Bass said. In March, the landowners had preliminary talks with the Placentia-Yorba Linda Art Assn. The owners say the city should, particularly if officials are so set on preserving the home. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. Once back in the courtroom, the jury also heard from the FBI agent who collected Megan Nichols remains once they were discovered, and saw the pictures from the scene. Brodey Ian Murbarger of Evansville, Indiana has been arrested in connection with the murder of his former girlfriend, Megan Nichols. 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. A body was found - it was tragic, but maybe itll lead to something more. 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. Speaking on behalf of the city, Rosenthal said the best possible scenario is that the house be restored and placed on the states list of historical homes. They paid $2,800 a month for rent. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Some murders are so shocking and evil that they capture the mind of the general public and it wont let go until a killer is brought to justice. Lee said that when they bought the property, they believed that the city would let them clear the site and build condominiums. There was a problem saving your notification. Brodey Murbarger has been sentenced to prison for the murder of Fairfield, Illinois teen Megan Nichols. For more than three years, state and local police along with the FBI followed up on hundreds of tips. Theres no sense of closure and the families of the victims are left devastated. They dont want to pay for the property.. 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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. That would allow the developer to build a road and more homes on the site without razing the historical structure.