By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-10-05 07:46:45 | Updated at 2026-10-05 08:36:50
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An Indiana man accused of killing a boy and stepmom when he was a teen has been arrested after 20 years on the run.
Michael Jerome James, 35, was arrested at his Shelbyville home on Friday – more than two decades after Chynna Dickus, 26, and her stepson, Blake Dickus, 10, were found stabbed to death in their Franklin home.
Franklin Police, Shelby County Police, and an FBI agent arrested the suspect, his neighbor Dale Fornett told Fox59.
James would’ve been 14 at the time of the killings but Lance Hamner, a Johnson County prosecutor, said the suspect, who has been indicted on two counts of murder, will be tried as an adult.
Prosecutors have not disclosed the evidence they say link James to the double murders.
“All I can say is that [police] brought us an investigation that we took to the grand jury,” Hamner said.
“The grand jury listened to the evidence over a period of three weeks and then they returned that indictment.”
The bodies were found inside the home by Sean Dickus — the boy’s father — in July 2006 after he returned home from work.
Chynna Dickus was stabbed to death, while Blake Dickus was knifed, beaten and suffocated.
It has since emerged that James grew up just a few miles away from the murder scene, a source close to the investigation told WTHR.
Texas-born James, who lived in the Shelbyville area for the past two years after leaving Franklin, according to neighbors, was adopted by his aunt after his mom’s death and they moved to Indiana.
The source revealed James and his sister were removed from their Texas home by Child Protective Services as his mom battled drug addiction.
The motive of the killings still remains unclear – despite the arrest.
“What was in his mind at the time, being that young to want to do something to those people, especially the little boy?” James’ neighbor, Nancy Nigh, told Fox59.
In 2015, investigators suspected burglaries may have been linked to the murders. One burglary happened on the day Chynna Dickus and Blake Dickus were killed.
Cops also investigated whether there was a domestic violence link.
Kirby Cochran, the Franklin Police Chief, hailed officers for refusing “to let the case grow cold,” reacting to the indictment.
“For 20 years, Blake and Chynna’s families have carried the weight of an unimaginable loss, waiting for this day,” he said.
“On behalf of the Franklin Police Department, I want them to know that we have never forgotten their loved ones and we have never stopped seeking justice.
“[Officers] sustained effort brings a measure of resolution for the victims, their families and the community.
“This indictment represents the culmination of 20 years of persistent and professional investigative work.
“Detectives reviewed evidence, pursued new leads, leveraged advances in forensic science, and remained committed to Blake, Chynna, and their families every step of the way.”
Cops are not looking for any other suspects or co-conspirators in relation to the killings, Hamner said.
Friday’s arrest came just days after the reward for information on the killings quadrupled to $100,000.
“It is time for those who know something to come forward. It is time for answers,” Hamner said.
