Man allegedly left special needs woman to die in Vegas desert

A Pennsylvania man was arrested and charged Friday for the alleged cross-country kidnapping and killing of a special needs woman.

John Chapman.Handout

John Matthew Chapman, 39, was charged with kidnapping, obstruction and other crimes in the September disappearance of Jaime Rae Faden, 33, Bethel Park Police said in a statement.

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The statement said authorities were still working to locate the body of Faden, who was reported missing on Thursday.

Chapman has not been charged with homicide, but NBC affiliate WXPI obtained court documents alleging that he drove Faden from Pennsylvania to Las Vegas and promised her a desert photo shoot.

He then bound her to a sign post and duct taped her mouth and nose, suffocating her, the documents say, according to WXPI.

The station reported that he later reached out to Faden’s relatives through her Facebook messenger account, pretending to be her.

Jaime Rae Feden.Bethel Park Police Department

It wasn’t immediately clear if Chapman has a lawyer.

Bethel Park Police Chief Timothy O’Connor did not immediately respond to a request comment.

Chapman’s relatives told WXPI that they believed Chapman was traveling to Las Vegas on a work trip last month. His wife, Maureen, told the station that he confessed to her that he’d killed Feden.

Feden and Chapman met at a school for students with special needs and he often stayed at her home in Bethel Park, south of Pittsburg, the station reported.

source: nbcnews.com