Illinois Girl, 15, Vanishes After Leaving Mom Note, But All Was Not What It Seemed

The source provides an extensive overview of the tragic disappearance and murder of 15-year-old Megan Nichols in Fairfield, Illinois, starting in the summer of 2014. It establishes the initial belief that Nichols was a runaway after a note and a withdrawal from her savings were discovered, detailing the emotional turmoil of her mother, Kathy Jo Hutchcraft. The episode then pivots to expose the secret relationship Nichols maintained with an older high school student, Brodey Murbarger, against her mother's rules. Ultimately, the source recounts how the case went cold for nearly four years until Murbarger was connected through a traffic stop and an interrogation, leading to his confession that he had strangled and buried her body on his family's property. The paragraph concludes by summarizing Murbarger's murder conviction and Kathy Jo's enduring advocacy work inspired by her daughter's death.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-files-unsealed--6017387/support.