Man tied girlfriend up in desert, watched her die, feds say. He’s prison-bound

A man is going to prison after taking his girlfriend to the desert, tying her up and watching her die, federal officials said.

In September 2019, John Matthew Chapman of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, told his girlfriend they were going on vacation to Las Vegas and would potentially buy property there, according to an Aug. 2 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada.

In November 2019, Bethel Park police went to the woman’s home after her friend requested a welfare check, officials said.

Neighbors told police they had seen Chapman go in and out of her home but hadn’t seen the woman in two months, prosecutors said.

Once inside, police found the woman’s phone, zip ties and duct tape, officials said.

During an interview with police, Chapman admitted to lying to his girlfriend about their vacation and had a “kill kit” ready before their departure on Sept. 25, according to the complaint.

He told investigators he drove her to Lincoln County, Nevada, about a 160-mile drive northeast of Las Vegas, officials said.

Under the pretext of bondage photo shoot, Chapman bound the woman’s hands and feet with zip ties and tied her to a signpost, officials said.

He put duct tape over her nose and mouth and then “watched her die from asphyxiation,” prosecutors said.

Once she was dead, he took her down from the post, removed the zip ties, undressed her and left her body before driving back to Bethel Park, officials said.

Investigators soon learned from Nevada officials that a Jane Doe matching the woman’s description had been found in the desert on Oct. 5, about 10 days after her death, according to the complaint.

Chapman had continued to use the woman’s home and money after she died, officials said.

After an eight-day trial in May, Chapman was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to Chapman’s lawyers for comment on Aug. 5 and was awaiting a response.

He was sentenced to life in prison, prosecutors said.

This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Man tied girlfriend up in desert, watched her die, feds say. He’s prison-bound."