In the 10 years that the property has been on the market, Lee said, there have been no offers. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Further, a search warrant for his home was issued. But the city balked because of the homes historical significance, he said. When youre hanging up a poster with your friends picture on it, thats when its like, Oh, this is real, Holden said. An abatement order would require the houses owners to repair, rebuild or demolish the house. The man at the center of a high profile murder case out of Wayne County, Illinois, learned his sentence on Friday. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, was indicted in September by a grand jury. I would love to see that house be taken and refurbished and something decent made there.. Through those statements, the state says Murbarger places himself with Nichols on the night and time she disappeared. 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. Police say Nichols was initially considered a missing person until her remains were found in a rural area in Wayne County, Illinois in 2018. Another was a note that Megan had written that contained very . But the city has vetoed the owners previous proposals for the site, said Jeffrey Lee, spokesman for the group that owns the house. 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. Megan was initially considered a missing person until her remains were located in a rural area in Wayne County Illinois in 2018. During the more than two-week trial, jurors heard testimony from multiple witnesses some of them surprising. Murbarger did address Judge Molt, asking for leniency. The house has slid from being a city jewel to a prominent eyesore. (WFIE) - Evansville police say detectives arrested an Evansville man on murder charges in relation to the 2014 disappearance/murder of Megan Nichols. https://www.14news.com/2022/10/12/ill-murder-suspect-takes-stand-day-8-trial/?outputType=amp. If you have any information regarding the circumstances of Megans death, please contact the FBI at (217) 522-9675. Its been six dark years for Nicholss family and friends, whose questions were left unanswered. On 09-25-2020 an Illinois grand jury issued an indictment for Brodey Murbarger (11-27-95) in reference to the 2014 disappearance/murder of Megan Nichols. 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 PRE TRIAL 3/19/22 The first-degree murder trial of 25-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger has been delayed until fall. A search warrant was also executed at Murbargers home at the Lakewood West apartment complex in Evansville, Indiana. Brodey Murbarger was arrested at his place of employment Wednesday without incident. A chapter still remains unclosed as friends and families continue to wait. 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. August says Nicholss disappearance took awhile to digest for him and his classmates. You have permission to edit this article. Her whereabouts remained a mystery for three years until human remains were found on December 26, 2017. We asked the city to condemn the property, but they refused to do that. Under that plan, new homes would have been built around the Kraemer house for a colony of resident artists. For more than three years, state and local police along with the FBI followed up on hundreds of tips. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Murbarger was found guilty of the murder of Megan Nichols this afternoon after approx. The Wayne County Circuit Clerk told us Wednesday that Murbarger's sentencing date was being delayed. Bond has been set at $3 million. Also, Im no expert so I dont understand the multiple counts of murder and dont want to speculate. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. 4. Her biological father was . Nichols, 15 was reported missing from her Fairfield, Illinois home in the early morning hours of July 3, 2014. Family members could not be reached for comment. But the overriding question remains: Who should pay for the renovation? Murbarger had lived in Fairfield, and met Nichols at New Hope School, where he was a senior and she was a sophomore. I think the Kraemer house has tremendous possibilities, Bass said. This is a subreddit for those cases of murder that go unsolved for years, even decades. Opinion: How has American healthcare gone so wrong? [Previous: Im sick,' says woman who discovered Megan Nichols remains]. There was a problem saving your notification. An Evansville, Indiana man is facing charges in the disappearance and murder of teenager Megan Nichols in 2014. The charges include three counts of First Degree Murder, one count of Concealment of a Homicidal Death and two counts of Home Invasion. Brodey Ian Murbarger of Evansville, Indiana has been arrested in connection with the murder of his former girlfriend, Megan Nichols. Lee said that when they bought the property, they believed that the city would let them clear the site and build condominiums. Court then moved outside so jurors could have the chance to see the car themselves. There were a few cryptic clues left behind at the home, one was Megan's cell phone which had been completely wiped. Brodey Murbarger, 24, has been charged with murder, Evansville Police said. I had never had someone that I was close to that had died and, you know, that was traumatic," August said. Brodey Murbarger was arrested for Murder on today's date . One is for concealment of homicidal death, and two are for home invasion. He said he then placed the shirt in the trunk, where leaking water caused the blood to spread. 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. On July 3, 2014, 15-year-old Megan Nichols disappeared from her Fairfield, Illinois home. 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. 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. It wasn't until 2017 that Nichols' remains were discovered in a rural area of Wayne County. 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. In March, the landowners had preliminary talks with the Placentia-Yorba Linda Art Assn. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Edited spelling and corrected charges as of 2:00 PM. On September 29, a Wayne County Grand Jury indicted Murbarger on six separate charges. 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. The owners then tried to sell the house in 1990 but couldnt get anywhere close to the price they paid, Lee said. It wasn't until 2017 that Nichols' remains were discovered in a rural area of Wayne County. 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. Brodey Murbarger testified that Megans blood was in his car after a sexual encounter, in which he used his shirt to clean the blood. 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. 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. 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. Murbarger was accused in the 2014 disappearance and killing of 15-year-old Megan Nichols. . The property is highly problematic now, said Lee, because the owners lost their liability insurance in 1998. Theres no sense of closure and the families of the victims are left devastated. The investigator also testified the two were planning to runaway together five months prior to Nichols disappearance. Members of the Kraemer family, for their part, apparently have distanced themselves from the dilapidated house that bears their name. 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. A body was found - it was tragic, but maybe itll lead to something more. Murbarger stated he disposed of the shirt in a ditch. The manner of death was determined to be homicide. The court also heard from an FBI DNA expert who confirmed the blood in Murbargers trunk came from Megan Nichols. All rights reserved. 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. 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. The owners say theyve asked the city for demolition permits in the past, but all those requests were denied. Murbarger then said he placed the shirt in the trunk, where leaking water caused the blood to spread. Its one of those things where you kind of always knew it was him," Hold told WFIE. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Her cell phone was also left behind and had been wiped clean. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. FAIRFIELD, Ill (WEHT) Brodey Murbarger, 26, was found guilty of first degree murder on Thursday after the jury deliberated for only an hour. Quality Control Laboratory Technician. 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. We're told that the maximum sentence Murbarger faced for the crime was 60 years, and that the minimum possible sentence was 20 years. 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. Police say Nichols was initially considered a missing person until her remains were found in a rural area in Wayne County, Illinois in 2018. UPDATE: Brodey Murbarger found guilty of murdering Megan Nichols in 2014. The plans we submitted before had up to 10 to 14 homes, which was higher density. The house is one of only seven historical homes in the city, according to Donna Bass, chairwoman of Placentias historical committee. Hes remained in the Wayne County Jail since that time with bond set at $300,000 cash. The Court on Tuesday issued a protective order for Megan Nichols medical records. Multiple agencies in Evansville, Indiana took Brodey Murbarger, 24, into custody Wednesday morning. (WFIE) - Its week two of a murder trial in Fairfield, Illinois for the man accused in the 2014 murder of 15-year old Megan Nichols. In closing arguments Thursday, prosecutors told the jury Murbargers story has changed several times and that the varying stories contradict each other. 00:56:29 - On July 3, 2014, 15-year-old Megan Nichols disappeared from her Fairfield, Illinois home. 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. Megans friend, Holden August, told NBC affiliate WFIE that her disappearance and death took a while to digest for him and his classmates. The FBI, along with many law enforcement organizations, including the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office and the Evansville Police Department, continue to investigate Megans case. According to the clerk, Murbarger will now be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. 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. Murbarger was set for trial September 19 for the slaying of 15-year-old Megan Nichols of Fairfield. The documents show hes accused of strangling and suffocating Megan and burying her in a shallow grave. Brodey Murbarger has been sentenced to prison for the murder of Fairfield, Illinois teen Megan Nichols. Brodey Murbarger was arrested in 2020 and is facing a first-degree murder . Its not just you, Work phones make a comeback as offices ban WhatsApp, TikTok. When youre hanging up a poster with your friends picture on it, thats when its like, Oh, this is real, August said. Local radio news at noon stated that the Grand Jury indictments cant yet be released. 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. 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. Welcome to the subreddit! Press J to jump to the feed. 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. According to NBC News, she was considered a missing person as police said she withdrew money from a bank before her disappearance. 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. Bass, the Placentia historian, said city officials balk at taking over the renovation because it will be so expensive. What happens when the murderer doesnt get caught? (WFIE) - It's week two of a murder trial in Fairfield, Illinois for the man accused in the 2014 murder of 15-year old Megan Nichols. Brodey Ian Murbarger, 24, was arrested Wednesday without incident and is in jail awaiting extradition back to Illinois. 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. Murbarger was arrested in 2020 while working in Indiana. The remains were found in a rural location in Wayne County, Illinois, FBI Public Information Officer Brad Ware previously told Dateline. Jena Reynolds, Marriage & Family Therapist, Placentia, CA, 92870, (949) 383-4561, During my 10 years as a Psychotherapist, I have provided counseling to those challenged by: . The defense, however, argued the evidence is speculation and circumstantial. The family, according to Lee and Bass, is not interested in paying to restore the home. The Wayne County Circuit Clerk told us Wednesday that Murbarger's sentencing date was being delayed. At first, he wanted to take down the house, Rosenthal said. UPDATE: Brodey Murbarger found guilty of murdering Megan Nichols in 2014. Follow 44News on Facebook, or download the free 44News apps on Android or Apple devices. Rosenthal said, however, that the requests were stalled because the city was waiting for acceptable renovation proposals from the owners. An Illinois grand jury issued the indictment for Murbarger in connection with the murder and disappearance of Megan Nichols. 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.