But FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware could not confirm these details to Dateline due to the case being an ongoing investigation. To a 15 year old. Our biggest concern was that something of value didnt turn into a piece of junk, but the city may be too late in its efforts to save the house, Bass said. Megan was dating an 18-year-old named Brodey Murbarger, an Murbarger was arrested in 2020 while working in Indiana. [Previous: Im sick,' says woman who discovered Megan Nichols remains]. Following a telephone conference on Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court, Murbarger's defense attorney requested a continuance until October 3. Murbarger was set for trial September 19 for the slaying of 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. An abatement order would require the houses owners to repair, rebuild or demolish the house. Lee said the group of owners would like nothing better than to cut ties to the property. The radio station hasnt updated their transcripts yet since this morning. For more than three years, state and local police along with the FBI followed up on hundreds of tips. In the first count of First Degree Murder charges, Murbarger is accused of intentionally or knowingly caused Megan Nichols to be suffocated, knowing said act would cause the death of Megan Nichols. In the second count, Murbarger is accused of intentionally or knowingly caused Megan Nichols to be strangled, knowing said act would cause the death of Megan Nichols. What happens when the murderer doesnt get caught? Brodey I. Murbarger has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of his former girlfriend, 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. Murbarger Gets 50 Years for Megan Nichols Murder 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. [Exclusive: People who found remains in Wayne Co. talk to 14 News]. I had never had someone that I was close to that had died and, you know, that was traumatic," August said. 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. Fairfield man found guilty in Illinois murder trial Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, was indicted in September by a grand jury. Jury returns guilty verdict in Murbarger murder trial Evansville, Indiana Area. An Illinois grand jury issued the indictment for Murbarger in connection with the murder and disappearance of Megan Nichols. I am at work and had a lot of background noise but Im pretty confident that is what I heard. If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megan Nichols death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675. The agent who led the FBIs search of the car showed jurors where they found a red stain in the trunk, underneath the trunk lining below the locking mechanism. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Nichols was considered a missing person until her remains were found in a field outside Boyleston, Illinois in 2017. Copyright 2022 WFIE. His attorney, Christian J. Baril, told Judge Michael Molt and State's Attorney Kevin Kakac the review of discovery materials is going well. The City Council will consider that option at its Dec. 19 meeting, said Joyce Rosenthal, director of development services for Placentia. Brodey Murbarger has been sentenced to prison for the murder of Fairfield, Illinois teen Megan Nichols. Then he was going to leave the house and build houses around it. Its been six dark years for Nicholss family and friends, whose questions were left unanswered. Please post information in the comments related to the case! Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020 and is facing a first-degree murder . A chapter still remains unclosed as friends and families continue to wait. I think the Kraemer house has tremendous possibilities, Bass said. Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020.. 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. Copyright 2020 WFIE. Murbarger then said he placed the shirt in the trunk, where leaking water caused the blood to spread. At first, he wanted to take down the house, Rosenthal said. After deliberating for more than an hour, a jury found Brodey Murbarger guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Megan Nichols. The owners say theyve asked the city for demolition permits in the past, but all those requests were denied. The FBI, along with many law enforcement organizations, including the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office and the Evansville Police Department, continue to investigate Megans case. There was a problem saving your notification. Bond has been set at $3 million. EVANSVILLE, Ind. Members of the Kraemer family, for their part, apparently have distanced themselves from the dilapidated house that bears their name. It had been wiped clean. However, theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. Friends say . 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. You have permission to edit this article. Jail) [Previous: 'I'm sick,' says woman who discovered Megan Nichols'. On September 29, a Wayne County Grand Jury indicted Murbarger on six separate charges. Holden August, a friend of Nichols, heard the news on Wednesday morning. Link has been updated, guilty verdict returned. He was taken Friday to a jail in Illinois. The state also says during police interviews, Murbarger told others he went to Nichols house around 9:30 pm July 3, 2014 because he thought she had run away. 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. The remains were found in a rural location in Wayne County, Illinois, FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware previously told Dateline. WAYNE CO., Ill. (WFIE) - The trial started Monday morning for the man accused in the 2014 murder of Megan Nichols. If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megans death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675. According to the Navigator Journal, Megan and Brodey Murbarger had previously dated. (Vanderburgh Co. Its really hard to process, August said. Sentencing rescheduled for man convicted of Wayne County teen's murder Jena Reynolds, Marriage & Family Therapist, Placentia, CA, 92870 The state then rested its case and the defense not only called Murbargers father Jayson Murbarger to the stand but called the defendant himself to testify. As reported in October, Brodey Murbarger was found guilty of the murder of Megan Nichols, of Fairfield, Illinois. Welcome to the subreddit! A month later, they were identified as those of Nichols. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, was arrested Wednesday without incident and is in jail awaiting extradition back to Illinois. 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 owners say the city should, particularly if officials are so set on preserving the home. Then in December of 2017, remains were found in a rural area in Illinois. He said he then placed the shirt in the trunk, where leaking water caused the blood to spread. They paid $2,800 a month for rent. All rights reserved. Brodey Murbarger has been sentenced to prison for the murder of Fairfield, Illinois teen Megan Nichols. 'Based' GOP Senator Tries New Method of International Diplomacy Last November a Wayne County jury found Brodey Murbarger responsible for strangling or smothering Megan Nichols to death. There were a few cryptic clues left behind at the home, one was Megan's cell phone which had been completely wiped. Sentencing rescheduled for man convicted of Wayne County teen's murder, 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. As we previously reported, Brodey Murbarger, the man found guilty of murdering Fairfield teen Megan Nichols, was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon. Murbarger was found guilty of the murder of Megan Nichols this afternoon after approx. 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. Theres no sense of closure and the families of the victims are left devastated. During the more than two-week trial, jurors heard testimony from multiple witnesses some of them surprising. The documents show hes accused of strangling and suffocating Megan and burying her in a shallow grave. In the 10 years that the property has been on the market, Lee said, there have been no offers. FAIRFIELD, Ill (WEHT) Brodey Murbarger, 26, was found guilty of first degree murder on Thursday after the jury deliberated for only an hour. The city felt that was too crowded.. The first-degree murder trial of Brodey Murbarger has been delayed again. Another was a note that Megan had written that contained very . 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. Arrest made in connection with death of Megan Nichols We're told that the maximum sentence Murbarger faced for the crime was 60 years, and that the minimum possible sentence was 20 years. Follow 44News on Facebook, or download the free 44News apps on Android or Apple devices. Edited spelling and corrected charges as of 2:00 PM. There are many other important things that need to be taken care of financially in Placentia, she said. The family called police to report her missing at about 1 am July 4, 2014. He added that theres a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made. Meanwhile, the abandoned home has been plagued by graffiti, vandalism and arson. 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. 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. 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. As we previously reported, Brodey Murbarger, the man found guilty of murdering Fairfield teen Megan Nichols, was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon. Murbarger was accused in the 2014 disappearance and killing of 15-year-old Megan Nichols. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Court on Tuesday issued a protective order for Megan Nichols medical records. Brodey Murbarger was arrested for Murder on today's date . The Wayne County Circuit Clerk told us Wednesday that Murbarger's sentencing date was being delayed. Brodey Murbarger, 24, has been charged with murder, Evansville Police said. 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. Pre-trial Hearing Held Tuesday for Brodey I. Murbarger Bass, the Placentia historian, said city officials balk at taking over the renovation because it will be so expensive. As reported in October, Brodey Murbarger was found guilty of the murder of Megan Nichols, of Fairfield, Illinois. 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. I would love to see that house be taken and refurbished and something decent made there.. His attorney, Christian Baril, filed two motions before Judge Michael Molt- one for the allowance of in-person visits with Murbarger and another for the reduction of the current $300,000 cash bond. 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. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. 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. The owners then tried to sell the house in 1990 but couldnt get anywhere close to the price they paid, Lee said. But in February 2014 the messages reflected a more tumultuous relationship, with Murbarger at one point calling Nichols annoying.. 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. 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. Family members could not be reached for comment. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Murder trial underway for man accused of killing Ill. teen Brodey Murbarger was arrested at his place of employment Wednesday without incident. Her whereabouts remained a mystery for three years until human remains were found on December 26, 2017. The property is highly problematic now, said Lee, because the owners lost their liability insurance in 1998. We have boarded and reboarded that house 15 times in the last two years, Lee said. Man found guilty of murder in Wayne County teen's death In July, a fire damaged the propertys garage, according to Placentia police. The plans we submitted before had up to 10 to 14 homes, which was higher density. They dont want to pay for the property.. Also, Im no expert so I dont understand the multiple counts of murder and dont want to speculate. Murbarger had lived in Fairfield, and met Nichols at New Hope School, where he was a senior and she was a sophomore. In closing arguments Thursday, prosecutors told the jury Murbargers story has changed several times and that the varying stories contradict each other. EVANSVILLE, Ind. 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. Police say Nichols was initially considered a missing person until her remains were found in a rural area in Wayne County, Illinois in 2018.