Brandon Criss, 34, and Devon Nichols, 17, both from Linton, appeared in Greene Superior Court this afternoon and have been charged with the March 17 murder of John P. Chapman. The case of Nichols, 16 at the time of the murder, has been automatically waived into adult court.

Brandon A. Criss, also listed as Brandon Adam Christopher Lee Criss, 34, Linton, was arrested by Sgt. Logan Hobbs of the Linton Police Department last Wednesday, March 25, and booked into the Greene County Jail around 7:40 p.m.

Devin Thomas Paul Nichols, 16 at the time of the murder and at the time of his arrest, now 17, Linton, was also arrested by LPD Sgt. Logan Hobbs last Wednesday, March 25, and booked into the Greene County Jail around 8 p.m.

Both Criss and Nichols are being held in the Greene County Jail without bond.

Criss has been charged with:

Murder, a felony,
Conspiracy to commit murder, a Level 1 felony,
Two counts of obstruction of justice, both Level 6 felonies, and
False informing resulting in substantial hindrance to a law enforcement procedure, a Class A misdemeanor.

Nichols has been charged with:

Murder, a felony,
Conspiracy to commit murder, a Level 1 felony,
Obstruction of justice, a Level 6 felony, and
False informing resulting in substantial hindrance to a law enforcement procedure, a Class A misdemeanor.

With Judge Dena Martin presiding, Joseph Lozano, a defense attorney from Bloomington, was appointed to represent Criss as a public defender and Ellen Martin from the Greene County Public Defender’s Office, was appointed to represent Nichols.

Sgt. Hobbs, the lead investigator, was dispatched around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, to a vacant residence at 190 1st Street SE in Linton in reference to a dead body. Sgt. Hobbs found a deceased man, later identified as John P. Chapman, 46, Linton, lying on the porch steps with blood on his clothing and the steps. Inside the house, they found a package of Reese’s cups candy, an unopened candle, a partially burned candle with the packaging nearby and a large fountain drink cup that was still full.

When an autopsy was performed the next day by Dr. Dele Adeagbo at Regional Hospital in Terre Haute, Chapman was found to have one stab wound to his back, one to the right side of his chest, one to a palm and some incisions. The cause of death was the stab wound to the trunk of the body and the manner of death was ruled homicide.

When the investigation began, Criss was already on police radar because he was caught allegedly attempting to pass counterfeit money at the Save-A-Lot store in Linton around noon on Tuesday, March 17. When LPD Officer Debbie McDonald talked to Criss about that incident, Criss allegedly said Chapman had given him the counterfeit money and he was upset about it. Criss allegedly said he would “take care of it” himself.

According to Sgt. Hobbs, it appears Chapman was killed at the vacant house between 8:52 and 9:15 p.m. later that night, Tuesday, March 17.

By mid-afternoon the next day, Wednesday, March 18, Sgt. Hobbs was interviewing Criss at the police department and told Criss that Chapman was dead. Hobbs reported that before he asked the first question, Criss said he had proof he didn’t do it. In a lengthy probable cause affidavit prepared by Sgt. Hobbs, he detailed several different alibis Criss offered during the course of the investigation.

Sgt. Hobbs also detailed interviews with numerous individuals who had been with Chapman or Criss during the time period surrounding the murder, or had been in communication with one or the other.

In addition to the long chain of interviews, surveillance footage was retrieved from numerous locations in the area and that led to the development of a second suspect, Devon Nichols.

In his affidavit, Sgt. Hobbs wrote, “I believe that Devon Nichols and Brandon Criss lured John Chapman to the abandoned house under the false pretense of Chapman receiving oral sex and, once there, Chapman was stabbed with a knife and killed because Criss believed that Chapman had provided counterfeit money to him earlier in the day.

“As a part of this ongoing investigation, cell phone analysis, cell record requests and cell site location examinations for phones belonging to John Chapman, Devon Nichols and Brandon Criss are ongoing.”

Sgt. Hobbs said that due to reductions in staff for the COVID-19 pandemic, cell record and cell site location information is being delayed, but numerous items collected as part of the investigation is being sent to the Indiana State Police Lab for DNA analysis.

The affidavit filed in this case indicates police are in possession of a wide range of evidence including DNA, surveillance video, personal statements from numerous individuals, cell phone location, call records and text messages, as well as a murder weapon.

Besides officers from the Linton Police Department, personnel assisted in the investigation from the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, the Jasonville Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Greene County Coroner’s Office, the Indiana State Police, and the United States Marshal Service.

No additional details about the murder will be included in this story on GreeneStreets – this is an ongoing investigation and LPD is requesting anyone with additional information related to this investigation to contact the Linton Police Department at 812-847-4411 or report anonymous tips to Greene County CrimeStoppers at 812-TIP-LINE.