Jamie Feden thought she had met the love of her life, but things didn't work out the way she expected. When this catfish took his online love to the real world, things got out of hand fast. The truth came out, but it all happened a little too late. Read on to find out how this love story ended in tragedy...
Meet Jamie
The year was 2009 when Jamie Feden first met John Chapman, and their lives would never be the same. The two met at a school for people with disabilities. The two hit it off instantly, and Jamie was grateful to finally have someone in her life who could overlook her insecurities and love her regardless. She never knew how far it would go…
VATER Syndrome
Feden had been diagnosed with VATER syndrome since birth. The defects of the disease resulted in her tiny stature, but she still had goals. She wanted to become a medical assistant and was saving up to attend college nearby. But things weren’t great for the couple…
Rocky Relationship
Their relationship became rocky. They began a long cycle of break-ups and make-ups, dating off and on with each month. The Feden family disapproved of John, but Feden consistently ignored their arguments. That is, until one day when things went too far…
Unpopular
Chapman was not popular with Feden’s family and friends. The boyfriend was verbally abusive, stole money from Feden, and belittled her in front of friends. Feden’s best friend, Nikki Lawrence, recalled one instance when the couple had their worst fight of all…
Bar Night
At the time, Feden and Chapman had walked into a bar to meet Nikki. Feden’s eyes were swelled black and blue from hits. “The owner of the bar chased him down the street. After that he didn’t really come around any of her friends and family,” said Lawrence.
No Matter What
Nothing swayed her admiration for her on-again-off-again relationship. Lawrence said that “she loved Chapman no matter what.” It was only a matter of time before she got pushed past her own limits, and the relationship was really tested…
Vegas Trip
On September 5th, 2019, Nikki Lawrence noticed that it had been a while since she heard from Feden. She texted her, expecting a quick response. A few hours later she read the text that terrified her. Chapman had planned a trip for them to Las Vegas, and they were already on their way.
Checking In
She checked her friend's Facebook page and sure enough, there were check-ins, photos, and posts about the big week away. “It makes me physically sick,” said Lawrence. She believed Chapman was the one really posting them…
Unraveling
The texts with Feden began to unravel. She was answering questioning wrong that she should have known, or just ignoring texts that she would have responded to. Something was very wrong...
Never Assume
At the time though, she assumed Feden was still at least controlling her phone. She texted Feden asking for Chapman’s birthday as well as some other details. She had a sneaking suspicion that Chapman wasn’t telling the whole truth. She couldn’t have been more right…
Unusual Happenings
Strange posts started appearing on Feden’s Facebook feed. What was going on? Chapman friended Nikki on Facebook then and started to post frequently, comment on every photo, and even put a picture of flowers up on her timeline. Something was amiss…
Angry Online
It was a blowup online that really set off alarms. In a post written on Faden’s account, she said “I officially HATE my family they need to stay out of my life. They called the cops because I won’t jump to their wishes.” People were shocked…
Missing Persons
The family finally decided to report her missing. They didn’t trust her alone with Chapman, but they would soon discover their worst suspicions were confirmed. The Bethel Park police jumped into action, and they went to search her home. They couldn’t believe what they found…
Welfare Check
Crime scene investigators went for a welfare check to Faden’s home. Inside, they found a phone and backpack. Inside were plastic zip ties and duct tape. What could this mean? Well, the police didn’t have to look hard to find out the secret...
Hands Tied
A body was found in Bethel Park, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was zip-tied at her hands and feet to a signpost in the desert. She was also suffocated with duct tape over her nose and mouth. But the surprises didn’t stop there…
Tattoo Proof
There was another body found in Las Vegas on October 5th. It matched Feden’s physical description and bore a tattoo. The tattoo was one Feden reportedly had as well, reading “Keith, Robin, Jason” and another tattoo of a four-leaf clover on her right lower leg.
Passed On
The tattoo with the names was commemorative of Feden’s dead family members. Her uncle, brother, and mother had all passed away when Feden was young. She wanted to honor their lives, but unfortunately, it played a crucial role in her death.
Chapman Charged
Lawrence knew it had to be Chapman, and once she told police her suspicions, the truth was finally revealed. Per a police statement, he was charged with kidnapping, obstructing the administration of the law, and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with the disappearance of Jamie Rae Feden.
Confessional
Chapman confessed to the murder of 33-year-old Jamie. He had told her that he was planning on buying property in Las Vegas for the two of them to share. In Nevada, he had killed the young woman. One person was particularly amazed at this character development...
Meet Maureen
Enter: Maureen Chapman, John Chapman’s longtime wife. Though Chapman was allegedly single and only dating Feden, he had actually been secretly married to Maureen for over a year. She was surprised to receive a call from police on one Friday morning…
What's the Truth?
John Chapman’s Facebook page listed him as an installation technician, working for a company known as ADT. He was also listed as being previously employed with the US Navy. Though he is friends with Maureen on the site, his profile lists him as single and his bio lists him as “a 39-year-old single guy from Pennsylvania[...] I'm always trying to meet new and interesting people.”
Speechless
Maureen wasn’t just a friend and a wife, she was also the person hearing the confession. He had called her that same Friday morning and confessed to everything. He told her “I killed her because I had to…” Maureen was speechless...
Never Saw It Coming
“He said he had murdered a woman. I was in disbelief,” said Maureen, who was under the impression that her husband left town and spent days away for work trips. This Las Vegas trip was out of the ordinary, sure, but she didn’t think much of it at the time. Oh how wrong she was…
Wife or Sister?
Weirdly enough, Maureen was listed as his sister on the website. He even commented, “looking good sis” under a picture she had posted. Very creepy, but Maureen insists they were married...
Blindsided
Maureen feels that she was blind-sided and now lists herself as single online. "Oh, my god, it's sick. It's really sick. I just want the truth as to what happened” said Maureen “I feel I'm owed that."
Missing Jamie
Nikki Lawrence mourns her friend. "She was such a sweetheart, she didn’t do anything wrong to anybody to deserve anything like this. She loved him and she just wanted him to love her.” She is remembered fondly by her friends and family.
Really Gone?
However, even though they’ve found possible bodies to Feden, neither have been confirmed to be her, despite the promising tattoos. “ Finding a body, you’re going to have to do your due diligence and make sure it’s the exact person.
Making Sure
"Until we receive actual confirmation that they have found her,” said Bethal Park Police Chief Timothy O’Connor “you know there’s always a possibility that she’s still alive somewhere out there and we’d like to bring her home.”
Online Dating
According to a recent study, one in three relationships starts in an online setting. However, crime rates associated with online dating have also risen by 382% in the past few years. The numbers are shocking to see…
Unwell on the Web
In 2011, crimes associated with online dating were recorded at 140. In 2016, that number had risen to 676. The numbers keep going up too. There have been an estimated 240 cases of assault from online dating.