Just an hour from Wheeling: Man kidnapped girlfriend, drove to Nevada desert, suffocated her, pretend to be her and lived at her residence

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who authorities say killed his girlfriend in a Nevada desert has been convicted.

A jury in U.S. District Court in Nevada on Wednesday found John Matthew Chapman, 44, guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death, court records show. He faces life in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Aug. 2.

Authorities did not release the woman’s name. They say that after killing her in September 2019, Chapman pretended to be her on her Facebook messenger account and lived at her residence.

The woman’s neighbors in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, became suspicious when they hadn’t seen her or her vehicle for months but saw Chapman around the house, prosecutors said. Police conducted a welfare check and found identification cards with Chapman’s name and photo, the victim’s cellphone, zip ties and a roll of duct tape, they said.

Chapman admitted leading the woman to believe the two were taking a road trip to Las Vegas for a photo shoot, prosecutors said. Instead, they said, he brought her to a Nevada desert, tied her up and suffocated her. They added that he admitted killing her for her money.

The Associated Press left an email message with Chapman’s attorneys Thursday seeking comment.

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