A man has been arrested 20 years after he allegedly killed a mother and her stepson when he was just 14 years old.
On July 24, 2006, Chynna Dickus was fatally stabbed and her 10-year-old stepson, Blake Dickus, was stabbed, beaten and suffocated to death inside their home in Franklin, Indiana.
Following their murders, authorities and loved ones put up billboards and posters and even offered a $25,000 reward for any information that might lead to an arrest. The search for the killer never ended, and the incentive was increased to $100,000 this September, according to WXIN.
More than two decades later, a breakthrough in the case took place when Michael Jerome James was arrested on Friday, October 2, after being indicted by a grand jury in Johnson County.
“For 20 years, the Franklin Police Department has carried a commitment to finding answers in the tragic deaths of Blake and Chynna Dickus. An arrest has been made in connection with their murders,” the Franklin Police Department said in a statement confirming James’ arrest on Monday, October 5. “While this is an important development in a case that has deeply impacted our community, we recognize that no arrest can undo the tremendous loss experienced by the Dickus family and all those who knew and loved Blake and Chynna. Our thoughts remain with them as this case moves forward.”
James was 14 when he allegedly killed Chynna, 26, and Blake. However, he is being charged as an adult for both of the murders.
It’s not currently clear whether James, now 35, knew the victims prior to the killings or if he had a motive. However, authorities said they initially believed the victims were killed during a robbery.
James lived in Franklin for more than a decade after he allegedly killed Chynna and Blake, according to WXIN. He later relocated to nearby Shelbyville within the past three years.
“He was trying to buy a house and made a comment that the housing system out there is just way too high pricewise and it’s just cheaper here in town, but it didn’t make sense,” neighbor Dale Fornoff told WXIN of James.
Fornoff added that he didn’t get to know James well. “I cut his grass a couple times when he first moved in, and he kept quiet after that,” he said.
Following the arrest, Blake’s biological mother, Christina Smith, told WTHR that James had been a target of detectives’ investigation for at least five years.
“They were making sure they have their Ts crossed, their Is dotted. They are … they have a lot of information. It’s hard to believe that a person, a 14-year-old about to turn 15 in a couple months, could take Chynna and Blake,” Smith said. “It doesn’t seem real. But it is! They do have scientific evidence of that person being in the house.”
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner told WXIN that James is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, October 9, before a County Circuit judge.
It’s not currently clear whether James has entered a plea following his arrest, and an attorney was not immediately made available to be contacted.
