LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Pennsylvania man has been charged with kidnapping and killing a woman who believed he was her boyfriend in the Nevada desert, authorities said Friday.
Federal prosecutors in Las Vegas said John Matthew Chapman, 40, used the victim’s Facebook account to correspond with a family member after her death.
The woman’s neighbors in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania became suspicious when they hadn’t seen her or her vehicle for months but saw Chapman around the house. Police conducted a welfare check and found a fake CIA identification card with Chapman’s name and photo, the victim’s cell phone, zip ties and a role of duct tape.
Police say Chapman admitted that he led the woman to believe they were taking a road trip to Las Vegas in September 2019, but he brought along a “kill kit.” He took her to the desert in Lincoln County north of Las Vegas under the guise of doing a photo shoot, tied her up and suffocated her.
It was not clear if Chapman had a lawyer. He was in custody Friday in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and has an initial court appearance on March 2 in Pennsylvania.
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