Body of missing Bethel Park woman identified 7 weeks after being found in Nevada desert

Authorities in Nevada have confirmed that the body of a woman found in the desert is that of a missing Bethel Park woman.

Jaime Feden’s remains were identified Thursday through dental records, according to Lincoln County (Nevada) Sheriff Kerry D. Lee.

Feden, 33, was found Oct. 5 in a southern area of the county, almost three-quarters of a mile from U.S. Route 93, Lee said. The location is about 170 miles north of Las Vegas.

Lee said the department is working to send investigators to Allegheny County to gather information as they work to file charges against John Matthew Chapman, 39, of Oakland, Md.

Chapman reportedly confessed to the killing during an interview with Bethel Park police last week.

Chapman has since been denied bail and remains in Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh. In Pennsylvania, he is facing charges of kidnapping, criminal use of a phone and obstruction.

Lee said authorities in Lincoln County will work to extradite Chapman back to Nevada, where he faces kidnapping and murder charges.

“It is very tragic and very bizarre,” Lee said. “It’s crazy that it’s been two months for us to be able to find out who this poor woman was. Finally, maybe, at least the family will get a little bit of closure knowing where their loved on is.”

The sheriff said part of the reason for the delay in identification was the result of investigators in Nevada checking local and West Coast databases. He said they were looking at missing persons alerts in Seattle, parts of Arizona and Las Vegas. They got several leads there, but ultimately they weren’t Feden, Lee said.

According to a criminal complaint, Chapman told Bethel park police he and Feden drove to Nevada, and on Sept. 25, they went to the desert for a bondage-themed photo shoot.

Chapman told police he bound Feden’s hands and feet with duct tape to a signpost and taped her mouth and nose. She suffocated to death, the criminal complaint said.

Chapman unbound her, removed her clothes and left her body by the signpost, before returning to Pennsylvania, he told police.

Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Samson X Horne is a Tribune-Review digital producer. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MikeJdiVittorio. You can contact Samson at 412-320-7845, shorne@tribweb.com or via Twitter @spinal_tapp.